Computer question

[Flying Roast Beef]

Computer rookie here. What are everyone's feelings regarding firewalls? Are they necessary? Any good suggestions?

Thanks!!

[RogueFishr]

they are absolutely necessary if you are connected to the internet. There are a few good ones out there, some even free. Find one that monitors incoming as well as outgoing traffic on your computer. You might be surprised on the amount of OUTgoing.

RF

[The Fishing Geek]

Zone Alarm is a great free product that is a must for broadband Internet connections, and less so for dial-up connections. When used with a good and up-to-date antivirus package you are surfing pretty safely.

[Sturgeon Tom]

Zone Alarm is not compatible with NORTON you don't find that out until after you buy it.

[Boedy]

You only need one if your IP never changes like with Cable or DSL with Dial up it changes every time you log on. Even then I think it’s over kill, there is nothing on my system that I couldn’t replace and nothing anybody could do that a good format wouldn’t fix. I have DSL and don’t use anything and have had cable in the past and never had any problems. When I install a firewall it just slows down my connection and gives me a ton of false alarms. Just my 2 cents.

[OneLastCast]

Okay, I am with FRB here, I have dial up, 28.8 fastest speed available (modem is faster) just usually check fishing related items on the internet the wife checks recipes. Only have Quicken, McAfee and a few spread sheets (and let me tell you even I can't figure out the finances and I entered the numbers) and I clean off the cookies fairly regularly. It seems like a waste of time for a fire wall but what are other computers looking for on my hard drive and how often. Again, do I really need one.

OneLastCast

[The Fishing Geek]

I used to think that firewalls weren't handy with modem connections as well. Then I started thinking about the stupid little spyware applications that various software companies have been installing lately (like Creative Labs, the folks who make Soundblaster sound cards) and I realized that a program like Zone Alarm would let you know if a program was trying to contact the Internet. Then you can decide if you want to let them just once, always, or not at all. Once you make the decisions on your main Internet applications (email, browser, chat, etc) then the rest of the time you hardly know the firewall is there. You can also suppress notifications of firewall blocks (for when things try to get in that shouldn't) if you want, which is what I did. You can always go look at the logs if you're so inclined.

Te reason why hackers like broadband accounts is that they can remote control them to send out denial of service attacks, which can take a targeted web server offline completely without you knowing that you are taking part.

For AntiVirus I use Grisoft's AVG antivirus when I'm in Windows. It's free and you can update it as often as you want. Does really well.

[24 on/ 48 off]

If the contents of your hard drive are boring, you really don't need a firewall.

--spud-- :smile:

[The Fishing Geek]

If you make any purchases on the Internet, then having a firewall will tell you if you have a keylogger secretly installed onto your computer.

[djb]

I totally believe in using firewalls. I have braodband internet and get hit on all the time. I used to use the free zone alarm firewall that you can download off the net. I now have a hardware firewall that works alot better, cost me about 50 bucks.

[Radtech]

Just a note, I have have Zone alarm installed and am running Nortons antivirus 2003, Works fine on my computer. If you have a DSL or Cable connection, a Firewall is a must!
KW

[ 12-15-2002, 09:14 AM: Message edited by: KW ]

[HeavyMetal BankFisherman]

If you have a broadband or cable connection you definately want to think about a firewall. If you don't have any info that your worried about you still need something between you and the internet. If you leave your computer on, and continuously connected to the internet. It is a must. It won't be long before some hacker finds you with a random port scan and uses your computer as a launch pad for malicious activity.

You can get an inexpensive software firewall "install on your computer" like Norton Personal Firewall, or Linksys makes an inexpensive hardware firewall "equipment goes between your computer and internet connection. And there are free options. Try Tucows.com. They have all kinds of free software. Office Depot will have Norton and Linksys equipment.

I use a Cisco PIX 501 but configuring these may not be something for the rookie to attempt. Plus they are a little spendy. I set up a Linksys for a friend and it was just plug and play. Try the free stuff first. Spend money as you learn more. But you should use something.

[WheresMyBobber]

I agree with the statements about Zone Alarm. Since switching to broadband, I wouldn't go online without it. Once you see the hits you get against it, you'll see why you need it. Here's some more advice - when you get a firewall in place, don't try to visit the URL's that hit against it. Zone Alarm keeps a log, and I thought I'd visit the URL's that were hitting against my firewall to see who it was.....that is until my virus software started going crazy. (see my signature below :smile: )

On another note - I'm having a computer problem that is driving me nuts. The problem started a couple weeks ago when I got some pop-up ad that I couldn't close until I shut down the computer. Now, whenever I use the right mouse button to open a link in another window, the new window is only about 1" square until I manually mazimize it. Since this is how I open most links and topics on BB's, it is bugging the heck out of me.

I use Win98, and IE version 6.0.2600.0000.

Does anybody know how to get those new windows to open in the maximized size again? [img]graemlins/1zhelp.gif[/img]

(I do have up to date virus software, and I have scanned my hard drive since this started)

[ 12-16-2002, 10:18 AM: Message edited by: WheresMyBobber ]

[The Fishing Geek]

Try this.

[ 12-16-2002, 11:02 AM: Message edited by: The Fishing Geek ]

[lost_sailor]

It depends on what you've got to lose. I don't think I'd ever bother at home.

But I'm the kind of guy that will leave his boat unattended overnight at Paulina Lake ... and will do so until that sad day when someone messes with it.