Finally got round to sorting out some network/adsl parts....

[Moby-Dick]

OFC the Cisco Kit it better , but it is double the price.

We wouldn't run IPSEC VPN tunnels to the draytek boxes , but do use the pptp function a fair ammount ( We have about 20 of these out on client sites , and they are the best way of establishing tunnels for remote support if the sites does not have a suitable RRAS server )

We tend not to let our clients run P2P anyways so its not an issue

I am suprised you had a bad time with them - I've found them pretty good to work with , even if they might need the occasional boot , which in a SOHO situation isn't the end of the world )

for larger work I'd stick with watchguard / Nokia kit

[FordPrefect]

Not really come across watchguard, but use a lot of nokia kit, excellent stuff, have been tempted to pick up an IP40 off ebay its just a pity it doesnt seem to support QoS

[blockers]

Thanks for the help guys...but damn you all the same making me change decisions....

First things first...maybe i should have meantioned earlier.
a) Money is no object - obviously not silly money.
b) Not buying anything from those clowns over at ebuyer - would rather pay more than have the hassle of dealing with them.

So, why do i want a router and switch?
If it is just to protect from virus's etc...can i not get a firewall box thingy and use that, as i have loads of old computers about. Apart from the fact i have no idea how to set one up....

[FordPrefect]

If you have an old PC that is quiet and can run as a dedicated firewall then have a look at this http://www.astaro.com/

You can get a free personal version but some features are missing, but its still a damn good firewall. Personally for 50 dollars I'd get the personal version update so you can virus check email and web traffic before it gets to PC. You might need a router with it tho.

[Jiff Lemon]

So, why do i want a router and switch?

Just to echo the above, a decent modem/router combo would be my choice.

Ever had to reinstall the os? ever had a hard drive go bad? Been infected with a virus? Got spyware?

All of the above could have the rest of the family/users asking when the internet will be back. A nice router/modem doesn't suffer any of the above.

It's the keep it simple factor - A router/modem combo is quieter, consumes less power is generally more reliable. Most will work straight out of the box, with little or the simplest of setups. You can then start to configure the more complex bits as and when you need them.

[Rabs]

By using a modem router also - the latency is much better than an ICS solution ie better responsiveness clicking between web pages etc, plus it offloads cycles from the CPU (in a host machine) - which has to work out where packets are being routed etc

The router needs setting up once (5 minutes in most cases) and if your mates bring there machines round - its plug-in and go.