[Tempestuous]

"Software firewalls are a joke. Get a real hardware firewall."

That is a myth. Unless you are running a server or multiple computers off the same HS line, hardware is unnecessary. Furthermore, hardware firewalls have their own inherent weaknesses that software can cover. The best scenario is to have both...but if you only have one home pc, firewall software like zone alarm security suite w/antivirus offers more comprehensive security for less.

[Bush2000]

That is a myth.

No, it's not a myth. There have been numerous cases in which software has shutdown, disabled, or interfered with an existing software firewall, without the user's knowledge. That simply isn't possible with a hardware firewall, since it's a completely separate tier. An additional advantage is that you can completely update/replace your desktop OS and/or applications without incurring version dependency problems. And considering the low cost (Linksys has one for $39), there isn't any credible justification for not going hardware.