Greetings --
msmarti said:
This concerns me, because if I enable it now, I cannot get to my
other
network shares here at home (we have 4 computers - mine, husband's,
laptop
wireless, and file server/upstairs bedroom machine). I don't know
why
either.
WinXP's built-in firewall is not designed to be used on internal
LAN connections. The _only_ connection on which you should have ICF
enabled is the direct connection to the Internet.
Internet Firewalls Can Prevent Browsing and File Sharing
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;298804
This matter is addressed in Service Pack 2. WinXP's redesigned
built-in firewall will allow exceptions for File & Print Sharing.
The networking on XP is puzzling. My husband and I will go thru
again and
again sharing our folders, they will work for awhile and then the
next time
we go to access them, it will tell us we do not have access. He runs
ZoneAlarm, I do not, since we also have a router and I see no need
to run a
personal firewall if I have a router. Am I correct?
No, not really.
Like WinXP's built-in firewall, NAT-capable routers do nothing to
protect the user from him/herself. Again -- and I _cannot_ emphasize
this enough -- almost all spyware and many Trojans and worms are
downloaded and installed deliberately (albeit unknowingly) by the
user. So a software firewall, such as Sygate or ZoneAlarm, that can
detect and warn the user of unauthorized out-going traffic is an
important element of protecting one's privacy and security. Most
antivirus applications do not scan for or protect you from
adware/spyware, because, after all, you've installed them yourself, so
you must want them there, right?
Bruce Chambers
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