need simple router w/o hw firewall

I've got a Netgear FR114P ProSafe Firewall/Print Server. Got it from a friend years ago. When I set it up I had trouble getting multiplayer online games, torrents, etc to work. Obviously the hardware firewall was blocking them. I figured out how to open the specific ports needed by these apps, but found it a major PITA to research each app to find out what ports it needs. I run a lot of apps and many don't readily provide this information. I finally gave up and turned on the DMZ. For my firewall needs I use Sygate Personal Firewall. It is free, is easy to give new apps access, and is easy to see when bad apps try to access. Fast forward a couple years. The Netgear FR114P is dying I think. I periodically lose connectivity and this seems to be remedied by unplugging it and plugging it back in.

So I need a new router. First, you guys can set me straight if you think I need it. Is my network solution reasonable? If so, which router will work best for me? Do they make routers that don't have a hardware firewall? I'd like as little extra junk as possible, not only to save costs but to make things simpler. I don't need a print server either.

In case it helps, I have three computers on my network. One is always on. I have a cable modem internet connection. I don't care about gigabyte lan. All three computers run Windows XP.

honestly i don't know if there are routers without hardware firewalls, there may be.

I know you said gigabit is not needed but i thought i would mention a dlink dgl4100

it is gigagbit, but it has a lot of ap profiles for games, programs and such so that you can open ports with a simple click. has profiles built in for emule, ut, bf2, and many others.

I like the dlink routers, their firewalls are very easy to configure for me, Linksys are more difficult again that is for me.

Yikes, the DGL-4100 has tons of positive reviews on newegg. Apparently it changed some peoples lives! Is this thing really magical? If what the people are saying about it is true, I'll buy it. Does the 4100's firewall have the same ease of use as the Sygate software firewall? Will I be able to disable the 4100's firewall and just use the Sygate software firewall? Is this a good idea? If it is a good idea, why does ever router have a frickin firewall? I feel like I'm doing a Very Bad Thing.

Quote: Originally Posted by NateS
Yikes, the DGL-4100 has tons of positive reviews on newegg. Apparently it changed some peoples lives! Is this thing really magical? If what the people are saying about it is true, I'll buy it. Does the 4100's firewall have the same ease of use as the Sygate software firewall? Will I be able to disable the 4100's firewall and just use the Sygate software firewall? Is this a good idea? If it is a good idea, why does ever router have a frickin firewall? I feel like I'm doing a Very Bad Thing.
well, to be honest i have not seen anything to just turn it off in mine, it does have DMZ though.

main thing i think is that it has firewall profiles built in for many games and apps. all gui and quite simple to use. You can also lock out specific computers form internet access, or specify times of day they can gain access, has a built in internet filtering service for $28 year if you choose to use it to keep young eyes from stumbing into something you would rather them not see. even has an antivirus solution for up to 4 computers if you want to pay the subsciptoin for it..

it is by far the best router i have ever had, i mostly got it because I wanted the gigabit, but it is so much more. i am very pleased with it. i have the DGL-4300 same thing but with wireless

I wouldnt say that all broadband routers have firewalls but Im pretty certain that they all do NAT and that hides your internal network from the rest of the world something that firewall-ish in function. Thats atleast my view on it

So what you need to do then, as you found out, is to forward specific services to the machine where you wish them to run. Unless your ISP gives you as many public IP-adresses as you need I dont see a way around NAT given that you have three machines, unless I've missunderstod how DMZ works on one of these things.

Ok, I bit the bullet and ordered the DGL-4300. Don't need the wireless right now, but was only $9 more than the DGL-4100. I guess I'm going to stop using the DMZ with the 4300 and hopefully it won't be too hard to deal with.

Thanks for the help!

It arrived. I plugged it in. No power light. Different, definitely working socket. No power light. Bent the cord around, plugged it and replugged it, tapped on the AC adapter. No power light.

AC adapter is 5V, 2.5A. I plugged in a 12V, 850ma adapter. Power light. Router lights flashing. Seems to be working fine. So its the AC adapter or it's cord. Too bad my multimeter got accidentally thrown away. The wire in the cord doesn't appear to be broken as wiggling does nothing. Adapter doesn't come apart.

So... back it goes for replacement. Sucks.