Should i get a router for my Powerbook?

[mackaveli]

Hi,

I used to have a linksys router but my brother moved out and he took the router cause he needed it.

So right now i connect my cable modem directly to my Powerbook.

I was just wondering, is the Firewall on Mac OS X 10.4 good enough for blocking ports or should i get a linksys router?

Thanks.

[mkrishnan]

I probably wouldn't buy a router purely for the benefit of having a hardware firewall.... You have airport on this powerbook, right? Have you considered an 802.11g router, or even an Airport Express? Now wireless, unlike getting a hardware firewall...wireless I cannot live without. :)

[puckhead193]

I probably wouldn't buy a router purely for the benefit of having a hardware firewall.... You have airport on this powerbook, right? Have you considered an 802.11g router, or even an Airport Express? Now wireless, unlike getting a hardware firewall...wireless I cannot live without. :)


I love taking my powerbook everywhere. Esp now that the weather is getting nicer, i go outside and go on MR

[JzzTrump22]

Get a wireless router. Thats what i would do.

[cube]

You need to at least look at the manual before buying a router. Some (many?) of the firewalls in them are pretty much toys. I got mine because of it VOIP capabilities, but I don't use its firewall, except for its preconfigured attack countermeasures. All the port filtering, I do with the software firewall. If it were not for the VOIP, I would get something like a Cisco, which should be able to store many rules, and configured via a well documented command language.

[savar]

I was just wondering, is the Firewall on Mac OS X 10.4 good enough for blocking ports or should i get a linksys router?

Its good enough. Enable "Stealth" mode and I can't imagine any problems.

[mkrishnan]

I also can't help but observing that we now have MR users named both Mackavelli and Killuminati... Hmmm...interesting.... :D

[mackaveli]

thanks for the replies, i dont mind the wires so i wont get a wireless router if its not necessary since i have no money atm.

Tupac Rules btw haha,

thanks again guys.

[mkrishnan]

thanks for the replies, i dont mind the wires so i wont get a wireless router if its not necessary since i have no money atm.

Good luck! Assuming you do have an aiport card in your PB (since they come with them standard now, don't they?), if you ever do save a little cheese, then if you look on Dealnews, 802.11g routers can frequently be had for <$30. I'd think it'd be much better to do without until you have the extra $10 between a wired router and that, than spend $20 now and buy a wired router....

[killuminati]

I also can't help but observing that we now have MR users named both Mackavelli and Killuminati... Hmmm...interesting.... :D

Hmmm good observation, I dint even notice that.

I should get to know Mackavelli :p

[mkrishnan]

Hmmm good observation, I dint even notice that.

I should get to know Mackavelli :p

Yeah, you can be his PASS big brother...it'd be so cute. And then someday, when you guide him up to avatar status, find him a nice avatar... maybe a version of this always classic pic:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/1/1a/200px-2pac-diamond.jpeg

:)

[killuminati]

Yeah, you can be his PASS big brother...it'd be so cute. And then someday, when you guide him up to avatar status, find him a nice avatar... maybe a version of this always classic pic:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/1/1a/200px-2pac-diamond.jpeg

:)

Haha I just changed my avatar from that, about 10 minutes ago.