Router Suggestions?

I would say the Linksys WRT54GL is a good option with good references. It supports 3rd party firmwares, such as DD-WRT.

When behind a router, many people disable their software firewalls, due to several reasons: either they don't want to have the trouble to learn to use a firewall [which is understandible], or they have some problems with online gaming or file sharing or other and end up disabling the software firewall.
But I think it is a bad idea:
-The router can fail. It has happened. And you don't want to be without a software firewall if that happens.
- Even behind a router, you are still susceptible to attacks from other computers inside the network; this may or may not be an issue, according to each one's particular situation.

I would say: keep a software firewall; if you find 3rd party firewalls bothersome for some reason, at least use the basic windows firewall, it shoudn't complicate your gaming / file sharing / system resource use.

 

ok, well my dad went out and bought the Belkin G + MIMO router, didnt ask him to, but now that i have it, its pretty good, like it so far, but do Belkin routers support 3rd party firmware like DD-WRT?

 

would it work with DD-WRT or others?

 

Go to the respective sources and look for the lists of supported devices, here is the DD-WRT list.

One other thing, if you're unsure of hardware and/or don't have a recovery path, don't go down this road. An incorrect flash can render a router useless and either unrecoverable or recoverable only via a hardware modification/JTAG-based recovery and if you've never soldered a populated PC board before, this may not work out too well.

Blue

 

darn, works on other models of Belkin routers, but not on mine

 

2 questions

do any of u know of ANY 3rd party firmware that would work on Belkin G Plus MIMO router?

is the UPnP feature of my router safe to use, i remember reading somewer that its a security risk?