Protecting Your Windows Computer

[generalnmx]

Hia,

For people with broadband, I would seriously think about getting a Broadband Router with built in firewall. This is much more secure than a software firewall on the machine and doesn't take up any resources on your PC.

A hardware firewall built into a router is deffinately the best way to go, and a router may have more than one port available so you can have more than one PC accessing the net at the same time, or sharing files etc.

If you are thinking about a wireless router, then make sure it has the ability to do mac address blocking, this will ensure that only the addresses you specify will be allowed to access your own network. You don't want any ole' Tom Dick and Harry using your Internet.

TTFN,
Clare.

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Routers can only protect against incoming packets, as it can't tell where the outgoing packets are coming from (IE, which application). Some applications may use port 80 for bad stuff, while most use it for good stuff. That's why you should still use a rule-based software firewall on your machine (I too use a wireless router, but I also use Sygate Firewall on my machines).

 

[Skop]

soooooo, I should allow the program to access the network?

Balls, a new one.

Win32 Kernel core component (kernel32.dll) has recieved a Broadcast packet from a romote machine [10.87.64.1]. Do you want to allow this program to access the network?

 

[raven]

Hmm, I shut down avast for a game in a different way to usual. When it restarted later it said Trial version ( 56 days left! ). Not sure if AVG is also a stealthed trial edition disguising itself as free, but I suggest that over avast now.

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I have been using Avast for over a year and a half, after a year you have to get a new registration key but it's still free. So far I am completely happy with it (more than I have ever been with Norton or McAfee)

 

[generalnmx]

soooooo, I should allow the program to access the network?

Balls, a new one.

Win32 Kernel core component (kernel32.dll) has recieved a Broadcast packet from a romote machine [10.87.64.1]. Do you want to allow this program to access the network?

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It's probably just random background noise. It's more important when an application tries to access the internet then when it tries to access your computer.

 

[Skop]

Thanks for the info.