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This is not "news". Netgear and Linksys, along with several other companies have had 56K hubs/routers/dial-up managers for some time now. Just because this thing runs linux doesn't increase the "gee-whiz" factor, IMO. Linux is overall for a device like this anyway.

Software upgradeable, and _a_lot_ easier to setup than a dedicated linux box with ipchains.

Software upgradeable, and _a_lot_ easier to setup than a dedicated linux box with ipchains.

Under $300:

A Netgear RT314 cable/dsl router
Another 128Mb of High Performance RAM
Hexapod Walker Kit from www.robotstore.com

$300-$500

An IBM 75Gb drive (I know it's slightly more than $500 but that'll change soon enough)
A Voodoo5 6000 video card

Over $500:

A direct connection to the main internet backbone. My own Robosaurus with built in rocket launchers and laser guidance system. My own Air Force 1 and a private island to land it on. Access to top secret computer and military equipment (ie an Apache longbow chopper with heads-up display and GPS navigation system). $100 billion in a bank account, and the deed to the Moon so I can build a moon base to house my giant laser... oh wait.. that was an Austin Powers movie... but the rest would be nice.

Another thing, unrelated to service...

DO NOT, repeat, DO NOT get a USB modem. If you can avoid it, don't get an Alcatel modem. They are known to have problems with sync.

If your provider insists that you use PPPoE, try to get a router. Netgear RT-314 and RT-311 as well as the Linksys BEFSR41 or BEFSR11 seem to be pretty popular.

If you use PPPoE, and you don't want a hardware solution, try RASPPPoE instead of Enternet.

The advantage to the Linksys BEFSR41 and the NetGear RT-314 is that they are 4-port switches plus the DSL/CableModem router.

Another thing, unrelated to service...

DO NOT, repeat, DO NOT get a USB modem. If you can avoid it, don't get an Alcatel modem. They are known to have problems with sync.

If your provider insists that you use PPPoE, try to get a router. Netgear RT-314 and RT-311 as well as the Linksys BEFSR41 or BEFSR11 seem to be pretty popular.

If you use PPPoE, and you don't want a hardware solution, try RASPPPoE instead of Enternet.

The advantage to the Linksys BEFSR41 and the NetGear RT-314 is that they are 4-port switches plus the DSL/CableModem router.

It hooks up between the cable modem and your hub/switch and does DHCP and NAT and serves as a firewall as well.

You run your LAN on a private IP class and you can use the router to provide DHCP or you can do it manually. For the WAN, it uses DHCP to get an address from your provider.

You can set up rules inbound and outbound based on protocol, port number and so on. Access to the device is via telnet, HTTP or serial cable. Very nice!

Linksys also makes a really nice one.

$1600?! That's way, way to much to pay. I can get a Netgear RT311 for a few hundred dollars that's the size of an obese Pop-Tart. I think building your own PC would be sort of overkill here.

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I've been looking at getting either the NetgearRT311 or the LinksysBEFSR41.
They don't run linux, but they're small, cheap, have some filtering, and can quietly run 24/7. Anybody have experience with these? Are there other boxes that qualify? For between $120 and $160 they seem like a good deal.