Firewall links

Firewalls

The 10 second introduction

If you have a DSL line or cable modem you really want to get one of the NAT appliances listed below (or an equivalent). They let you share your single connection amoung all the computers in your house and they add security you need.
These hardware appliances are only PART of a solution. You also need firewall and anti-virus software on each computer.

Some day, I'll explain why you need this stuff.

This is just a list of links, I have not tried all of them.

NAT appliances

For most home or SOHO users, this is the product of choice. They let all the computers in a home or office share a single internet connection. They are also called "Broadband Routers" or "Cable Gateways"

LinkSys makes a wide variety of useful devices.
They are often the easiest to set up and use than the Netgear
NetGear is another fine choice
Their products sometimes have more esoteric features than LinkSys, but only an very technically proficient user will ever be able to get to them.

Firewall and related software for windows

Firewall appliances

Hardware solutions like this are preferable to software solutions for a variety of reasons.