Use XP Firewall with Router & Firewall?

  • Thread starter Thread starter John
  • Start date Start date
J

John

Is it recomended to turn on and use the XP Firewall on workstations
even if our network sits behind a router with it's own Firewall? Will
this cause problems? Until the last XP service pack, I only used the
XP firewall when connecting from home or on the road. Now all
connections are firewalled by default.
Thanks.
 
Is it recomended to turn on and use the XP Firewall on workstations
even if our network sits behind a router with it's own Firewall? Will
this cause problems? Until the last XP service pack, I only used the
XP firewall when connecting from home or on the road. Now all
connections are firewalled by default.
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Leave it on. It's low overhead and it wont cause any
problem in this situation.
Some people run two software FW's such as the built-in
and Zonealarm - that raises a bigger concern in my mind.
Dave
 
No conflicts! This would help in stopping any WORM virus that may get thru.
You can run a hardware firewall (router & firewall) and a software firewall
(SP2's).
 
In
Peter said:
Not wise to use two, they could conflict. Turn off Windows
Firewall.
Click to expand...


No, it's not wise to run two software firewalls because of the
possibility of conflicts, but the hardware protection the router
offers can't conflict with the software protection of the Windows
firewall.

However the Windows firewall offers little or no extra protection
over what the router offers. Both protect you against incoming
attacks but do nothing about monitoring outbound traffic, and
stopping rogue programs trying to call home. Fot that reason, I
do recommend running a software firewall in adition to the
router, but not the Windows one. Almost any of the third-party
firewalls will add such extra protection. Personally I use the
free version of ZoneAlarm in addition to my router.

--
Ken Blake - Microsoft MVP Windows: Shell/User
Please reply to the newsgroup

 
However the Windows firewall offers little or no extra protection
over what the router offers. Both protect you against incoming
attacks but do nothing about monitoring outbound traffic,
Click to expand...

XP SP2 Firewall has stately inspection so it does.
 
Windows Firewall does *not* offer outbound protection.

Tom
| On Tue, 8 Mar 2005 13:15:37 -0700, "Ken Blake"
|
|
| >However the Windows firewall offers little or no extra protection
| >over what the router offers. Both protect you against incoming
| >attacks but do nothing about monitoring outbound traffic,
|
| XP SP2 Firewall has stately inspection so it does.
 
Running a "software" and "hardware" firewall is perfectly legit, and highly
recommended if behind the "hardware" firewall you have a network (as in a
home network) as it protects the computer from the remaining computers on
the network should one of them happen to become infected.

--
Star Fleet Admiral Q @ your service!
"Google is your Friend!"
www.google.com

***********************************************
 
John said:
Is it recomended to turn on and use the XP Firewall on workstations
even if our network sits behind a router with it's own Firewall? Will
this cause problems? Until the last XP service pack, I only used the
XP firewall when connecting from home or on the road. Now all
connections are firewalled by default.
Thanks.
Click to expand...



SP2's Firewall's most important virtues, I think, are it's improved
compatibility with internal LANs and its configurability via group
policies. Now, there's a simple, cheap tool that system admins can use
to protect the LAN workstations from that occasional - but not rare
enough - fool who manages to bypass the perimeter firewall and manually
install some malware that could then spread throughout the LAN via
shared drives.


--

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
 
On Tue, 08 Mar 2005 19:47:57 -0700, Bruce Chambers wrote:
[snip]
SP2's Firewall's most important virtues, I think, are it's improved
compatibility with internal LANs and its configurability via group
policies. Now, there's a simple, cheap tool that system admins can use
to protect the LAN workstations from that occasional - but not rare
enough - fool who manages to bypass the perimeter firewall and manually
install some malware that could then spread throughout the LAN via
shared drives.
Click to expand...

Got news for you, but if you're in a LAN and using the SP2 firewall it's
already setup to allow access to shares and will not protect your computer
while it's in a LAN/Domain.
 
Leythos said:
On Tue, 08 Mar 2005 19:47:57 -0700, Bruce Chambers wrote:
[snip]
SP2's Firewall's most important virtues, I think, are it's improved
compatibility with internal LANs and its configurability via group
policies. Now, there's a simple, cheap tool that system admins can use
to protect the LAN workstations from that occasional - but not rare
enough - fool who manages to bypass the perimeter firewall and manually
install some malware that could then spread throughout the LAN via
shared drives.
Click to expand...


Got news for you, but if you're in a LAN and using the SP2 firewall it's
already setup to allow access to shares and will not protect your computer
while it's in a LAN/Domain.
Click to expand...


It's not 100% effective, but it's still better than nothing. It
depends upon the specific type of threat, of course. Things like
Blaster, Welchia, and Sasser, that are not spread via network shares,
get stopped.
Click to expand...

I agree, but the poster specifically implied that the SP2 firewall would
stop the spread of nasties that use file sharing.
 
Leythos said:
On Tue, 08 Mar 2005 19:47:57 -0700, Bruce Chambers wrote:
[snip]
SP2's Firewall's most important virtues, I think, are it's improved
compatibility with internal LANs and its configurability via group
policies. Now, there's a simple, cheap tool that system admins can use
to protect the LAN workstations from that occasional - but not rare
enough - fool who manages to bypass the perimeter firewall and manually
install some malware that could then spread throughout the LAN via
shared drives.
Click to expand...


Got news for you, but if you're in a LAN and using the SP2 firewall it's
already setup to allow access to shares and will not protect your computer
while it's in a LAN/Domain.
Click to expand...


It's not 100% effective, but it's still better than nothing. It
depends upon the specific type of threat, of course. Things like
Blaster, Welchia, and Sasser, that are not spread via network shares,
get stopped.


--

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
 
Leythos said:
On Tue, 08 Mar 2005 20:10:00 -0700, Bruce Chambers wrote:



I agree, but the poster specifically implied that the SP2 firewall would
stop the spread of nasties that use file sharing.
Click to expand...


Good point. I'll need to reword that one, won't I?


--

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
 
Good point. I'll need to reword that one, won't I?
Click to expand...

I've actually taken to disabling the firewall service on every workstation
inside a network that we've setup security for. I've found the FW to be
nothing but a pain in a secure network.
 
On Tue, 08 Mar 2005 19:47:57 -0700, Bruce Chambers
SP2's Firewall's most important virtues, I think, are it's improved
compatibility with internal LANs
Click to expand...

There may be a shadow over that, given recent concerns about how File
and Print Services can be erroneously mapped to the whole Internet.

-- Risk Management is the clue that asks:
Click to expand...
"Why do I keep open buckets of petrol next to all the
ashtrays in the lounge, when I don't even have a car?"
 
cquirke said:
There may be a shadow over that, given recent concerns about how File
and Print Services can be erroneously mapped to the whole Internet.
Click to expand...


A possibility, if there's no perimeter defense in place. Why does
every silver lining have to come with a dark cloud? ;-}


--

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
 

Ask a Question

Want to reply to this thread or ask your own question?

You'll need to choose a username for the site, which only take a couple of moments. After that, you can post your question and our members will help you out.

Ask a Question

Similar Threads

Firewall: use hard- and / or software firewall? 3
O.T. - Temporary firewall problem at boot up: 43
turned off, but still: windows firewall has blocked some features of this program 7
Firewall question 25
Router firewall impact? 8
Firewall question 14
Router firewall no protection? 1
Windows Firewall - Turning off 4

Back
Top