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"Anyone using broadband without a firewall deserves what they get."

Are you saying the computers on a local net behind the router, need firewalls running? Most routers, Linksys being the one I use, have features in them that allow you to tailor the router to 'act like a firewall'. Even though the router doesn't actually say it's a firewall. Some of the new cheap(<$100) Linksys actually have a real firewall built in to their software.

I just setup another Linksys BEFSR41 for a client today. This router runs a flavor of Linux.

In my experience, the cheap routers are quite effective at thwarting attacks. I have put instruments on the broadband connection and you can see the probing going on. The router dumps the attacks. NAT is quite effective, probably enough for the average user.

IMHO the average home user would benefit greatly from putting a $50 router between their PC and the Internet, regardless the connection used.

BTW, Linksys have periodic updates to the software, updating is quite simple. I would recommend that all software be kept up to date.

If you are really paranoid about your data, encrypt it, and back it up regularly.

IMHO the average home user would benefit greatly from putting a $50 router between their PC and the Internet, regardless the connection used.

I couldn't agree more. In fact, I am surprised that the ISPs don't roll out modem/router combos by default. It would cut down tremendously on exploits.

Are you saying the computers on a local net behind the router, need firewalls running?

Of course. No Intranet is safe without them. Routers have their vulnerabilities, as demonstrated in this article. So the need for a firewall is obvious.

IMHO the average home user would benefit greatly from putting a $50 router between their PC and the Internet, regardless the connection used.

I agree with you there. If nothing else, using an RFC 1918 LAN behind the firewall is about as much as you need to protect whatever you've got going on in your home network, except for threats that come in e-mails, or downloads from the internet that you initiate yourself. (I call these "vampires," because according to legend a vampire cannot enter a private residence unless he's first been invited in.)

If you're really paranoid, get a Cisco PIX 501 firewall for your home network. And if you're using DHCP, limit your address pool to the number of active systems on your LAN, and assign a long lease time.

I have the router firewall on - every computer is running AVG antivirus and Zone Alarm

Better safe than sorry - spoken by someone who has literally watched a virus go through a network - makes all the pretty lights blink as it worms around - all in a blink of an eye!

>>IMHO the average home user would benefit greatly from putting a $50 router between their PC and the Internet, regardless the connection used.

IMHO, if the average home user doesn't have that $50 router on a high-speed connection, that user is an idiot. Hanging general-use desktop computers directly off of the Internet is pure idiocy, in today's world.