Router vs Software Firewall

I am a big believer in a firewall on a PC even if the router has a firewall. I'm trying to get some documentation that supports this for a FAQ on my website. I can find plenty of opinions that agree with me but would like one I could quote and would carry a lot of weight.

 

We have several folks on here who share your preference. So far none of them have made an argument that convinced me to mess with a software firewall while behind a router that has a good hardware firewall - not just NAT but a real firewall as most of the newer ones do.

I'm always open to new ideas though. Why do you think it important to run a 2nd firewall that is a little slower and a lot more likely to be disabled by a baddie if one sneaks into your PC?

 

My experience is limited to a Linksys "Firewall Router" only. Now sometime I have 3 machines running through it and one will be loaded with demons that I'm supposed to purge. I like to have the software firewall on each to see if anything is trying to leave outbound. The one I'm cleaning right now trys to send out for help and I can see each demon and it allows me to point my cleaning efforts more narrowly when I have a difficult one. The router appears to only block inbound. Maybe someone will prove me wrong. I'm open.

 

You dont get what your looking for in a 39.00 router but the better ones have inbound and outbound policys and logging.

 

http://dlink.com/products/resource.asp?pid=327&rid=1152

http://dlink.com/products/?pid=141

The D-Link DFL-80 Ethernet VPN Firewall is a hardware-based firewall. The advanced firewall features allow users to configure the unit to match their preferences in order to secure their network. This will allow users to set configurations to permit certain information from the Internet and block those that may be harmful to the network.

In addition to the web protection, the DFL-80 offers real-time monitoring of the traffic details viewable via a web browser. Logging reports can be emailed to the network administrator to notify that certain intrusions are occurring on the network. With these advanced features, intruders will be deterred from penetrating a DFL-80 network.

The DFL-80 is designed for home, office, or business environments and can be used to set up a web or email server with advanced firewall protection. Users can connect up to 4 computers directly to the DFL-80 Ethernet-switch ports or add additional switches to allow more computers to have Internet access.