In this day and age, a computer needs to ensure that his computer is protected from malware that may come from the internet. Many of us connect to the internet via cable modem in order to get the faster speeds. Anytime your computer is turned on, it is exposed to this risk. Oh sure, Windows has a firewall but hackers have proven that both it and the browsers are vulnerable to invasion by malware. My security program provides a better firewall than the Windows firewall but it still is not enough.

A hardware firewall is more secure than a software firewall. A 4 Port wireless router provides another layer of protection. Each computer using the internet has an address similar to your home address so that information direction directed to you can find you. This is called an IP address. Your ISP (Internet service provider, in my case Comcast) provides you with this IP address. When you connect to the internet, the IP address is visible to the internet. My 4 port wireless router also has a hard wired IP address. Now that it is connected to the internet, this is the address visible to the web. The 4 port wireless router assigns a unique IP address to each of the computers connected either directly or via wireless. This number is NOT VISIBLE to the internet, thereby providing me with the additional security. This is another reason for having a router, whether you need the additional ports or not.