Why we don’t sell cheap routers

I’m not against any one brand here - this is a gripe about cheap wireless routers and wired routers that a small business or home might buy for less than $100USD.

Cheap wireless routers and wired routers ARE NOT FIREWALLS!!! They simply ‘hide’ your computers from the Internet, they do not stop anyone with any intelligence at all from entering your network or using your computers. Their purpose is to share the Internet connection - not do the work of a free firewall.

Here’s a good example:
We picked up a new client who had a wired router allowing shared Internet access across his office network of 10 workstations and we wanted to scan his network to have a map of all of his computers. When we scanned, we found that this network in Los Angeles had 63 other computers on a network somewhere past Pennsylvania connected to it. They had full access to his computer network.

Here’s another:
We know for a fact that some legitimate businesses are able to cross over a router and get “into your computer”. (Quote from the technicians.)

And finally:
I have watched as remote computers have been directed to gain internal access, as if the computer was local - not remote, into the local network over a similar router. Once that external computer is part of the internal network, they have access to _everything_ on your network.

As a result I do not sell cheap wireless routers and wired routers to clients unless I really cannot go any other way on that particular situation.

You shouldn’t either - use a firewall instead. Or least use a free firewall (usually a software firewall) along with a router.