Ok.

don't flame Since a pc with hd (and fans) makes some noise in my living room I was thinking about replacing my linux firewall with a belkin fw/router thing.. (pretty quiet, there's nothing in it :-) )..

It'll take me months to get over it emotionally, but.. that's not the issue..

is it a wise decision? I don't have that much of control over a belkin router.. can I 'assume' it's a safe gateway if I update the firmware regularly? or should I try to get used to my fans blowing in my living room?

cheers and thanks for your views on this one ..

I prefer a 'real' machine as router. I've got better control over it and can do much more. Plus, my router isn't router only - it's also a DNS server, FTP server, mail server. If you think about bandwidth limiting, hardware router is not an option (well, it is a option, but check the prices!).

You can always keep your firewall script running even with a router. Then the worse that will happen is maybe someone cracks into your router. Or if it doesn't have anti DOS you could get a DOS attack, but you're not Microsoft so no one would really bother, I don't think.

I would say go ahead, it just adds one more layer of security between you and the kidz.

Just add up the pro's and con's and make your decision. I use a pix at home, but I've used all kinds of stuff in the past. The benefit is that an appliance uses less power, is quieter, usually less prone to failure(due to fewer components). And almost all new ones offer EXTREME flexibility in configuration. 3 years ago, I would never have considered an appliance. But these days, I dunno, they are damned nice...Just figure it all up and decide.