SP2 Firewall Not Blocking Any Programs

[Steve]

I installed SP2 yesterday. All seems to be going well with
one exception. The ICF (firewall) is not blocking any
programs from connecting to the Internet. It is not giving
any user prompts for action, weather to continue to block
the program, or unblock it. Instead, every program is
automatically allowed access to the Internet. Basically,
the firewall is not even attempting to block anything.

Internet Explorer, Outlook Express, Windows Messenger,
Mozilla, Firefox, AVG Antivirus, Ad-aware SE, and WSFTP
have all accessed the Internet with out any intervention
from ICF.

The check box in the firewall settings "Display a
notification when windows firewall blocks a program" is
checked, and the firewall is turned on.

Any ideas?

 

[Will Denny]

Hi

The XP Firewall doesn't monitor outgoing access to the Internet. You will
need to install a 3rd party '2-way' Firewall, such as ZoneAlarm:

www.zonelabs.com

 

[Steve]

Will,

I've done some more reading and you are correct. Here is a
quote from

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/security/internet/
sp2_wfintro.mspx

How Windows Firewall Works

When someone on the Internet or on a network tries to
connect to your computer, we call that attempt
an "unsolicited request." When your computer gets an
unsolicited request, Windows Firewall blocks the
connection. If you run a program such as an instant
messaging program or a multiplayer network game that needs
to receive information from the Internet or a network, the
firewall asks if you want to block or unblock (allow) the
connection.

I was under the assumption that all programs where blocked
by default. Perhaps someone that is thinking wrong headed
like I was will find this post and not have to ask this
question again.

Thanks for the reply

 

[Will Denny]

Hi

No, not all programs are blocked. ZoneAlarm has a free version as well a
'pay for' version - ZoneAlrm Pro.

 

[Bruce Chambers]

I installed SP2 yesterday. All seems to be going well with
one exception. The ICF (firewall) is not blocking any
programs from connecting to the Internet. It is not giving
any user prompts for action, weather to continue to block
the program, or unblock it. Instead, every program is
automatically allowed access to the Internet. Basically,
the firewall is not even attempting to block anything.

Internet Explorer, Outlook Express, Windows Messenger,
Mozilla, Firefox, AVG Antivirus, Ad-aware SE, and WSFTP
have all accessed the Internet with out any intervention
from ICF.

The check box in the firewall settings "Display a
notification when windows firewall blocks a program" is
checked, and the firewall is turned on.

Any ideas?

Such behavior is perfectly normal and completely by design.
Microsoft has _never_ claimed that SP2's firewall monitored out-going
traffic. I can't imagine why you though it did.


--

Bruce Chambers

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