Windows XP Firewall

[Tom Beal]

My understanding is that Windows XP (home edition) has a
built in fire wall. Is it necessary to purchase
additional firewall protection from McAfee or Norton?

 

[Stuart]

McAfee and Norton would say that it is definately still necessary - but IMO
it isn't, although if you want to do tricky stuff then their more
configurable firewalls may be useful. For normal surfing and email etc the
WinXP one is fine.

 

[Sharon F]

My understanding is that Windows XP (home edition) has a
built in fire wall. Is it necessary to purchase
additional firewall protection from McAfee or Norton?

The XP firewall is very basic and monitors incoming traffic only. If you
prefer to use a firewall that monitors both incoming and outgoing traffic
and/or one that offers more sophisticated configuration options, you'll
want to use a third party firewall instead.

 

[Jon]

You can also easily download decent firewalls such as the free Sygate
Personal Firewall. No need to spend loads of money.

Jon

 

[JGM]

In XP Internet connection......LAN...RIGHT KICK ...Advanced tab... you will
find the firewall but I feel that even the free version of zone alarms
firewall is more effective for most purposes.. ..and so, yes I think you
should have an additional firewall to the one in XP, however you will have
to do a little research to see what it is you want to CONTROL.....INTO YOUR
COMPUTER AND OUT OF YOUR COMPUTER....

http://www.zonelabs.com/store/content/company/products/znalm/freeDownload.jsp

JGM

 

[Bruce Chambers]

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, Kerio, or Sygate are all much better, and are much more
easily configured, and there are a free versions of each readily
available. Even Symantec's Norton Personal Firewall is superior,
although it does take a heavier toll of performance then do ZoneAlarm,
Kerio, or Sygate.


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

 

[apeman]

-----Original Message-----
McAfee and Norton would say that it is definately still necessary - but IMO
it isn't, although if you want to do tricky stuff then their more
configurable firewalls may be useful. For normal surfing and email etc the
WinXP one is fine.

Not really. I for one would prefer it if people would take
the time to install a FREE firwall that blocks outgoing
stuff too. My firewall blocks several ping attempts per
hour from boxes that lack this very basic protection. Know
what applications are asking for server rights and
otherwise attempting to connect to the internet and block
them from doing so. This is especially true of an email
client that is attempting to send viruses OUT to everyone
else.
apeman

 

[John Dingley]

If you have a decent an up to date virus checker with something like
add-aware then an extra firewall is not necessary at all. In fact a few
years ago I used zonealarm (before XP) and the constant confusing messages
about this that and the other just p*s*ed me off.

Just use XP firewall, up to date virus definitions and add-aware (optional*)
and you will be fine. (*add-aware is a little stange too as it get rid off
cookies that may track your web usage but if you revisit those pages they
just get reinstalled anyway - seems a bit pointless to me - but I use it now
and again anyway)

 

[Crusty \(-: Old B@stard :-\)]

If everyone followed your advise about firewalls, the net would be flooded
by the output of trojans. Most of these ARE NOT detected as a virus! Not all
are caught by Ad-Aware either. Why not use a free program? Just curious, is
all!

 

[John Dingley]

If everyone followed your advise about firewalls, the net would be flooded
by the output of trojans

- this is statement is complete rubbish - your ativirus would delete them if
you were up to date as I indicated. Also, most virus checkers will scan
outgoing mail - which would also stop the email activity. Perhaps you should
think about comments before making them.

 

[John Dingley]

Most of these ARE NOT detected as a virus...... !!!! - what drivel - NAME
ONE THAT IS NOT

 

[Alex Nichol]

My understanding is that Windows XP (home edition) has a
built in fire wall. Is it necessary to purchase
additional firewall protection from McAfee or Norton?

It provides good protection from incoming attack, which is the
essential, but none against trojans/viruses/spyware etc trying to 'phone
out'. For that you need a third party product - but there is no need to
buy from those vendors (I would not muyself allow either near my system)
- there are good free firewalls available, the best known being Zone
Alarm free version from www.zonelabs.com

 

[Strider]

Alex Nichol proclaimed...

It provides good protection from incoming attack, which is the
essential, but none against trojans/viruses/spyware etc trying to 'phone
out'. For that you need a third party product - but there is no need to
buy from those vendors (I would not muyself allow either near my system)
- there are good free firewalls available, the best known being Zone
Alarm free version from www.zonelabs.com

Personally I prefer Sygate. I don't know what Zone Alarm is like now but
when I used it way back it was awful.