OT just a little - Is my firewall really necessary?

[Peter in New Zealand]

For a long time I have used Zone Alarm and always found it an excellent
firewall for a free version. Recently I have gone to broadband - YAY! I
am now using a hardware router/modem unit as my three machines are
networked through it. When my broadband connection was set up the tech
suggested to me that a software firewall is no longer needed as the
router acts as a hardware firewall and is more effective. He wasn't
dogmatic about it, just sowing a thought. I wondered, although I guess
the only freeware connection here is Zonealarm, could some kind people
suggest whether I need to keep it going or not. Many thanks.

 

[Laurent Herve]

I sugest you keep a firewall, for example tiny personal firewall :

The main difference between you router and a firewall is that
a router will only keep ports open or close. So i guess you will
open the port 80, but then, the router will not watch every
application that connect to the outside throught this port ! This
open port 80 is open for anything. A firewall allow a much sharper
supervision, for example if you have a spyware. You will be
aware of the acativity of a spyware mostly because of the
alert of a firewall, - and i have good experience not with zone
alarm (old versions crashes, and it's heavy) - but Tiny Personal
Firewall is OK..

lh

 

[REM]

"Laurent Herve" <[email protected]> wrote:

I sugest you keep a firewall, for example tiny personal firewall :

The main difference between you router and a firewall is that
a router will only keep ports open or close. So i guess you will
open the port 80, but then, the router will not watch every
application that connect to the outside throught this port ! This
open port 80 is open for anything. A firewall allow a much sharper
supervision, for example if you have a spyware. You will be
aware of the acativity of a spyware mostly because of the
alert of a firewall, - and i have good experience not with zone
alarm (old versions crashes, and it's heavy) - but Tiny Personal
Firewall is OK..

I've been reading up on routers. I'm trying to find one for dialup
connections, but they are tough to find. Anyway, most of what I've
read so far does say to retain a software firewall also for better
security.

 

[Edward Wishart]

"Peter in New Zealand"wrote:

For a long time I have used Zone Alarm and always found it an excellent
firewall for a free version. Recently I have gone to broadband - YAY!
Welcome!

I am now using a hardware router/modem unit as my three machines are
networked through it. When my broadband connection was set up the
tech suggested to me that a software firewall is no longer needed as
the router acts as a hardware firewall and is more effective.

I agree with the comments by Laurent Herve, the router will protect you
from incoming but not from outgoing should you happen to have a nasty
installed on your computer without your knowledge.

He wasn't dogmatic about it, just sowing a thought. I wondered,
although I guess the only freeware connection here is Zonealarm,
could some kind people suggest whether I need to keep it going or not.
Many thanks.

I am familiar with ZAP having used it in the past, so I disagree with
Laurent only to the extent that you are currently accustomed to using ZA
and it will give you excellent outgoing protection in future, I suggest
you continue to use ZA.

 

[Steve H]

I've been reading up on routers. I'm trying to find one for dialup
connections, but they are tough to find. Anyway, most of what I've
read so far does say to retain a software firewall also for better
security.

Might be worth hunting around for a cheap old laptop.
I read an article in PCPro a few months ago which showed how to turn
an old computer into a hardware firewall using Smoothwall ( Linux ).

I didn't give it much thought at the time, but have since picked up a
few old laptops ( P133/166 ) from the local tip for a tenner a piece.
Got a P450 too for £20, but it's too good to waste on a Linux distro


Regards,

 

[Steven Burn]

Any chance you can tell me if the "local tip" is anywhere near Newcastle (the U Tyne one not the U Lyme one) and if not, where the "local tip" is situated? (in dire need of a cheap laptop myself (don't care if I need to repair it myself..)).

--
Regards

Steven Burn
Ur I.T. Mate Group
www.it-mate.co.uk

Keeping it FREE!

 

[Steve H]

Any chance you can tell me if the "local tip" is anywhere near Newcastle
(the U Tyne one not the U Lyme one) and if not, where the "local tip" is situated?
(in dire need of a cheap laptop myself (don't care if I need to repair it myself..)).

