Bob Wright wrote: (I currently use Linksys Network cards and 10/100 > switches on my home LAN). > Then, we use Wingate to connect the four other PCs on the LAN to > the Internet. The Wingate provides a complete firewall... > Wingate article: http://nospin.com/pc/pcs04-04.html I use the same setup as Bob on my home network (D-Link's Network in a box kit) with two machines using the D-Link cards and a third with a 3Com card and my laptop is the fourth with a 3Com PC card. Our Internet sharing is though Sygate (http://www.sygate.com) which cost about $40 for a 4-user license. It works well and I have used Wingate before and it is an equally good solution. We're not on cable or DSL yet so just have an external modem that hits about 51 Kb on the designated server (by Sygate) computer. I recently got a copy of Norton Firewall from Symantec Press and it looks pretty good. I'll use it for sure when we get broadband service. I don't think it particularly matters which machine is designated as the "firewall" machine on Robert Turnbull's proposed home network. What does matter is you have a software firewall protection for all clients. Popular software programs include ZoneAlarm, Black Ice, and now the Norton Firewall program. If you use a proxy server you will have some protection at that end, alhough if you have cable service the protection on your end would depend on the setup of your particular cable provider...some are more prone to hackers than others. Later, Russell Smith Edtech Consultant, Journalist Region 14 ESC Abilene http://camalott.com/~rssmith mailto:[log in to unmask] Do you want to signoff PCBUILD or just change to Digest mode - visit our web site: http://nospin.com/pc/pcbuild.html