[condition_unknown]

Can my router be automatically be configured for port forwarding?

The answer to that question is yes and no. The logical answer would be if it says so on the box of the router, you'll get home, plug it in and have no trouble.
But unfortunately UPnP isn't that efficient. It can be compared with the days when wireless networks first came out. If they weren't made by the same person, they wont work.

Well, how do I know whether my router will be configured using UPnP?

Microsoft have released a very nice a piece of software for testing your router. To do so, you must make sure that UPnP is enabled.
You can find out how to check this in your router handbook or by seeking the advice of the manufacturer.
Microsoft's testing tool is available here
Be warned, as mentioned by Darkone, it can take up to 10 minutes to run.

I ran Microsoft's tool and my router passed, but it still doesn't work. Why?

You're not alone. There have been a handful of posts over on the Microsoft forums of people complaining that they cannot use UPnP even though their routers have passed. This means you're going to have to configure them manually.

How do I do that?

I would first recommend that you give your server a static ip address.

If you are letting your router assign an ip address using DHCP, it cant always be guaranteed that it will stay the same from day to day.
You can follow the instructions in the Setting your own IP address FAQ here .

You need to then consult your Router's manual to find out how you access its remote configuration website.

This is normally achieved by typing in your routers ip address, which is your default gateway, into your browser like you would a web address, e.g. 192.168.1.1

It will then prompt you for a password. This might be found on the bottom of your router, otherwise this will also be in the manual.

The ports that you will need to configure to enable remote access are port 80, port 443 and port 4125. To do this, you use something called port forwarding.

This means that if your router recieves a request from the outside world on one of those ports, it will forward them to a certain IP address, which this time is the IP address of your server.

Hence the need for the static IP address, otherwise if your server's IP keeps changing, you'll have to keep changing your settings.

The best way to find out how to do this, is to visit a website call Port Forward They have many instructions on how to configure lots of different routers for lots of different applications.

Now as of my last check (22/01/08) they haven't yet published how to configure for WHS, but dont panic. It's possible to follow one of the other application's instructions and substitute in WHS's settings.

Just make sure, for example, that for port 80, the start port is 80, the end port is 80, that your router is set to TCP and the internal port (if present) is 80 as well.

The last thing to do is fill in the static IP address of your router.

Once you've set up all 3 ports, your WHS should be setup to access the outside world and host as many websites as your bandwidth will allow.

I haven't yet brought a router, which one do I buy?

An up-to-date list will be kept Here

If you see one you like and you do have any questions, I'm sure the member that owns that model won't mind you dropping them a PM to ask them any questions, we're a nice enough bunch