Windows XP Firewall

[hatchep]

Have recently purchased Windows XP and discovered there is
a firewall included. However, it seems that the firewall
is only for networking? Can anyone tell me if a single
computer using a dial-up connection to the Net (in this
case AOL) is protected by the firewall? Can not find the
answer anywhere in the"help". References are only to
networking and cable connections.
thanks for any and all help.

 

[Guest]

The windows xp firewall is basic. And alot of times it
will not work with AO(hel)L.
Basically the windows firewall only stops incoming
traffic. It does nothing for monitoring/stopping out going
traffic(like worms/spyware/trojans that are on your
computer or that you mistakingly &/or unknowingly
download).
You need a 3rd party firewall. You can buy a package like
Nortons Internet security that will come with a firewall
and an antivirus and more.
You can download a free firewall called Zonalarm(google
it).
Make sure you:
1-put a good firewall like norton/zonealarm on your system
2-install a good antivirus program and keep it uptodate
3-stay ontop of your windows updates for security patches.

If you decide to go with the zonealarm firewall make sure
you leave the windows firewall on when connected to the
internet to download it. If you connect with no firewall
there is a very good chance you will end up with the
blaster worm (or a variation) on your system which will
give you even more of a headache having to clean it up.

You can also download adaware and spybot (once again
google it or go to cnet.com to download) which you can
regularly update and run to make sure you have no spyware
on your system.

 

[patrick]

-----Original Message-----
Have recently purchased Windows XP and discovered there is
a firewall included. However, it seems that the firewall
is only for networking? Can anyone tell me if a single
computer using a dial-up connection to the Net (in this
case AOL) is protected by the firewall? Can not find the
answer anywhere in the"help". References are only to
networking and cable connections.
thanks for any and all help.
.

microsoft classes dial-up as a network, that is, the
*network* is the internet, so the firewall works on the
dial-up network as well. i can confirm that it stops the
junk messages which arrive via messenger a microsoft
messaging utility.

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Greetings --

If you're using AOL, you'll either need to find a 3rd party
firewall that is compatible with AOL, or switch to a real ISP that is
compatible with the real Internet. This is because AOL is an on-line
content provider that ignores international Internetworking standards
in favor of its own proprietary products, and has deliberately made
its connection software incompatible with both WinXP's built-in
firewall and WinXP's Internet Connection Sharing feature. AOL's
proprietary connection applet is deliberately designed to preclude
your setting/adjusting any of its properties, to include
enabling/disabling WinXP's ICF and ICS.


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

 

[David Beder [MSFT]]

XPSP2 is actively considering adding the ability to firewall the AOL
connection.
On the other hand, feel free to consider MSN

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Greetings --

Personally, I'd use neither "service." ;-}

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

 

[KenQld]

G'day, David.

You seem to be well up on the subject so I hope you don't mind me taking it
just a little bit further.

I bought a new Dell laptop with XP about eighteen months ago. At first I
was on dial-up with AOL then I switched to Telstra Big Pond then to Big
Pond Broadband cable. After some months, I was amazed to find that Bigpond
had switched off my XP firewall (without in any way advising me or others,
presumedly) because it conflicts with their use of a 'heart-beat' system.

I simply had to install another firewall. And as this subscription will
shortly expire, I would be very interest to know if the XP firewall upgrade
in XP 2 currently undergoing Beta testing has been modified so as to
overcome any continuing conflict with the Telstra Big Pond Broadband cable
'heart-beat'. After all, Telstra is the biggest SP in Australia ,so one
would expect the problem to receive attention on that basis alone.

Thank you.

Ken Blowers
Queensland Aus.

 

[David Beder [MSFT]]

Without knowing why they felt it was necessary to disable the firewall in
the first place, I can't really say whether SP2 will be any more compatible.
Again, with no knowledge of their needs, it would seem very crass to decide
for you that your firewall isn't as important as their service and choose to
disable it (even worse is not informing you) rather than designing their
product to work through the firewall.

If you can gather more information on how their heartbeat works, post back,
and I can try and have a more useful reply to your question