Firewall (not wall fire)

[ToddsReef]

This is actually a computer question: Should I have a firewall? and if so...which one?
Thanks in advance.
Todd

[Gary Majchrzak]

Todd, understandably I will pass on this question.Ask about something easy like Platyhelminthes....Gary :D

[ReeferMac]

Gary - ROTLFMAO!!!

Todd,

Um... you're running Winblows, right? Umm... yeah, even a Firewall ain't enough, but it's a start. Not so much an issue for Dialup folks, but certainly people like you and me on RR or other persistent connection (through the Campus LAN, xDSL, etc.)

There are a couple of free one's you can download (ZoneAlarm comes to mind), or spend a few bucks and get a commercial one. I use BlackIce from NetworkIce, but it gets a lot of false-positives. Symantec has a decent one in their Norton line of tools... just about anything is better than nothing.

BTW, was looking for your eMail... want to get together and do that thing tonight? I'm in training all day, so I won't be home until 6-ish, have to eat too, but afterwards I'm free for an hour or two.

- Mac

[sschafer]

Hi Todd,

Yes, a firewall is a must! It is amazing how many nasty little people there are out there. Another excellent item to purchase is a Linksys DSL/Cable Router. This will place your system behind a NAT (Network Address Translator) that will cut down considerably on the low-tech hackers and port scanners. I am using Symantec's firewall on my home PCs and IPFilter my unix/linux systems. I am planning on building a firewall to sit in front of everything to replace my Linksys. Anyhow, enough rambling, if you have any questions drop me a line.

Steve

[_ShotgunShrimp_]

ive run roadrunner on winblows for over 2 years.. IMHO a firewall that isnt built in a another computer is a waste..think of it this way... places like kodak and nortel and UofR dont use lame software firewalls to keep people out for the simple reason that they can get arround them.... all these "software firewalls" do is slow down yer system.... and if they want in... they will still get in... just my 2 cents

[Gary Majchrzak]

Mac- what does "ROTLFMAO" stand for? I'm still learning compuspeak as well as computers...!

[ReeferMac]

Rolling
On
The
Floor
Laughing
My
***
Off

- Mac

[Gary Majchrzak]

Ohhhhh-! And 'BTH', look!: I learned how to put a signature thingy up when I post !!!

[cperson]

Todd:
I've been using an SMC Barracade cable router / firewall with great results for about a year. This allows you to set up a network. It's easy to install, rated very highly. I paid $100 from Onvia.com. :thumbsup:

http://www.smc.com/index.cfm?action=products_show_description&productCode=SMC7004ABR

[Stoli]

Todd:

Shotgun is absolutely right. Software firewalls aren't worth the code they made of. Think of it this way. It's like setting up an isolation tank using a breeder in your show tank. Once you let the hacker into your system, the software firewall just gives them something to play with. Better than a firewall, get a really good real time virus scanner (I like Norton) and keep it updated. Use good sense in opening e-mail and be careful with cookies. You will avoid 99% of the problems with common sense.

BTW: In my office I unfortunately wear the additional mantle of computer geek. We set up a separate hardware firewall despite substantial expense and effort, and the best most updated virus scanner on the market, one of my employees this morning managed to contract the new "my party" virus. Fortunately, it was not active due to the fact that the payload date had passed, but it goes to show you how easy it is to bypass all of the most expensive hardware and software.

Call me if you have any questions.

[dmorel]

OK,
I am late on this discussion, but my vote is for hardware firewall without question.

I used to run a linux firewall on an old p75 I had, but I found another use for that, and bought one of the cable modem routers that others have touted in this thread (mine is the linksys model) and it is absolutely worth it.

Then you could control your tank from anywhere in the apartment, of course you would have to run cat 5 everywhere, but it would be worth it :)

[sschafer]

Sorry guys, definitely have to disagree with you. While consumer software firewalls aren't the best things around they certainly do serve a purpose. Hook a system directly up to a cable modem or DSL router and install a firewall/IDS. It is astounding how many times your system is port scanned and attacked. Never been hacked before? Any hacker that actually knows what they are doing can exploit your system without being detected by all but the most up-to-date security pros. Software firewalls help the average consumer keep relatively up-to-date without actually having to know anything. It is also extremely important to have these software firewalls continuously updated (Symantec's updates can be automated).

Stoli brings up a good point. A good virus scanner is a must. On many occasions a Viral infection of your system opens up holes that hackers can exploit, as well as cause possible catastrophic data loss. Again it is very important to insure that the Virus definitions are kept up-to-date as there is a new virus discovered every day. A virus scanner alone is not enough. This could never have stopped someone from taking over your system with the recently uncovered Windows XP and/or AOL Instant Messenger exploits (VERY NASTY, check them out).

Again, assuming you don't want to go out and spend a thousand dollars on a low end hardware solution I would put any system behind a NAT (using a Linksys, SMC, etc. router) and then install a software firewall and virus scanner on each connected system.

-Steve

Originally posted by Stoli
Todd:

Shotgun is absolutely right. Software firewalls aren't worth the code they made of. Think of it this way. It's like setting up an isolation tank using a breeder in your show tank. Once you let the hacker into your system, the software firewall just gives them something to play with. Better than a firewall, get a really good real time virus scanner (I like Norton) and keep it updated. Use good sense in opening e-mail and be careful with cookies. You will avoid 99% of the problems with common sense.

BTW: In my office I unfortunately wear the additional mantle of computer geek. We set up a separate hardware firewall despite substantial expense and effort, and the best most updated virus scanner on the market, one of my employees this morning managed to contract the new "my party" virus. Fortunately, it was not active due to the fact that the payload date had passed, but it goes to show you how easy it is to bypass all of the most expensive hardware and software.

Call me if you have any questions.

[sschafer]

For anyone that is interested, here is a link to a relatively basic overview on securing a home network:

http://www.cert.org/tech_tips/home_networks.html

If you are really interested drop me a line and I can give you a bunch of other links that get into more detail.

-Steve

[ToddsReef]

THANKS to everyone for your help. I'm still deciding what to do...I'll keep you posted...why can't computers be simple and stable like reef tanks ? :)