All up, the machine was about $3000 AUD [then about $2800 US].  It replaced a P4 3gig which was about 5 years old [and cost more].

I work from home so this thing's a work computer. [and thus tax deductible].  It is on 24/7/365 as Administering Wincustomize means some 'odd' hours.

It 'should' last 5 years too ...before being the next hand-me-down so the write-off is 600 pa or 12 a week or 7c an hour....

No - my point is that for my network a 440 dollar router is fine. I've never had any issues with security so why should I get something more expensive? For the masses a $40 dollar router works just fine.

Jafo - not everyone can afford a Ferrari.

That was not your point.  Your point was to argue with me about my suggesting a more expensive/better router and then you suggested that both a $40 and $300 router could run the same software (when that had nothing to do with the point I was making) while completely ignoring what Jafo and I have been trying to get you to understand.

You feel fine behind a $40 router?  Fine I wasn't telling you not to.  Just don't argue with the FACT that a $300 router is (on every level) better at security operations (running whatever software you chose to have on it) and many times more capable of NOT being overwhelmed and therefore having its security breached.

Gee whiz some people can be obtuse.......lol

EDIT:  For god's sake man, when I was doing community networking support for DEMIGOD (remember that disaster?) I personally helped many people for whom one very big issue was the FACT that their shitty little $40-$60 routers were being OVERWHELMED by traffic produced by the DEMIGOD netcode.  Those shitty little routers were incapable of handling things and were shitting the bed (so to speak).  What do you think would happen to the "security" of your $40 dealy if someone purposely and maliciously generated such traffic with regards to you?  Again, you go right ahead and feel good about your $40 security.......just know that it is what it is........meaning at the end of the day you have only that........ $40 security.

I'm not obtuse...

It was $40 dollars used. It cost more retail. Be that as it may since all I do is internet browseing with the occasinal download and facebook game I feel fine. Never had any issues. Besides the modem it's plugged into has security features as well.

And no I don't recall the demigod disaster. Never played any game like that.

Starting to think some of you are a bit paranoid.

You assumed that one was the 'better' to which I referred?

and you did a very good job, a lot of people would have been lost without you ...   

Sorry to cause problems guys. It just seems when we talk harware everyone says the expensive stuff is better. I admit the expensive stuff performs bewtter but for us people that can't afford expensive we use what we can and it works great.

I refuse to believe that to play the game (so to speak) we have to buy "expensive".

Ah, but you likely refuse to believe all sorts of things....

No-one's going to change that....eddykayshun isn't for everyone.

There's WYSIWYG ... but then there's WYPFIWYG ... or maybe that's YGWYPF - either way, in a competitive industry [commercialism] more expensive is typically equivalent to better quality/performance  [directly proportional, not inverse]...

No all my important stuff is on my slave drive and AS FAR AS I know spyware, Virus, etc can't run on a slave Drive (Storage disk) but as for a Hacker wanting

to Hack my PC well he/she more then like would be able to and get to the Slave Drive but even If I had a $500.00 Router I don't think I would be able to stop A hacker cause I don't know enough about IP stuff..

other then changing the Default Password, Hiding the PC from the Internet, Enabling WPA/2 and something about the mac address not sure ..

is all I know and I don't know that (or better you could crack open an atom fill it with what I know about IP stuff and still fit the moon it in)

but just because you buy something cheap don't mean you get what you paid for, my old HP (first PC) from 2001 cost $1500.00 and it is still kicking

note that it came with all the stuff Monitor (Gave it away after 8 years), keyboard (packed away and works), mouse, (packed away and works because it's a ball mouse aka no optics/laser not wireless YEARS ago) and Speakers (Gave it away)have to have Kick ass Speaker and sound Card ok some what kick ass speakers

170 watt would like 1,000watt but hell I was bitching and moaning at $109.99 for my Speakers 5.1 + $60.00 for sound card

now the Graphic Card the on board card was only 32MB was replace back in 2002 or 3 and was only about $30.00 with it's own fan 128MB but it was because I wanted to play Chaser (A Game) .. then jumped to an 256MB card about $ 60.00,,, 

my point is just because you buy cheaper don't ALWAYS mean you get what you pay for some times it's better then a $4,000.00 System or should I say LAST longer....   I know it's an HP but will never give them $$ again just don't like HP 7 install disk (7) SEVEN of them ok 1 with 6 BS ....

so with some saying you get what you paid for ... then you should have MAC and not Windows cause MAC cost MORE.... so it has too be better more $$ = better???  I'll stick with Windows

Jafo, what would you recommend as some good mid to high-mid priced router with decent security?  I'm in Australia like you are.

Best regards,
Steven.

StevenAus - not trying to answer out of turn, but Jafo would have to know some info in order to make a recommendation: Do you live in a wifi saturated area? How large are your diggs? are you using g or n band, principally? Do you play a lot of online games requiring a large through put. Do you get good reception throughout the house? Do any other devices access the router besides your computer?

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2347539,00.asp 

(How to choose a router - PC Magazine).

Actually, I might have been forgetting that this is primarily a wireless router focussed thread.  Does wired have the same requirements for a good router?  I have a router currently that has a wireless capability but my connection is a wired one.

Best regards,
Steven.

No....that doesn't work with a self-imposed Monopoly.

.....or should I say....the reason Mac usage is always going to be a low % is Apple "thinks" it has no competitor and prices itself into 'obscurity'/inconsequence.

StevenAus....you'd be better to ask the_Monk ...he's the Networking expert, not me....

the_Monk, what details would you need to know to make a good recommendation on a wired router?  Similar to wireless routers or quite different?

Best regards,
Steven.