Affordable cable router/firewall for novice

I need a low cost cabled (non-wireless) router and a hardware firewall which are of good quality but also suitable for use by a novice/intermediate user.

Mainly I just need to split a DSL connection between two computers, but I am also suspicious about the effectiveness of software-based personal firewalls.

Do these products commonly come packaged together in one device?

Is there such thing as "all-weather" Ethernet cable that can be snaked outside along an exterior wall so I don't have to string wires through the house?

Any suggestions would be much appreciated. Thanks

 

The commonly available broadband routers use NAT (Network Address Translation) to route net traffic to and from the appropriate LAN machine, which it identifies by their addresses in a private IP range. Therefore, the only IP visible to the outside world is that of the router, and that in and of itself creates a reasonably reliable firewall. Units that include an actual firewall function are available, but at typically higher cost. Look at units by Netgear, Linksys or D-Link.

Over time, I think common CAT5 or 6 ethernet cabling jacketing would be broken down in sunlight. Maybe you could use some 1/2" electrical conduit to protect it.

 

aw, i got logged out by timeout or something and lost a whole long post I don't want to retype >.<

In short, thanks for the help, and I'm seeking comments on these products

linksys BEFSR41
D-Link DI-604
Netgear
RP618 or DG834 (not sure what the differences are)

All have positive reviews somewhere or other. Only the linksys is featured on Ars Technica, scoring an 8. The reviewer's gripes didn't concern me. But overall is there anything other than cost to consider when choosing from among these products?

 

I use Netgear, but I notice my neighbor's Linksys' setup screens are a bit more user-friendly.

 

May be this can Help, Link to: Wireless What Should I Get?