The Securest Router to use with Vista Premium an Windows XP?

I have a new desktop with Vista Premium an a laptop with Windows XP. Would
anyone tell me if its possible to have a router that Securely protects both.
I am not familar with this but want to keep from unhooking my Eternet wire
from my desktop to hook to my laptop for updates . What is the best router to
get that would keep my PCs secure with newest N protection? Thanks mall for
your help an ideas an have a great an safe holiday season.

Let me see if I understand you. Are you saying that you have no router now --
that your Windows XP laptop system and your Windows Vista desktop can only be
connected one-at-a-time to your broadband modem? If so, yes, any router that
does NAT (PAT, actually, but that's another topic) and which preferrably has
a stateful packet inspection (SPI) firewall built in will provide greatly
superior secutiry for both your Windows XP laptop and your new Windows Vista
desktop. They will both be connected simultaneously to the Internet and be
able to get updates (and do other things) at the same time.

Your wording about "best router" and "newest N protection" is confusing to
me, however. Best is, at best (heh), an elusive term. What is best for you
depends very much upon your needs. Routers can be very basic or extremely
complex. Some are able to act as VPN gateways, print servers, etc. Unless you
have special needs, a very basic (and inexpensive) router will probably serve
your purposes very well.

If you want to use wireless connection for one or both of your computers you
should be careful to be sure that the wireless type of the router matches
that of the wireless adapters in your computer(s). If you use wireless,
please make sure that your adapters and router are capable of WPA encryption,
and that you USE IT.

If your phrase "newest N protection" was referring to the 802.11n
specification, that specification is not yet complete or official. If you
purchase "N" type gear it is probably crucial that it all be of the same
brand, because not everyone is interpreting the preliminary specifications in
the same way. This means that an "N" adapter for your computer might not talk
with an "N" router if the adapter and router were not made by the same
company. Frankly, I would avoid anything 802.11n until the standard is
finalized. Unless I REALLY needed the extra speed. And, if that were the
case, I'd probably just find a way to use cables.

"JJ" wrote:

> I have a new desktop with Vista Premium an a laptop with Windows XP. Would
> anyone tell me if its possible to have a router that Securely protects both.
> I am not familar with this but want to keep from unhooking my Eternet wire
> from my desktop to hook to my laptop for updates . What is the best router to
> get that would keep my PCs secure with newest N protection? Thanks mall for
> your help an ideas an have a great an safe holiday season.

"jimmuh" <> wrote in message
news:E5AE9406-F8AB-4117-BD39-...
>
> If your phrase "newest N protection" was referring to the 802.11n
> specification, that specification is not yet complete or official. If you
> purchase "N" type gear it is probably crucial that it all be of the same
> brand, because not everyone is interpreting the preliminary specifications
> in
> the same way.

This makes your point:
http://www.extremetech.com/article2/...2013307,00.asp


>This means that an "N" adapter for your computer might not talk
> with an "N" router if the adapter and router were not made by the same
> company. Frankly, I would avoid anything 802.11n until the standard is
> finalized. Unless I REALLY needed the extra speed. And, if that were the
> case, I'd probably just find a way to use cables.

Hopefully you will soon be able to buy equipment which can be firmware
upgraded to conform to the 802.11n standard when it is ratified.
(I upgraded the firmware in my US Robotics modem to conform to the V.90
standard.)

--
Michael Chare