«

connecting to the Net via a wirelss adsl router (not sure whether there's a
built in hardware firewall)
do I really need a software firewall?

--

D@nnyBoy
Have you tried posting your problems
not related to MS AntiSpyware to
news://msnews.microsoft.com

D@annyBoy wrote:

> connecting to the Net via a wirelss adsl router (not sure whether there's
> a built in hardware firewall)
> do I really need a software firewall?
>

It is a good idea to have a firewall. However, remember protecting yourself
by increasing your security has many parts. It is good system
administration (not giving yourself local administrator privs, disabling
active-x, etc) keeping up to date with patches, using anti virus software,
using anti spyware software...and many, many more.

If you do all these things then using a firewall is a good idea. If you do
not do these things I suggest you start...

Michael
--

"Microsoft isn't evil, they just make really crappy operating systems." -
Linus Torvald

Your router will act as a basic firewall to protect you from inbound traffic
that your computer did not initiate which is by far the most important
firewall protection. Host firewall protection is optional. If you have other
computers on your network that you want to protect your computer from or
other users use your computer and you want to restrict their internet
activities then a host firewall makes sense. Beyond that there is little
need if you follow other best practices to minimize the risk of malware and
parasites. I personally do not use host firewalls at home and don't have a
problem. They can be very confusing for the regular computer user. ---
Steve

http://www.microsoft.com/athome/secu...t/default.mspx --- Protect
your PC.

"D@annyBoy" <> wrote in message
news:...
> connecting to the Net via a wirelss adsl router (not sure whether there's
> a built in hardware firewall)
> do I really need a software firewall?
>
> --
>
> D@nnyBoy
> Have you tried posting your problems
> not related to MS AntiSpyware to
> news://msnews.microsoft.com
>
>
>

Hi

You want to be safe?

You need Router NAT Firewall.

Software Firewall

Antivirus program and AntiSpyware program.

Why?

Internet -Basic protection: http://www.ezlan.net/firewall.html

Internet Infestation: http://www.ezlan.net/infestation.html

Assemble Freeware Security Suit for Internet Connection:
http://www.ezlan.net/security.html

Jack (MVP-Networking).




"Steven L Umbach" <> wrote in message
news:...
> Your router will act as a basic firewall to protect you from inbound traffic
> that your computer did not initiate which is by far the most important
> firewall protection. Host firewall protection is optional. If you have other
> computers on your network that you want to protect your computer from or
> other users use your computer and you want to restrict their internet
> activities then a host firewall makes sense. Beyond that there is little
> need if you follow other best practices to minimize the risk of malware and
> parasites. I personally do not use host firewalls at home and don't have a
> problem. They can be very confusing for the regular computer user. ---
> Steve
>
> http://www.microsoft.com/athome/secu...t/default.mspx --- Protect
> your PC.
>
> "D@annyBoy" <> wrote in message
> news:...
> > connecting to the Net via a wirelss adsl router (not sure whether there's
> > a built in hardware firewall)
> > do I really need a software firewall?
> >
> > --
> >
> > D@nnyBoy
> > Have you tried posting your problems
> > not related to MS AntiSpyware to
> > news://msnews.microsoft.com
> >
> >
> >
>
>

Jack (MVP) wrote:

> Hi
>
> You want to be safe?
>
> You need Router NAT Firewall.
>
> Software Firewall
>
> Antivirus program and AntiSpyware program.
>
> Why?
>
> Internet -Basic protection: http://www.ezlan.net/firewall.html
>
> Internet Infestation: http://www.ezlan.net/infestation.html
>
> Assemble Freeware Security Suit for Internet Connection:
> http://www.ezlan.net/security.html
>
> Jack (MVP-Networking).
>
>
>
>
> "Steven L Umbach" <> wrote in message
> news:...
>> Your router will act as a basic firewall to protect you from inbound
>> traffic that your computer did not initiate which is by far the most
>> important firewall protection. Host firewall protection is optional. If
>> you have other computers on your network that you want to protect your
>> computer from or other users use your computer and you want to restrict
>> their internet activities then a host firewall makes sense. Beyond that
>> there is little need if you follow other best practices to minimize the
>> risk of malware and parasites. I personally do not use host firewalls at
>> home and don't have a
>> problem. They can be very confusing for the regular computer user. ---
>> Steve
>>
>> http://www.microsoft.com/athome/secu...t/default.mspx ---
>> Protect your PC.
>>
>> "D@annyBoy" <> wrote in message
>> news:...
>> > connecting to the Net via a wirelss adsl router (not sure whether
>> > there's a built in hardware firewall)
>> > do I really need a software firewall?
>> >
>> > --
>> >
>> > D@nnyBoy
>> > Have you tried posting your problems
>> > not related to MS AntiSpyware to
>> > news://msnews.microsoft.com
>> >
>> >
>> >
>>
>>


I agree with all points except the "Router NAT firewall". Some people
believe that NAT gives you a lot of security. It does not. In fact NAT
breaks some protocols requiring kludge software (ie FTP active, SNMP, Video
conferencing (H323 suite), RPCs, IPSec VPN, etc, etc). Because you need
extra software to make these protocols work, you infact, are adding
potential bugs and thus security holes. No only that but the "additional"
software require to make NAT work for these protocols is not
standardized...

Use a regular firewall stay away from NAT. Remember, a firewall is only on
piece of the picture. It all starts with good system administration...

