celegorm is correct on this.
However, Mr. DJ-CHRIS you're wrong. A consumer can use their own hardware for example, a 'router' in this case, and their ISP will not charge you more on your monthly bill because you purchased a router from a store instead of your actual internet service provider.
Now, if you need technical assistance with your new router some ISP's will provide as little as technical support as possible, while some will tell you call the vendor of the router for assistance with it.
IM curious What *propertiary* authentication protocols can they use to verify this? Also, -->you state they use TCP/IP fingerprinting<-- funny considering each operating system's 'TCP/IP stack' responds differently given the same situation in a TCP/IP conversation.
Funny I worked for Sony, & Bellsouth (Dial up, ISDN 64k & 128k, AND ADSL), in the past I never heard or seen anything even remotely close to anything like that. Teir 1 to Tier 3 technical support never heard of it. Nor has any of the 3rd party vendors (outside sources) who *watch/monitors our networks,* hell not even the NOC department (network Operations Center) has heard of anything like this.
I never said a consumer could not use their own router, I just said it's possible for the ISP to enforce certain hardware. I don't know of any ISP that successfully enforces using their hardware, due to the hard nature of it.
One ISP with a propitiatory authenication protocol is bigpond in Australia, as they developed their own authentication protocol.
Since the subjet changed to strictly routers now. I would just like to add I own and am currently running the Linksys WRT54G firmware version 1.00.6 it's *okay* IMO, but if I was going to get a router it would be a Netgear WPN824 <--7 built in antennas a lot more security features/options that what the linksys wrt54g offers. Just for the record the ONLY reason I'm using the linksys wrt54g because it was a gift from my girlfriend and I don't want to be rude like that.
Try to upgrade the firmware on that wrt54G to DD-WRT
What are some good router brands?
Netgear, D-Link, Linksys...
Not to be rude or anything but I could careless about updating the firmware in the wireless router. Thats probably why I never did it to begin with. It came out of the box with that firmware version. Is their a vulnerability to exploit within firmware version 1.00.6? Last time I checked their wasnt. So their is no need to upgrade the firmware. But thank you for taking the time to look up my information on my wireless router. . I have the Linksys WRT54G as secure as you can make it. Secure like Fort Knox. The way I look at it, even if someone manages to get inside the network (phat chance in hell) they still have to crack the encryption to even read the files on my system. I tried breaking into my network from the outside IM not able to and neither is any of my homeboys.