advise on basic router

cepheus

I keep having connection problems with my old speed touch USB modem or related software. Most people advise upgrading to a router. So far I have resisted, since I only ever intend to use one room.

Do routers automatically come with encryption nowadays?
I know so many instances of people beaming their details all over the neighbourhood.

I'm after something very basic such as this. Are there any which work on usb power only?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Belkin-Wireless-Router-Transfer-F5D7634uk4-H/dp/B003BIEOPK/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1298446204&sr=8-6

kwikbreaks

Woof woof (this will make no sense at all if read after I next change my avatar)

All wireless routers offer encryption but it is sometimes up to the user to turn it on. Judging by the number of wide open Belkin 54G ones running Wardrive on my HTC Desire shows that one defaults to wireless on and no encryption. If you don't intend to use wireless turning it off is even more secure than encrypting it. If you do want to use wireless you'll need a wireless adapter in your machine. Laptops usually have wireless as standard and desktops don't.

If you don't use wireless you'll need an ethernet cable to connect to the router and an ethernet port on the computer - they have been pretty much standard for years now. Most routers come with a short ethernet cable as you'll need to connect that way to set the router up but you'll probably want to buy a longer one - get a cheap one not a PC World one.

Routers are intended to be stand-alone so are not USB powered.

You pointed to an ADSL router which as you are replacing a Speedtouch USB modem is correct but some routers are cable only - make sure the one you eventually get says ADSL.

Routers make your machine more secure as they include a hardware firewall and modems don't.

victor2

Good advice there from kwikbreaks.
You might want to consider an N class router if going wireless though, something like http://www.amazon.co.uk/Belkin-Wireless-High-speed-Connection-F5D8236uk4/dp/tech-data/B001IL7OWW/ref=de_a_smtd.
More devices are supporting that protocol, which is faster and has better range. Costs a little bit more, but could be worth it in the long run.

Edit: Sorry, just realised that doesn't include the ADSL modem, which you would probably require. Maybe something like this:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/D-Link-Wireless-ADSL2-4-Port-Router/dp/tech-data/B002Q8JBYA/ref=de_a_smtd
costs even more though!

JasX

cepheus wrote: »

So far I have resisted, since I only ever intend to use one room.

Very foolish logc to apply, see the note below on security

cepheus wrote: »

Do routers automatically come with encryption nowadays?

yes, so long as you actually turn it on. However as posted above you can turn the wireless off entirely and only allow wired/ethernet access

cepheus wrote: »

Are there any which work on usb power only?

No, they are designed to be 'always on' and not powered from any particular computer

kwikbreaks wrote: »

Woof woof (this will make no sense at all if read after I next change my avatar)

....or the majority of site users for whom avatars are turned off by default silly

kwikbreaks wrote: »

Routers make your machine more secure as they include a hardware firewall and modems don't.

OP this is the really important point about being behind a router, from a security perspective you are MUCH more secure behing a hardware firewall rather than being 'directly' in the internet as yur USB modem has you as you're much more exposed to viruses/nasties/other things that will nab and transmit your banking passwords etc etc by delaying ditching the modem and getting a router

-Despite all the above the BEST router you'l find you'l get for basic use is the freebie one you should be able to persuade your ISP to send you if you threaten to leave. If you search a few threads on here you'll find pretty much every time they come up with a free one eventually. A good story is your current one is broken/playing up and you're going to cancel and switch because company X will give you a free replacement and you can't continue using your current ISP with the broken one. Often the deal is you need to commit to stay with them for another year but if you were doing that anyway net cost to you will be zero.....

who is your ISP currently?

macman

Using a wireless router doesn't mean that you have to use it wirelessly, if your PC/laptop is near to the router and master socket then indeed there's no point in using wireless, just connect by ethernet instead. However a router and ethernet have (as outlined above by others) many advanatages over USB modems, which are pretty much obsolete now.
You can buy a perfectly seviceable wireless router for under £20 now, so no reason not to-though a free one should be blaggable from your ISP.
If you do use it wirelessly, then you will be fine as long as you use one of the WPA encryptions (not WEP).

cepheus

Yes all good advice, thanks for this. As you can see I have had some firewall problems so I guess this will be better foe security as well. In addition, I understand routers allow diagnostics easier that may be why my provider always asks me to buy one (from them of course!). I think a router will also allow a connection in safe mode which would also have been useful.

Woof Woof!

Hammyman

Modems are inherently insecure. You are basically connecting directly to the internet and anyone can access your computer through the IP address assigned to your connection.

With a router, they get as far as the router and unless you've created a rule on the router which says "anyone wanting to connect to this service on my PC", the router is as far as the inbound request gets as it doesn't know where to send it on from there.

RussJK

This is a great & inexpensive ADSL modem/router:
Belkin G Wireless ADSL Modem Router from play.com for £8.99 delivered with lifetime warranty.

It'll work perfectly with one computer, and I've seen it work really well for a family who just surf the web and watch youtube videos. It has the older wireless G rather than the newer wireless N, but personally I'd just connect with an ethernet/network cable which is faster & more secure - and turn off the wireless anyway.

You really do need a router for security, because with a USB modem you don't have a hardware firewall between you and the internet protecting you from attacks.

I was using the internet at my in laws place back when they were using a USB modem like yours, and I was detecting & blocking continual worm attacks on my laptop. Meanwhile their desktop PCs were Windows XP without service packs and as such were vulnerable to this particular attack. Once I got them to buy a Belkin modem router, the hardware firewall blocked all such attacks. No surprise that both the desktop PCs were absolutely riddled with malware, with loads of unique infections/trojans/trojan injectors & worms.

cepheus

Damn its the same one as from Amazon in the OP, but cheaper and quicker! Can't cancel now.

macman

And you'd have got some cashback via play.com...

JasX

cepheus wrote: »

Damn its the same one as from Amazon in the OP, but cheaper and quicker! Can't cancel now.

DSR regs anyone :whistle: