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Subject: Even more OT: setting up a cable/DSL router for safety

Author: Roy Eassa

Date: 12:24:43 05/16/02

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On May 16, 2002 at 15:10:57, Jon Dart wrote:

>On May 16, 2002 at 14:39:00, Roy Eassa wrote:
>
>
>>
>>Jon, may I ask a question about this topic?
>>
>>I have a Linksys cable router (BEFSR41) that connects my computers to the cable
>>modem.  I've heard that it's an "OK" firewall as is, but would be a very good
>>firewall if you configure it a certain way.  What would I need to do?
>
>This is getting pretty far OT .. routers can generally be configured to block
>access to particular ports. Some routers can do more sophisticated firewall
>functions, such as "stateful inspection": this allows you, for example, to let
>in only Internet traffic that comes in response to a request you have initiated.
>How you do this is vendor-dependent. My DSL router has a web-based admin GUI
>that you can use to configure it. But if your ISP installed the router, they may
>not want you reconfiguring it .. it is more possible support headaches for them
>if you have problems.
>
>--Jon



The Linksys router is my own, not the cable company's.  They don't even like
that I have it.  It is, like yours, configurable via WWW.  I don't recall seeing
"stateful inspection" but I know you can block ports (etc.).  I just don't know
which ones to block.

When I bought the thing (March of 2000) I thought I was forever safe because it
separates the cable company from my computers (which are essentially on a
separate LAN).  Now I'm not so sure, but I guess I'm too thick-headed in this
area to understand the nature of my vulnerability given the separate LAN.

Any help is appreciated -- including more general explanation and/or links to
web pages that explain.  Thanks!



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