XP Firewall?

[LifGrd]

Everywhere I go for information on installing a Homefree HPNA system
on my friend's two XP systems, the instructions say to disable
any firewalls.

Last week her kids got a virus, before the network install started,
and one
xp machine keeps rebooting before I can get to the START/RUN dialogue.
I will sooner
or later figure this out, but my question for this group is how come
virtually every site on installing or trouble shooting networks tells
you
to disable firewalls? When checking today about the blaster and
sassar viruses, over and over, messages similar to this about
firewalls
make using a firewall with a network confusing, "Further, and also
like Blaster, this worm could not affect any computer whose user had
taken the basic precaution of using a properly configured firewall"

I don't get it. Can we re enable the xp firewalls AFTER the phoneline
installation?
Thanks
Tom

 

[Steve Winograd [MVP]]

Everywhere I go for information on installing a Homefree HPNA system
on my friend's two XP systems, the instructions say to disable
any firewalls.

Last week her kids got a virus, before the network install started,
and one
xp machine keeps rebooting before I can get to the START/RUN dialogue.
I will sooner
or later figure this out, but my question for this group is how come
virtually every site on installing or trouble shooting networks tells
you
to disable firewalls? When checking today about the blaster and
sassar viruses, over and over, messages similar to this about
firewalls
make using a firewall with a network confusing, "Further, and also
like Blaster, this worm could not affect any computer whose user had
taken the basic precaution of using a properly configured firewall"

I don't get it. Can we re enable the xp firewalls AFTER the phoneline
installation?
Thanks
Tom

If a network connection connects directly to the Internet (dial-up
modem, cable modem, DSL modem), enable XP's Internet Connection
Firewall on that connection to protect your computer from access by
other Internet users.

If a network connection connects indirectly to the Internet (through
another computer or a broadband router), don't enable ICF on that
connection. Don't enable it on a local area network connection with
other computers, because ICF blocks file sharing. The Homefree HPNA
network is that type of connection.

You can enable or disable the firewall separately on each network
connection. I've written a web page with details:

Windows XP Internet Connection Firewall
http://www.practicallynetworked.com/sharing/xp/ic_firewall.htm
--
Best Wishes,
Steve Winograd, MS-MVP (Windows Networking)

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