|
First of all, by hardware firewalls i really mean those integrated into some modern ADSL/Cable router products It is probably different from product to product, and the only one I have information on is the Netgear DG834G. This is a combined Router/ADSL Modem/Switch/Firewall/WLAN Access Point. By default the firewall on this is enabled and refuses all external connection attempts. Firewall activity logging is also on by default. You can block domains by IP address or even by key words (such as swear words) If you're a bit computer literate you can set up rules to allow particular incoming traffic (i.e. if you're hosting an internet multiplayer game like Quake III, you'll need to open a port so that other people can connect to you). You can also set up schedules to put particular rules in to operation at particular times, and set up things like remote access to the router. You can set up a DMZ for extra security if you wish, and all sorts of other clever stuff. If you do a quick search for the usual brands, Belkin, Netgear, D-Link, Linksys etc, I'm sure you'll find the all have similar products. If you want some help on setting up your firewall, information on many software and hardware firewalls can be found here: http://firewalling.com/routers.htm |