PC Security

  • Thread starter Thread starter **{Steven}**
  • Start date Start date
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**{Steven}**

Is it possible to secure your PC without paying for a firewall? The firewall
that comes with XP kind of stinks. As long as I have it turned on, I cannot
log into my hotmail account. So I am wondering if there is a way to
configure ports, enabling and disabling them and setting up access
permissions instead of using an actual firewall.

Thanks In Advance

Steven Connor
 
Greetings --

WinXP's built-in firewall is fine at stopping incoming attacks, and
hiding your ports from probes. It doesn't give you any alarms to tell
you that it is working, though. What WinXP also does not do, is
protect you from any Trojans or spyware that you might download and
install inadvertently. It doesn't monitor out-going traffic at all,
much less block (or at least ask you about) the bad or the
questionable out-going packets.

ZoneAlarm or Sygate are much better, and there are a free versions
available. Personally, I've been very happy with Symantec's Norton
Internet Security 2002 (NIS 2003 is now available), which includes
Norton AntiVirus, Norton Personal Firewall, parental controls, privacy
controls, and ad blocking. (Just the elimination of most pop-up ads
on the Internet made the price worth-while to me.)

You can compare several firewall solutions, some of them free,
here:

The DSL Zone Your Broadband Solution Source
http://thedslzone.com/Software.html


Bruce Chambers

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Help us help you:



You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on
having both at once. -- RAH
 
I have a cable internet connection. I have two software firewalls that work
just fine. I am not having any problem. I am just curious to know if you can
protect your computer without using a firewall, simply by disabling ports
and setting access permissions to ports that are open.

Steven
 
Answer to your original question: Yes.

Answer to your reply to Mr. Chamber's appropriate reply: Did someone
crap in your Wheaties today? How Rude!
 
**{Steven}** said:
I have a cable internet connection. I have two software firewalls that work
just fine. I am not having any problem. I am just curious to know if you can
protect your computer without using a firewall, simply by disabling ports
and setting access permissions to ports that are open.
Click to expand...

You can, use advanced TCP/IP filtering. If you're not sure what applications
use what port, there are a few utilities out that that allow you to view
what applications are using what ports.
 
That's a hell of a way to treat someone trying to be helpful! Find your own
solution.
 
Well, thank you for such an informative reply.

L. A. Powell said:
Answer to your original question: Yes.

Answer to your reply to Mr. Chamber's appropriate reply: Did someone
crap in your Wheaties today? How Rude!
Click to expand...
 
I run my cable modem behind a hardware router, has NAT protection, dont have
to worry about software firewalls and what ports are open.



Don Burnette
 
Greetings --

You asked how to secure your PC without *buying* a firewall, so I
offered you information on free firewalls.

If you had wanted to know how to secure your PC without *using* a
firewall, that's what you should have asked. It's hardly my fault
that you don't happen to like the correct answer to your wrong
question. But, to answer your "rephrased" question: Yes, it is
possible to secure your computer without using a firewall, and it's
really very easy to do: Simply permanently disconnect the computer
from the Internet, remove any removable storage drives, and keep it
behind locked doors.


Bruce Chambers

--
Help us help you:



You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on
having both at once. -- RAH
 
Bruce,
Nicely done..... :)

Bruce Chambers said:
Greetings --

You asked how to secure your PC without *buying* a firewall, so I
offered you information on free firewalls.

If you had wanted to know how to secure your PC without *using* a
firewall, that's what you should have asked. It's hardly my fault
that you don't happen to like the correct answer to your wrong
question. But, to answer your "rephrased" question: Yes, it is
possible to secure your computer without using a firewall, and it's
really very easy to do: Simply permanently disconnect the computer
from the Internet, remove any removable storage drives, and keep it
behind locked doors.


Bruce Chambers

--
Help us help you:



You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on
having both at once. -- RAH
Click to expand...
 
Greetings --

Glad you liked it... ;-}

Bruce Chambers

--
Help us help you:



You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on
having both at once. -- RAH
 
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