New SP-2 upgrade issues...

[George]

I installed WinXP Service Pack 2 (SP-2). It defaults to "Windows Firewall
ENABLED". Would appreciate some responses from several others on...

a) Do I need to turn off (DISABLE) the WINDOWS firewall? My 2003 Linksys
router BEFSX41 VPN router already has a firewall. Will Win-Firewall
interfere with my Linksys Router/Switch? Will it interfere with the ability
to share files among PC's behind the router? Will it create any other
problems?

b) Windows also makes its "Windows Security Center" the default, over McAfee
Online...but McAfee instantly uploaded an update which asked me to make
McAfee the DEFAULT and gave message said (I think) could have conflicts if I
select NO (don't make McAfee the default). What are most people doing here?

Thanks
George

 

[Guest]

Well--I think it is still desirable to have a software firewall running even
though the router has a firewall as well.

I don't know if I know the exact reason except that it seems to me that the
router firewall is a fixed set up more or less where as the software firewall
like Mcafee is dynamic with updates occurring regularly.

I also run Mcafee firewall and I had previously read that you do not want
the windows firewall running if you have another firewall running. I had SP2
beta installed and running for a couple of months and this was a question
that came up--sort of a unknown "oops" that the windows firewall was running
by default at installation of sp2. Unless you check it, you do not know it.

The Mcafee security center does the same thing that the Windows security
center does in monitoring the presence of the firewall and virus protection.
The Windows security center also monitors the setting for your automatic
update for Windows, which I don't thing Mcafee does--but once you have that
set--it shouldn't change.

I set Mcafee to be my default security center over the Windows security
center.

I set Mcafee to be my default security center over the Windows security
center.

 

[PA Bear]

I installed WinXP Service Pack 2 (SP-2). It defaults to "Windows Firewall
ENABLED". Would appreciate some responses from several others on...

a) Do I need to turn off (DISABLE) the WINDOWS firewall? My 2003 Linksys
router BEFSX41 VPN router already has a firewall.

No. Consider it another layer of protection.

Will Win-Firewall
interfere with my Linksys Router/Switch?

It shouldn't. Check with Linksys for firmware and SP2-specific updates.

Will it interfere with the ability
to share files among PC's behind the router?

You will have to configure network shares, yes.

Will it create any other
problems?

References:

Changes to Functionality in Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2
Network Protection
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/winxppro/maintain/sp2netwk.mspx

Browsing Security Enhancements
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/winxppro/maintain/sp2brows.mspx

Changes to Functionality in Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2
Network Protection
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/winxppro/maintain/sp2netwk.mspx

Troubleshooting Windows Firewall settings in Windows XP Service Pack 2
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?kbid=875357

b) Windows also makes its "Windows Security Center" the default, over
McAfee
Online...but McAfee instantly uploaded an update which asked me to make
McAfee the DEFAULT and gave message said (I think) could have conflicts if
I
select NO (don't make McAfee the default). What are most people doing
here?

The default what? What is "McAfee Online", VirusScan perhaps? See if the
above links make things clearer for you. I would not choose any McAfee
product to replace Windows Security Center.
--
~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
MS MVP-Windows (IE/OE), AH-VSOP

Are You Ready for WinXP SP2?
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/protect/default.aspx

WinXP SP2 Release Notes
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;835935

AumHa Forums
http://forum.aumha.org

 

[Guest]

I am curious why you say that you should choose no to use the Mcafee security
Center as default over the Windows security center>

From what I can see, the Windows security center does 3 things--it monitors
if you have a firewall running, whether you have active anti-virus protection
and it monitors the condition of your windows update service.

The Windows security center will show a "yellow" alert if you have the
updates set to notify but not download and red alert if you have the update
service turned off. So in order to eliminate a constant tray icon for the
security center, you go in and tell the Windows security center to ignore how
you have the update service configured--assuming that you have made a
conscious choice for something other than complete auto updating..

You definitely do not want two software firewalls running--ie the windows
firewall and the mcafee firewall. I can't say how advanced the windows
firewall is as compared to any third party firewall---but the Mcafee security
center is basically the same thing as the Windows securiy center. It sits in
the tray and will change color if the firewall or the anti-virus services are
disabled or not functioning.

Mcafee security center doesn't monitor the auto update service--but that is
more or less a set and forget feature. Once you make your choice, it doesn't
change. And I suspect that a lot of people that choose the notify before
download option for windows updates are also disabling the update monitoring
part of the windows security center to eliminate the yellow warning icon in
the tray.

 

[PA Bear]

For one thing, I haven't the vaguest idea what the 'McAfee Security Center'
*is*, if there is such a thing. For another, I wouldn't allow a McAfee
product in my house, let alone install it on one of my machines.

If you must use a McAfee product, let it monitor what it wants to monitor
but I'd let the WinXP Security Center ride herd on it. This does *not* mean
choosing the Windows Firewall over a third-party one necessarily.

(There was an old TV show called "Who Do You Trust?" Think about it.)

 

[Guest]

The Mcafee Security Center is essentially the same format and look of the
Windows security center. It shows all the Mcaffee products that you have
downloaded on your system and what the condiition of those products are
(running or not running) with a tray icon alert if a service is disabled.

So--in my case--the security center icon is in the ok state as long as I
have the Mcafee anti-virus and Mcafee firewall enabled. You can also use the
security center to look at a bunch of details and settings for the firewall,
perform system virus scans, schedule scans, set the auo-update function with
Mcafee, etc.

To me--the Windows security center is a much less functional set up. It will
tell you if you have a firewall running and if you have anti-virus program
running and if you have the auto-update function on or off or in between to
notify before downloading updates. Thats it.... It is basically a big baby
sitter on the system that throws up an alert if you are not running a
software firewall or don't have anti-virus protection. It doesn't do anything
else.

If you have Mcafee products on your pc, you would be crazy to choose to
default to the Windows security Center over the Mcafee security center
analogue. For those with Mcafee products, it is the user interface to set and
manage all the Mcafee products on the system.

And no--I don't work for Mcafee. I just got fed up with Norton and their
poor customer service and took my business somewhere else. I have not been
disappointed with Mcafee products since switching.