re 1)
Yes, recall the raw sockets crusade and agree that the style of his presentations is a bit Disneylandish. As I comprehend it - his little Shields Up thingie merely tries for access at a few over 1000 ports. If "they" cannot see you, or 2nd grade: can see you but not enter - isn't that Good Enough? Perhaps there are better attacks I might request (of the installer / congfigurator). No argument from moi re Gibson's net wiles being Wizard-grade, though he appeared at one point to have pretty well ID'd the source/child of a DDOS attack, etc.

2)
Netgear longevity noted; pondering presenting locals with fait accompli - especially if it saves friend some $ while also working quite well.

Unclear about ZA acting only after connection to computer succeeds - thought the point of its messages ~same as a rudimentary packet sniffer: acknowledging that such were aimed at any open port xxxx: had you left it open. You hadn't.
[or.. is your box even visible on Net at all, if ZA is properly functioning?]

I note the artfulness of their moving around, hiding - the guts of the True Vector engine, via changing directory name randomly, etc. I expect that many are at work attempting to beat that system; these methods are, of course - outta my league.

I just wondered if ZA could /should remain a backup, or if KISS is better - delete one more running task in Doze, say. That seeems to be your recommendation. OK

3)
Intel >> 3Com. Drivers point also noted.

3B) Cheapskates indeed! but cheap in terms of wasted fix-labour. I sorta Know this putrefying [9.x] piece of Billy-innovation (though hardly in the way that You Know intimately where it screws up in actual heavy service). Friend realizes by now: don't ask it to do more than 3 things, and maybe it will. And she 'knows' the layout of this POS.

[RT-314]
See what you mean re prices. If paranoid get two - one is bound to work, even from eBay.

5 years is proof of concept, and I believe I can count on you to have noticed any weirdness. ;-) Believe I'll snipe this new one w/ 5 yr warranty, today (3091329117)- seller's lengthy description fills in all the blanks, obv from Netgear specs. Heh, saves faux debate with local guru.. Maybe an el-cheapo one too, for at-home amidst the 9.x Loosers, who are Waiting for Godot

Thanks much; I adore simple/perfect solutions. On to Intel; can't fight nasty Big monopolies in this yuga!


Ashton, gratefully
Drill hole; run CAT-5, PnP
Hmmm may end up staying around and seeing if I can make the sucker sing, from just whatever Netgear's how-to describes.