I have Avast installed on the Windows machines on my network, and ever since it has told me that my router has been compromised, has flaws, can be broken into easily, and so on.
It never has, as far as I know, but I still get these false positives. That's a real problem, because if a real problem ever occurs, how will I know? I'll assume it's another false positive by the antivirus program that cried wolf. I don't have the time or desire to research every time Avast rings the bell to make me salivate. I like the program, but it's tempting to ditch it for this reason.
I want to make sure: my router is secure and, two, that I bought a router than can be secure.
Google gave me some web sites to help check the security of my router. I also found an article in which someone insists we should use business class routers ($200 and up) rather than the consumer ones sold in big box stores. Would anyone like to comment on this? I don't know what to think, in part because this is the first time I've seen it recommended, and he seems to be the only one making the recommendation. Also, the companies that make consumer class routers, like Netgear and Linksys, make higher security routers for business . But he recommends the Pepwave Surf SOHO. Why them? Is he connected to them?
http://www.tomsguide.com/us/home-router-security,news-19245.html
"If a router is sold at [an electronics chain], you don't want to buy it," independent computer consultant Michael Horowitz said in a presentation. "If your router is given to you by your internet service provider [ISP], you don't want to use it either, because they give away millions of them, and that makes them a prime target both for spy agencies and bad guys."
Horowitz recommended that security-conscious consumers instead upgrade to commercial routers intended for small businesses, or at least separate their modems and routers into two separate devices. (Many "gateway" units, often supplied by ISPs, act as both.)
