My point is that the router provides firewall protection. Therefore, a separate hardware firewall is, IMO, not necessary. I believe nearly all routers provide firewall
From
http://www.linksysbycisco.com/US/en/products/WRT54GL:
Security Features:
# Stateful Packet Inspection (SPI) Firewall, Internet Policy
# Wireless Security: Wi-Fi Protected Access™2 (WPA2), WEP, Wireless MAC Filtering And, of course, that can be combined with a software firewall for even better protection.
From
http://www.firewallguide.com/faq.htm:
"
What is the difference between a router with firewall features and a hardware firewall? Features and price. Lower cost products provide a DHCP server, PAT/NAT services, 1-8 physical ports to network computers and/or wireless service. NAT hides your computer(s) from the Internet which makes it a simple but effective firewall. Higher cost products, but still under $200, provide additional features like built-in stateful packet inspection (SPI), support for Virtual Private Networking (VPN), Public Key Infrastructure (PKI), content filters, anti-virus protection, and more."
i've solved a number of network problems by switching out D-Link and Netgear products with Linksys because the others were bad (BTW they were less than a one month - six months old).
Hmm, I've been using D-Link routers since Jan 2002, first a DI-604 and now a DI-524 (wireless), and they definitely provide hardware firewall protection.
So, again, I don't see the need for two devices. A wireless router should suffice.