Does a router act like a firewall?

[KShef]

Is a router as effective as a firewall in providing protection to my network from outside? How do firewalls work that make them similar to routers?

 

[MinDFreeZ]

The firewall is the same, as far as i know. It block everyone from connecting to you, so, if you want to allow it, you have to forward the port... um, well, firewall... thats what it is.

 

[paintballer]

it seems to work ok for me

 

[MinDFreeZ]

hehe, sorry... i clicked back when i got home, and it said click the refresh button.. im dumb.. it posted again.. haha

 

[SCC]

yes it will but I would suggest getting Norton Internet Security still.

 

[ekÆsine]

a router's NAT network adress translation provides inherent protection. it serves as a basic firewall. it's all i use and the few times i got a trojan or virus was my own fault.

you still need a virus scanner to have adequate protection. scan anytime you think your system is infected or once a month.

 

[KShef]

Thanks fellas!

Oh, yeah. What does NAT do and how does it provide inherent protection?

 

[ekÆsine]

there is nothing you have to set, it does this without user intervention. all you need to do is connect it to the router. this explains it:

http://computer.howstuffworks.com/nat.htm

 

[KShef]

Thanks a million.