Screening Router

Screening routers can look at information related to the hard-wired address of a computer, its IP address (Network layer), and even the types of connections (Transport layer) and then provide filtering based on that information. A screening router may be a stand-alone routing device or a computer that contains two network interface cards (dual-homed system). The router connects two networks and performs packet filtering to control traffic between the networks. Administrators program the device with a set of rules that define how packet filtering is done. Ports can also be blocked; for example, you can block all applications except HTTP (Web) services. However, the rules that you can define for routers may not be sufficient to protect your network resources, especially if the Internet is connected to one side of the router. Those rules may also be difficult to implement and error-prone, which could potentially open up holes in your defenses.