Hello everybody. Just picked up a Netcore 4 port cable / DSL broadband router. Here are the features mentioned in the back of the box.

Description
ROUTER - Netcore 4 port Router

Built-in-4-port 100 Base-TX Fast Ethernet Switch
Supports different Internet connecting modes: PPPoE,DHCP Client and Static IP
All ports support auto MDI/MDIX
Supports UPnP, Windows XP can find the Router in the network automatically
Built-in NAT(Network Address Transfer) technology acts as a firewall to protect internal sources against outside hackers
Simple,intelligent,web-based management and configuration interface
Supports Proxy DNS
Supports VPN based on PPTP(PPTP Transparent Mode/PPTP Sever/PPTP Client)
Supports virtual server, such as FTP,WWW,TELNET,DNS,etc
Supports DMZ function to satisfy the requirements of specialized or non-standard Internet applications
Supports port-based VLAN function
Supports packet and URL filter

It says "Built-in NAT(Network Address Transfer) technology acts as a firewall to protect internal sources against outside hackers". Just wondering if that is the built in firewall that a lot of people seem to be mentioning. I have cable internet and I want to tighten up my pc security. I just have the XP firewall for now. If I connect the router, do I have to disable the XP firewall because of the router's built in firewall or should I just get a separate firewall such as ZoneAlarm? Thanks.

That would be network address translation. What this does is converts your public IP address into your private one. This provides a major hurdle for a hacker as they can only see the router. The packet and URL filter prevents unrequested packets from reaching your computer. Together these form a solid but rudimentary firewall.

My modem uses NAT as does my router (along with SPI(Stateful Packet Inspection)), still I use software firewalls on all of my computers. While I don't need to worry about a hacker getting in, a full featured software firewall helps control software nasties. Also if one of the computers one my network becomes compromised, the others won't be soft targets.

Below is my response to a not so similar thread recently posted.

A router is a very good line of defense for the most part, but for those errant programs that like to "phone home" having a software firewall helps. Am sure you are probably aware that XP's native firewall only blocks incoming and does not monitor the outgoing connections from your computer. This means, the trojans and other malicious programs, data-miners are not detected are ignored, so my suggestion is to maintain a third-party software firewall as well.

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The same answer restated. A hardware firewall will prevent unrequested packets of information from ariving at your computer. However, in recent years hackers have now written programs that reverse connect, which means that once installed on a system, it forces your system to request packets, thus defeating the purpose of a router. Simple solution use a software AND a hardware firewall.

More spefically, a software firewall that inspects outgoing packets and warns you if an unknown program is requesting access to the Internet. ZoneAlarm, the latest version of Norton (I think), etc., do this.

Now, no firewall, hardware or software, does you any good at all if you open ports to connect to remote systems on the Internet or d/l malware and give it permission to access the Internet. The next line of defense behind your firewall are good, up-to-date Antivirus and anti-spyware programs that you regularly (like, DAILY) update. The final line of defense, and the one most often overlooked, is to periodically backup your drives to external media and store that somewhere safe, preferably in another location or even a safe deposit box. Then if your 14-year old kid/brother/cousin/nephew comes over and d/ls a bunch of crude to your PC you can recover quickly. Weekly is preferable; Monthly if all you have is game data you can afford to lose.