'Fraid not, old bean..I'm down south.
Tell you what I'll do though, I'll keep an eye out for you.
There were a couple of lappies there last week that I passed over - an
old Toshiba and an early Omnibook..both probably P133 or slower. No
USB - which is why I didn't bother with them ( though you can slip a
PCMCIA adaptor in ).

If I find anything that looks promising ( and isn't shiny enough for
me me to keep! ) I'll ping you here...

If you're not seeing them at your local tip then there's a good chance
that someone has 'totting rights' and the staff are nabbing certain
items to sell to these people. Have a chat with the 'guvnor' and let
him know you have £20 or so to play with.

Regards,

 

[jmatt]

how to turn

an old computer into a hardware firewall using Smoothwall

Convert an Old PC into a Hardened Firewall
http://www.smoothwall.org/about/
SmoothWall is a stand alone operating system that allows you to
convert an old PC into a hardened firewall. It is easy to install,
easy to manage via a web browser, works with a wide
range of network hardware, and is totally free for personal use.
The program download is a 20MB bootable ISO image file.

====================================

For those who want a really nice Firewall.....
http://www.itpeer.dyndns.org/dtae_Firewalls.htm
Build one yourself! FREE!

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* Please report abuse to http://xinbox.com/sixfiles

 

[jmatt]

Peter in New Zealand

whether I need to keep it going or not.

This reading may help .

http://www.sixfiles.com/forum/download-running-2-firewalls-part-2-18155.html

* Posted via http://www.sixfiles.com/forum
* Please report abuse to http://xinbox.com/sixfiles

 

[dak]

I've been reading up on routers. I'm trying to find one for dialup
connections, but they are tough to find. Anyway, most of what I've
read so far does say to retain a software firewall also for better
security.

SMC Barricade 7004ABR
or
Best Data 56NET

You'll have to Google for details and prices, I don't have the links
handy. Should be able to find either of them used without much
trouble.

 

[Steven Burn]

'Fraid not, old bean..I'm down south.
Tell you what I'll do though, I'll keep an eye out for you.
There were a couple of lappies there last week that I passed over - an
old Toshiba and an early Omnibook..both probably P133 or slower. No
USB - which is why I didn't bother with them ( though you can slip a
PCMCIA adaptor in ).

If I find anything that looks promising ( and isn't shiny enough for
me me to keep! ) I'll ping you here...

If you're not seeing them at your local tip then there's a good chance
that someone has 'totting rights' and the staff are nabbing certain
items to sell to these people. Have a chat with the 'guvnor' and let
him know you have £20 or so to play with.

hehe, thankyou ;o)

--
Regards

Steven Burn
Ur I.T. Mate Group
www.it-mate.co.uk

Keeping it FREE!

 

[REM]

(e-mail address removed)-dot-au.no-spam.invalid (jmatt) wrote:

Convert an Old PC into a Hardened Firewall

SmoothWall is a stand alone operating system that allows you to
convert an old PC into a hardened firewall. It is easy to install,
easy to manage via a web browser, works with a wide
range of network hardware, and is totally free for personal use.
The program download is a 20MB bootable ISO image file.

====================================

This looks very interesting! Thanks to you both.

 

[REM]

SMC Barricade 7004ABR
or
Best Data 56NET

You'll have to Google for details and prices, I don't have the links
handy. Should be able to find either of them used without much
trouble.

Thanks! I'm finding reviews and prices for both.

 

[Reno Halapeeno]

For a long time I have used Zone Alarm and always found it an excellent
firewall for a free version. Recently I have gone to broadband - YAY! I
am now using a hardware router/modem unit as my three machines are
networked through it. When my broadband connection was set up the tech
suggested to me that a software firewall is no longer needed as the
router acts as a hardware firewall and is more effective. He wasn't
dogmatic about it, just sowing a thought. I wondered, although I guess
the only freeware connection here is Zonealarm, could some kind people
suggest whether I need to keep it going or not. Many thanks.

