Just What Are The Security Advantages Of A Router? Is Zone Alarm now a redundant nuisance?

[mitchellmckain 0]

I recently put my internet connection through a Linksys router to give internet access to the laptops in the house. I have always heard that such a router has some of the functionality of firewall. So I was wondering if anyone can give me more details.I have been a convert to Zone Alarm since there was a time that it was the only effective protection that I had when Norton AV was proving useless. I have since then adopted Avast AV and SB tea timer and have been impressed with their performance as well (I also tried process-guard but as a programmer it proved to be too much of a nuisance). But Zone Alarm has been interfering with work related software (and with the communication with the router) and has started to become a nuisance as I constantly have to disable it all the time.I can see some of security features of the router and differences from Zone Alarm, I am just not sure I understand what it all means or if I really grasp the big picture in relation what threats are really out there. On the router, I see the option to block Anonymoust Internet requests, filter and some other things. There is also options to block various types of protocols for VPN. I hesitate to be too specific. I certainly do not see the kind of program control I see in Zone Alarm.So I guess the real question is, what are the relative importance of these differences in regard to the types of non-target oriented threats (I don't anticipate having enemies) found on the internet.

Edited April 21, 2006 by mitchellmckain (see edit history)

[iGuest 3]

What most routers do is block unauthorised inbound connections but not outbound unless specified. Unfortunately it's not a hardware firewall and should not be used as your only defense.Those software firewalls have the advantage of blocking programs on the inside from the outside. E.g. if you ever got infected with a trojan or virus, the firewall might have the ability to stop it from contacting home, your router however allows most outbound connects from computers within the network, so if nothing prevented the viruses or trojans on the inside, then it's more than likely they can contact home.I guess that's the main difference, though a router does have the advantage of being the outter most node and handling the inbound connections and preventing server connections to your computer.Cheers,MCP.S. Just wanted to note also, If you got infected with a virus that sets up a server, then nothing could connect to it though, unless you set this up in the router also, but if the virus wanted to contact home it could.

[cherri 0]

What most routers do is block unauthorised inbound connections but not outbound unless specified. Unfortunately it's not a hardware firewall and should not be used as your only defense.
Those software firewalls have the advantage of blocking programs on the inside from the outside. E.g. if you ever got infected with a trojan or virus, the firewall might have the ability to stop it from contacting home, your router however allows most outbound connects from computers within the network, so if nothing prevented the viruses or trojans on the inside, then it's more than likely they can contact home.

I guess that's the main difference, though a router does have the advantage of being the outter most node and handling the inbound connections and preventing server connections to your computer.
Cheers,
MC

He is right that you shouldn't use a router a your main defence,
I reccomend avast anti-virus free home edition since it works very well,
I reccomend Uninstalling zone alarm since it has problems with other software

I'll show you a diagram which will hopefully happen:


___________________|_____________________|
--Virus(in webpage)- ->_- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -> Temp folder ---> scanned by anti virus ---> deleted
___________________|_____________________|
___________________|_____________________|
--Unkown server- ->----|____________________ |

..............................Router
.............................Firewall.........................Computer

1. Virus in webpage goes through firewall (since requested by computer)
2. Goes to temp folder in computer
3. scanned by anti-virus and gets deleted

Now, If you didn't have the anti-virus you would have a virus
And of course the firewall stops UNKOWN SERVER

Also I reccomend updating your firewall and anti-virus since other wise it may not detect the virus or stop UNKNOWN servers making connections

Sorry if I went a bit over the topic....
Edited April 21, 2006 by cherri (see edit history)