Just got a D-Link DI-604, need help with port forwarding and stuff...

I am new to networking as a whole. Back when I lived in NJ, I had both cable and DSL connections, so one computer was on Cable and the other computer on DSL. That was over 3 years ago, since then I have been on dial-up (moved to a non-broadband area). I am now back in a house with a cable internet connection and am in charge of networking the computers.

I have a bunch of questions, so please go easy on me.

I have no clue what or how to do port forwarding. There are two online gamers in the house. We play MMORPGs and other types of online games. So I know that ports will need to be forwarded, but I am at a loss for how to do it. I can get the range for each game, but when looking at the interface, it's confusing as all h*ll.

Can someone tell me if I absolutely have to forward ports for gaming?

Can both of us connect to the same game at the same time when ports are forwarded?

Is the firewall and stuff enabled right out of the box, or do I need to enable it?

I noticed a filters button, do I need to mess with this?

How about DMZ? Do I need to do anything with that?

I have a firmware version from 2004, if there is a current version do I absolutely need to download it? If I do and run into problems with a game, can the firmware be rolled back?

Right now, I only have one computer hooked up to the router. I will be hooking up others over the next couple weeks. Do I need to do anything special once I hook up another computer?

I think that is all the questions that I have. I'm sorry there are so many, but like I said I have no clue about networking.

Thanks in advance!

 

Can someone tell me if I absolutely have to forward ports for gaming?

Can both of us connect to the same game at the same time when ports are forwarded?

Is the firewall and stuff enabled right out of the box, or do I need to enable it?

Filters are used to allow or deny LAN users from accessing the Internet.

DMZ (Demilitarized Zone) is used to allow a single computer on the LAN to be exposed to the Internet. I would NOT mess with this unless absolutely neccessary!

Go to the D-Link site and read what the updates offer. If there are security enhancers like WPA2 support, better DOS protection, ect.. then I say yes, update. Firmware Can be rolled back. The D-Link site offers all its firmware versions as they come out

Im not a gamer so I cant help out on the other questions. Go here
http://support.dlink.com/products/view.asp?productid=DI-604_revE#firm
and you will see the FAQ. They should answer the rest of your questions