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[RichR]

Hi everybody,
I got my DIR-655 router a few months ago and now, I'm getting ready to setup my home network so that the different hardwares can talk to each other.

Office computer with XP SP2 (wired)
Acer Laptop with Vista Home & wireless adapter
XBOX 360 (wired for now)

My main concern is about security because getting them connected should not be a problem after some fiddling around. I already have WAP security setup.

1) I need to share my office printer with the laptop & be able to transfer files to and from one another. So my question is: does allowing File & Printer Sharing on my computers make them vulnerable?

2) Do I still need a firewall on each computer even though there is one on the router?

3) By sharing my media files with the XBOX, are there any security issues I should know about?

Alright, thanks in advance for any information you can give me about these issues.

Take care,

Rich.

[prattjo]

Hi,

Yes you do need a firewall on each computer, nothing to do with file sharing or the network. After that file sharing and print sharing is no problem.
Concerning the XBox I have no answer.

[aljimenez]

I run our home network without firewalls on each of its devices over three years behind routers. You need to know how to do this by studying ways to make your network secure. My router is set to only allow MAC address devices that I tell it to and I also have strong password protection on each device's files. It can be done without the performance penalties of firewalls...  Al

[RichR]

Thanks for the replies guys...

So this means that the firewall on the router does not protect my computers? What purpose does it serve then?

I should add that I do have the Windows firewall on, can that be enough? I just can't stand the effect of firewalls like the CA suite on my system. I know there are others and I tried a few but I still feel like I can't work freely with them. I really did hope that I could rely solely on the router's firewall but it seems like it's not the case.

@ aljimenez:
A little more info on your MAC address setup would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks again...

[Fatman]

Yes the firewall on the router protects you, unless you are in the DMZ, or have added other configurations that allow ports through.  What it protects you from is computers not on your network.

The reason for LAN side firewalls is the possibility of a computer on your network that you wish to protect against.

That said problems with configuration in computer based firewalls represent (anecdotally) a large percentage of the calls we get.

[RichR]

What it protects you from is computers not on your network.

Thanks for the reply Fatman.

I assume you mean "What it doesn't protect you from...". So, since I don't need protection from other computers in my home, I don't need a software firewall installed. I suppose I can leave the Windows firewall on just in case.

Thanks a lot...

[AWDL]

I am not trying to ruin you satisfaction, but the router (as a firewall) will not protect you from yourself. PC hosted firewalls can protect you from your own choices by giving you warnings to the level of danger you are inviting by any action.

Most of my personal support calls (Aunt, Uncle, Father, Mother-in-law) are driven from the Neticate errors they make that look like a firewall problem. I wish they were more like my sister-in-law. Set her up with a DSD-150 and haven't had a call since. Her environment is all M$ except for one Nintendo DS. I digress.

Secure your network to the point you feel comfortable. If you have additional questions, ask them or search them out on the internet.

[aljimenez]

@ aljimenez:
A little more info on your MAC address setup would be greatly appreciated.

You can tell your router to only allow the devices you want. You do this by entering their MAC address into the MAC filter list and turning MAC filtering on. Look it up in the Configuration menus of your router...  Al

[RichR]

@ aljimenez:
Thanks for the reply. I'll get more info about it in the help menu or manual.

@ AWDL:
Thanks for ruining my satisfaction...j/k... Well, I've been dealing with computers since my teen years (~84) and I think I have a certain grasp of it. I never really got into routers because I never owned one until now. I'm kind of being lazy and trying to get some quick info to help me set it up. It should be difficult for me to get myself into trouble too easily. As long as the router's firewall stops people from getting into my computers, it should be fine. However, you made a good point and the laptop which is also being used by my wife could definitely use a firewall.

Thanks again...

[fgl30]

I am not trying to ruin you satisfaction, but the router (as a firewall) will not protect you from yourself. PC hosted firewalls can protect you from your own choices by giving you warnings to the level of danger you are inviting by any action.

Most of my personal support calls (Aunt, Uncle, Father, Mother-in-law) are driven from the Neticate errors they make that look like a firewall problem. I wish they were more like my sister-in-law. Set her up with a DSD-150 and haven't had a call since. Her environment is all M$ except for one Nintendo DS. I digress.

Secure your network to the point you feel comfortable. If you have additional questions, ask them or search them out on the internet.

I allways liked DSD-150 protection scheme... but I have a little doubt: what about plug an infected pen-drive in my LAN? Or a infected CD or DVD? DSD-150 will protect me?

[Lycan]

Thats what the thin client does. I installs a small software set to the PC.