take into account that what this router is doing is basically providing a NAT, DHCP and basic Firewall. sure there are software packages out there that do these functions. consider that most require extensive knowledge to set up, plus the hardware requirements. as a all in package, software/hardware, the linksys is the best out there bang for the buck. also consider that you'd have to dedicate one of your PCs to server the same purpose, how much did that cost?. it's not just a software issue, there is also hardware costs to conside when running these software applications you speak of.