Michael
--

"Microsoft isn't evil, they just make really crappy operating systems." -
Linus Torvald

I disagree that a software firewall is needed when you have protection at
the perimeter. It "may" be needed or used depending on the users
environment and how he wants to manage risk. Even many of the lower priced
NAT firewalls are doing stateful inspection. --- Steve


"Jack (MVP)" <Jack(MVP)@discussions.microsoft.com.> wrote in message
news:...
> Hi
>
> You want to be safe?
>
> You need Router NAT Firewall.
>
> Software Firewall
>
> Antivirus program and AntiSpyware program.
>
> Why?
>
> Internet -Basic protection: http://www.ezlan.net/firewall.html
>
> Internet Infestation: http://www.ezlan.net/infestation.html
>
> Assemble Freeware Security Suit for Internet Connection:
> http://www.ezlan.net/security.html
>
> Jack (MVP-Networking).
>
>
>
>
> "Steven L Umbach" <> wrote in message
> news:...
>> Your router will act as a basic firewall to protect you from inbound
>> traffic
>> that your computer did not initiate which is by far the most important
>> firewall protection. Host firewall protection is optional. If you have
>> other
>> computers on your network that you want to protect your computer from or
>> other users use your computer and you want to restrict their internet
>> activities then a host firewall makes sense. Beyond that there is little
>> need if you follow other best practices to minimize the risk of malware
>> and
>> parasites. I personally do not use host firewalls at home and don't have
>> a
>> problem. They can be very confusing for the regular computer user. ---
>> Steve
>>
>> http://www.microsoft.com/athome/secu...t/default.mspx ---
>> Protect
>> your PC.
>>
>> "D@annyBoy" <> wrote in message
>> news:...
>> > connecting to the Net via a wirelss adsl router (not sure whether
>> > there's
>> > a built in hardware firewall)
>> > do I really need a software firewall?
>> >
>> > --
>> >
>> > D@nnyBoy
>> > Have you tried posting your problems
>> > not related to MS AntiSpyware to
>> > news://msnews.microsoft.com
>> >
>> >
>> >
>>
>>
>
>

Steven L Umbach wrote:

> I disagree that a software firewall is needed when you have protection at
> the perimeter. It "may" be needed or used depending on the users
> environment and how he wants to manage risk. Even many of the lower priced
> NAT firewalls are doing stateful inspection. --- Steve
>
>
> "Jack (MVP)" <Jack(MVP)@discussions.microsoft.com.> wrote in message
> news:...
>> Hi
>>
>> You want to be safe?
>>
>> You need Router NAT Firewall.
>>
>> Software Firewall
>>
>> Antivirus program and AntiSpyware program.
>>
>> Why?
>>
>> Internet -Basic protection: http://www.ezlan.net/firewall.html
>>
>> Internet Infestation: http://www.ezlan.net/infestation.html
>>
>> Assemble Freeware Security Suit for Internet Connection:
>> http://www.ezlan.net/security.html
>>
>> Jack (MVP-Networking).
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> "Steven L Umbach" <> wrote in message
>> news:...
>>> Your router will act as a basic firewall to protect you from inbound
>>> traffic
>>> that your computer did not initiate which is by far the most important
>>> firewall protection. Host firewall protection is optional. If you have
>>> other
>>> computers on your network that you want to protect your computer from or
>>> other users use your computer and you want to restrict their internet
>>> activities then a host firewall makes sense. Beyond that there is little
>>> need if you follow other best practices to minimize the risk of malware
>>> and
>>> parasites. I personally do not use host firewalls at home and don't have
>>> a
>>> problem. They can be very confusing for the regular computer user. ---
>>> Steve
>>>
>>> http://www.microsoft.com/athome/secu...t/default.mspx ---
>>> Protect
>>> your PC.
>>>
>>> "D@annyBoy" <> wrote in message
>>> news:...
>>> > connecting to the Net via a wirelss adsl router (not sure whether
>>> > there's
>>> > a built in hardware firewall)
>>> > do I really need a software firewall?
>>> >
>>> > --
>>> >
>>> > D@nnyBoy
>>> > Have you tried posting your problems
>>> > not related to MS AntiSpyware to
>>> > news://msnews.microsoft.com
>>> >
>>> >
>>> >
>>>
>>>
>>
>>

I think you mean PAT actually. A PAT "router" HAS TO DO STATEFULL inspection
for it will not work...

Michael

--

"Microsoft isn't evil, they just make really crappy operating systems." -
Linus Torvald

thanks everyone for your invaluable comments


--

D@nnyBoy
Have you tried posting your problems
not related to MS AntiSpyware to
news://msnews.microsoft.com

and please don't bother to send me private mail
because I don't check my mailbox regularly


"D@annyBoy" <> wrote in message
news:...
> connecting to the Net via a wirelss adsl router (not sure whether there's
> a built in hardware firewall)
> do I really need a software firewall?
>
> --
>
> D@nnyBoy
> Have you tried posting your problems
> not related to MS AntiSpyware to
> news://msnews.microsoft.com
>
>
>

The best system I have found is First a NAT router with a DMZ set to a
fictitious IP address. This stops outsiders from accessing your network and
makes the ports stealthed (try this link to see if you are stealthed
https://www.grc.com/x/ne.dll?bh0bkyd2 its called shields up).
Next is McAfee's Internet security which has a personal firewall to stop
dangerous information being extracted or sent from your machine and includes
anti virus and spam blockers.

D@annyBoy wrote:
> connecting to the Net via a wirelss adsl router (not sure whether
> there's a built in hardware firewall)
> do I really need a software firewall?

That depends - check the specs on the router to see if it functions as a
firewall too. I'm not a big fan of "software firewalls" where an alternative
exists, but we don't know if an alternative exists yet...

As Michael Pelletier suggests, running with minimal user rights, disabling
potentially dangerous features (especially those you don't use... why take a
risk for no gain?), etc. are just as important.

--
--
Rob Moir
Website - http://www.robertmoir.co.uk
Virtual PC 2004 FAQ - http://www.robertmoir.co.uk/win/VirtualPC2004FAQ.html
Kazaa - Software update services for your Viruses and Spyware.