> 1) Apparently it can be hooked into a network card, or a USB port.
> I don't have a network card...will it run just as good hooked
> into a USB port?

  This does seem a bit strange, but it's not *impossible*.  If you
gave us the brand/model of the modem, we could check out the specs
and see whether this is really waht the manufacturer claims to offer.

> 2) I have heard the best firewall protection is to purchase a
> broadband modem router, and then I don't need as software
> firewall...can anyone shed some light on that?

  PURCHASING the router doesn't do anything for you.  However, most
such routers include features like NAT that, unless you want to run a
server, can be used to provide pretty good protection for your PC.
You have to actually be using NAT, packet filtering, or other router
fieatures in order to get protection -- and some software firewalls
offer features such as "ad blocking" that a router won't do.
  (I use, and recommend, a combination of both.)

David Gillett


On 2 Jul 2001, at 14:30, Ira Wallin wrote:

> Hi,
> I have a couple of cable modem questions:
>
> 1) Apparently it can be hooked into a network card, or a USB port.
> I don't have a network card...will it run just as good hooked
> into a USB port?
>
> 2) I have heard the best firewall protection is to purchase a
> broadband modem router, and then I don't need as software
> firewall...can anyone shed some light on that?
>
> Thank you so much!!
> Ira Wallin
>
>          PCBUILD maintains hundreds of useful files for download
>                      visit our download web page at:
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>

         PCBUILD maintains hundreds of useful files for download
                     visit our download web page at:
                  http://freepctech.com/downloads.shtml