3. User Profiles vs. Router Features

Web Browsing, Email, File Downloading:

These activities are pretty much the simplest thing that a user can do on the Internet. Since all these activities require that the user initiate a request to a server on the Internet to load a web page, check email, etc., the router's firewall will not cause problems.

Recommendation: Most any router will work. Make your decision on price, warranty, and quality of the manufacturer's support.

Remote office worker / Telecommuter:
These users will usually need to have a secure Virtual Private Network (VPN) based connection back to their company network. Most routers support some sort of VPN client pass-through connection, but that may not be enough, depending on the needs of the VPN server that you're trying to connect to.

Recommendation: Check with your company's IT department to see if they recommend a particular product. If they don't, at least get some details on the type of VPN equipment they use and what you'll need to establish a successful connection to it.

Gamer:
Gamers are one of the two user types that have the most difficult time with routers. The problems stem from the conflict between the way games connect to and use the Internet and the way that NAT based routers work. Add in the fact that there are few generally accepted standards (although Microsoft might argue with this) for how Internet based games communicate, and you may have a difficult time getting your game on the air.

Recommendation: The key to success is a router's flexibility in letting you open holes (ports) in its firewall. Get a product that supports as many mapped or forwarded port ranges as possible. Also look for models that support triggered mappings (this is also sometimes referred to as "Special Applications"). Above all make sure that your router can put one computer completely outside its firewall (called "DMZ" or "Exposed computer"). We also recommend you do a Google web and Google Groups search, or ask around in your favorite newsgroup or game website forum to see what works for other people.

File Swapper, Instant Messager, Web Cam operator, Voice/Video chatter:
These folks join gamers as the most likely to not succeed in getting their favorite application to work with a router. Out of this group, anyone using Microsoft Netmeeting or other Videoconferencing applications will probably have the most difficult time. Folks using other applications should be prepared to have some application features not work.

Recommendation: The recommendations made for Gamers also hold for this category. But anyone who needs support for multiple users of these applications would be better off paying their BSP for multiple IP addresses and eliminating the router.

Now let's find out what some of the commonly used router terminology means.