If you have a home network router, your computer and other computers on the network (such as your spouse’s laptop and your children’s computer) are protected from the outside world.

However, you are not protected from the computers inside the router. So you might want to leave on the Windows Firewall or a two-way firewall such as ZoneAlarm on your computer. Here’s why:

Maybe your children or roommates have their own computers and they regularly infect it with spyware or viruses.

A friend or family member sometimes comes over with an infected laptop and connects it to your home network.

You leave your wireless network unsecured and a wireless network snoop connects and exposes your computers on the network to viruses, spyware, or their own curiosity, “Wireless Network Snoops: Lock Down Your Wi-Fi Network,”
Install a Hardware Firewall

For sheer firewall simplicity, I recommend installing a home network router with built-in network address translation (NAT) firewall capabilities.

Some things to keep in mind when it comes to a NAT firewall are

* It does not use any memory on your computer, so the firewall is invisible.
* It works silently to defend your network. You’ll never see pop-ups, alerts, or other annoyances.
* It stops inbound threats but won’t stop outbound nasties that might be on your computer.

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If you would like to check your firewall’s defenses, check out Steve Gibson’s free firewall test called ShieldsUP! It’s an excellent and well-documented online test available at http://www.grc.com that runs tests against your computer or home network and explains in careful detail where you are vulnerable.

To take advantage of a NAT firewall, you need to buy an Internet-sharing device called a home network router from any one of several well-known vendors, including

* D-Link—http://www.dlink.com
* Netgear—http://www.netgear.com
* Linksys—http://www.linksys.com
* Belkin—http://www.belkin.com
* SMC—http://www.smc.com
* Apple—http://www.apple.com

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If you choose a wireless connection, most new laptops have built-in capabilities for this. You can, however, buy wireless adapter cards for both a PC and laptop without built-in wireless.

These routers will cost you about $60 or less (unless you choose Apple’s Airport Extreme and then you’re in for $200). A router connects to your high-speed Internet modem from either your cable TV or telephone company and shares that connection with several computers in your home. Your computer(s) in turn connect to the router via network cables or using a wireless connection (also known as Wi-Fi).

The router configuration is fairly straightforward. When you set the device up, there is a walk-through wizard that configures your computers and the router so they work together. Both Macs and PCs can co-exist on a router together and even share files with each other.

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If the idea of setting up a router scares the ham out of your sandwich, you should check out Mark Edward Soper’s excellent book called Absolute Beginner’s Guide to Home Networking.

When you install the network, you need settings from your Internet provider to input into the router during setup. To learn about wireless network snoops and how to configure your router to be secure. After the router is set up and running and you can connect to the Internet with your computer(s), there’s nothing further to do. That NAT firewall runs automatically.