ZA Free is not so good with my router. I try it again every so often
when a newer version is released. Maybe someday. I sure hate to spend
money.

I switched to ZA Pro because it is very compatible with network settings,
especially if you're running any wireless stations on your LAN, either
through a WAP or with one of those smancy-fancy Wired/Wireless or
Ethernet/Bluetooth boxes. They usually release a very good deal on a
multi-year license to their current users. Probably because so many
people have pirated versions? Oh well, that's between them and St.
Peter, I guess. (Especially if he is using a ZA engineer as his advisor
at the Golden Gates? LOL!) An additional, albeit somewhat 'off-topik'
consideration is that ZA sells it's licenses "per user" rather than per
computer or per station, etc. I am not a lawyer; I only play one on TV.
That means to me that I can put one licensed copy on every 'puter, and of
course, the router's NAT filtering makes it look to the WAN [usually]
like it's only one machine spewing all those 1's and 0's. Yay!

My LAN passes all the tests at:

https://www.grc.com/x/ne.dll?bh0bkyd2

My input would be: that may well be an excellent place to start your
investigation to decide if, where, how many, and which software firewall
to deploy.

Good luck, and most of all: have fun!

 

[elaich]

(e-mail address removed)-dot-au.no-spam.invalid (jmatt) wrote in

This reading may help .

http://www.sixfiles.com/forum/download-running-2-firewalls-part-2-18155
.html

Now, this irks me. Why are these forums picking up threads that were posted
HERE (in this case, just last weekend) and posting them on the Web as if we
are members of their forum?

I was recently accused by some newbie of posting something all over the
Internet on message boards when all I did was post a thread here and it was
picked up and broadcast on these kind of services.

How can it be stopped?

 

[David]

For a long time I have used Zone Alarm and always found it an excellent
firewall for a free version. Recently I have gone to broadband - YAY! I
am now using a hardware router/modem unit as my three machines are
networked through it. When my broadband connection was set up the tech
suggested to me that a software firewall is no longer needed as the
router acts as a hardware firewall and is more effective. He wasn't
dogmatic about it, just sowing a thought. I wondered, although I guess
the only freeware connection here is Zonealarm, could some kind people
suggest whether I need to keep it going or not. Many thanks.

My advice would be to continue to use it. Congratulations on being
able to afford broadband. I wish I fell into that category.

 

[Sparky]

My advice would be to continue to use it. Congratulations on being
able to afford broadband. I wish I fell into that category.

Hmmm. I have ZA and a hw firewall. I really don't expect ZA to protect
my 'puters from incoming. But, ZA is a lot more prolific in telling me
what, *from my 'puters* is trying to access the web.

I've used this in finding a zombie'd 'puter and sundried regular apps
that just felt like "phoning home." Not on my boxes, kthx.

So, in short, if you like managing *outgoing* connections as well as
in-, ZA can be useful.

hth,
-Sparky

 

[Meterus]

(Snip)
£¥¥I wondered, although I guess
£¥¥the only freeware connection here is Zonealarm, could some kind people
£¥¥suggest whether I need to keep it going or not. Many thanks.

Yes, you do. Here's why:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/08/19/infected_in20_minutes/

 

[Conor]

For a long time I have used Zone Alarm and always found it an excellent
firewall for a free version. Recently I have gone to broadband - YAY! I
am now using a hardware router/modem unit as my three machines are
networked through it. When my broadband connection was set up the tech
suggested to me that a software firewall is no longer needed as the
router acts as a hardware firewall and is more effective. He wasn't
dogmatic about it, just sowing a thought. I wondered, although I guess
the only freeware connection here is Zonealarm, could some kind people
suggest whether I need to keep it going or not. Many thanks.

Whilst NAT does a good job of preventing inbound attacks, it cannot
prevent malware from phoning home.

 

[GlintingHedgehog]

I've been reading up on routers. I'm trying to find one for dialup
connections, but they are tough to find.

We used a standard broadband router for quite a while on a dial-up
connection (with both wired and wireless connections) - I don't know
if all will work, but ours did (a Linksys).