Does SP2 firewall now block outgoing connections as well?

[Opinicus]

I know that the WinXP firewall blocked incoming connections
but this morning when I was using Total (formerly Windows)
Commander to ftp some files to my website, WinXP's security
center complained about the attempted connection. Total
Commander has now been added to my exceptions list and ftp
with it works fine. Was the Windows firewall really
objecting to an outgoing connection? It never did this when
I used ftp before SP2.

 

[niknik1971]

That is the new feature of sp2

It makes the built in firewall more effective.

NIK

 

[BarCom]

The WXP Firewall is nothing but a sales gimmick. You'd be better protected
if you smeared mud on your box and chanted nursery rhymes.

 

[Ken Blake]

In

The WXP Firewall is nothing but a sales gimmick. You'd be
better
protected if you smeared mud on your box and chanted nursery
rhymes.

Nonsense. It's far from the best firewall available, but it's a
lot better than nothing.

 

[Jupiter Jones [MVP]]

Totally incorrect.
On what do you base this totally incorrect information?

Since you seem to think "smeared mud on your box and chanted nursery
rhymes" gives good protection, I would hate to be anyone who took your
advice.

ICF effectively protects against inbound traffic as most firewalls.
There is little information about a possible intrusion, but you should
not mistake the lack of an alarm for non-functional.

As far as outbound traffic, Microsoft apparently chose to keep it
simple.
The more complex, the more likely people will disable the protection.
Besides if you successfully protect, maintain and use your computer,
there is nothing undesired to get out.

You are free to stick with your nursery rhymes, I will use a firewall.

 

[Frank]

This is totally nonsense. By the same token it is sometimes
hard to convince people not to cross the street except at a
crosswalk.

 

[Alex Nichol]

I know that the WinXP firewall blocked incoming connections
but this morning when I was using Total (formerly Windows)
Commander to ftp some files to my website, WinXP's security
center complained about the attempted connection. Total
Commander has now been added to my exceptions list and ftp
with it works fine. Was the Windows firewall really
objecting to an outgoing connection? It never did this when
I used ftp before SP2.

It would be the program setting up a port to allow another machine to
call in to it (eg asking to send data). This is likely to be needed for
FTP: another example is Windows Messenger, which has to be able to
accept packets on ports 6891 up to say 6895 if it is to *send* files,
Then the other end, on accepting the idea, asks to be served the file -
so there is an incoming packet to it

The firewall takes no interest in packets *sent* from the machine it is
on

 

[Greg R]

I do a agree that the windows firewall is better than nothing.

However, I got to mention in my town, it is not safe to cross at the
cross walk. My mother almost get hit ever time she crosses at
crosswalk. It actual safer for her to cross street elsewhere. She
walks to the bank for her job.

Greg R

 

[Rock]

Corrected Post

I do a agree that the windows firewall is better than nothing.

However, I got to mention in my town, it is not safe to cross at the
cross walk. My mother almost get hit ever time she crosses at
crosswalk. It actual safer for her to cross street elsewhere. She
walks to the place for her job.

Greg R

That's a very astute observation which is backed up by fact. The place
a pedestrian is most likely to get killed when crossing a street is with
the green light in a crosswalk at an intersection. Why? Because they
think having the right of way will save them and therefore don't think
or look. Crossing outside of the crosswalk the person raises their
awareness level.