Router firewall or ZoneAlarm???

On the contrary, I found that SPF takes a very long time to start on my desktop (PIII 450 Mhz, Win XP Pro SP2). Using Zone Alarm reduces the time significantly. However, my more powerful notebook (PIV (M) 1.6 GHz, also Win XP Pro SP2) doesn't take that long, so I use SPF on the notebook. After doing scan tests, both are equally effective but I still prefer SPF because there's a bandwidth meter (not sure how accurate it is) and I can see exactly which programs are using bandwidth at the moment.

Luke

use both Zone Alarm Pro works the best with routers and it tells you if something is trying to get out, maybe with some of your personal info. And might even protect you if someone happens to get into your network and then into your computer. you also need anti-virus and several spyware programs and I mean several, because one does not do it all I use spybot, ad-aware and the new microsoft beta version.

Having more then one firewall does not do anything. Get linux, learn it and use it. As well as get a hardware firewall. Pay some big bucks for the good ones. Then have google some ip filter firewalls for linux.

I use a Linksys router and Zone Alarm does not work with it. I have to use the Windows XP firewall.

I have used both for years. Works great! Why is your's not working? What errors or other indications are you getting that this is not working?

I have a Linksys router and have no problem using Zone Alarm. I have Windows 2000 professional.

I have the same problem but I can not afford to not use the linksys router and zone alarm. Yes, it's slowing thing down a little but it's better than nothing.

I have a linksys wrt55a&g with latest zone alarm.
Leaving your system with just xp firewall or without a router is very dangerous. My secured logon and ebay / paypay was compromised.

If I were you, config your linksys and change the default ip to something else as oppose to the standard 192.16.1.1, secure you wireless broadcast with mac address or ip's to your box, use encription for wireless.

Install zone alarm as well. The main problem I have with zone alarm is processing speed on my cpu is slow. I was told that it needs to learn form you. Zone alarm will adjust and learn from you ie.. where you go, what application you are using. At first, I figure xp firewall and linksys router will be enought but their hackers out there that will record your keystroke and getting access to your so call secure user name & password. That's when zone alarm kick in.

Anyway, I am having the hardest time with linksys router and BitComet P2P application. With the linksys router (port triggering & forward configured)I can never get the same speed as oppose to no linksys with just zone alarm. According to 2wire my speed drop in half with the routers.

Why???????????????????????????
Help???????????????????????

duke_nukem@sbcglobal.net

Control panel, security center, firewall, recommendations, click box 2/3 down on left.

Problem solved.

Eric

Go to start/control panel and double click on "Security Center". On the left side it has a question mark and says "resources". The bottom selection says "change the way security center alerts me". UNcheck the top box that says "firewall, alert me if my computer might be at risk because of my firewall settings". That SHOULD take care of the balloon.

Thanks Roddy, I'll try that!

It worked EXACTLY like you said Roddy! THANKS. One less thing to click on!

"The bottom selection says "change the way security center alerts me"."

Grayed out in my WinXP Pro.

Perhaps you have to be logged in with admin rights to do that. That would explain the grayed out options. Make sure you have admin rights and then try it. That procedure worked fine on my XP Pro and saves me the trouble of getting that warning everytime I boot up.

When I installed ZA it replaced my WinXP Pro SP2 firewall, I believe automatically. I never get a popup while ZA is running but if I turn it off, then Security Center alerts me that my ZA firewall is off.

So, my question is: Is this person really running ZA firewall or any firewall since she/he is ignoring the Security Center popup and has probably now diabled the popup warning altogether?

I use ZoneAlarm Security Suite 6.0, BTW, which handles my firewall along with my virus and spyware detection and removal needs. And it works wonderfully protecting my PC - so much so that I now have it on 2 other PC's running on my wireless network at home.

Routers don't need any open ports - not even 80. Opening a port on the router allows someone on the internet to connect to your computer on that port. Thus, those 600 connections you have are because you opened port 80 on your router, and then zonealarm had to tell them they had no business talking to your computer. Connecting outbound on port 80 will always work to surf the internet (unless you get fancy and specifically disable outbound 80 in the router.)

So why do they allow opening ports in the router? So you can run a web server on your home computer (in which case you'd have to allow inbound connections on that port through zonealarm also.)

So, if you're very cautious about how you configure the router (and don't change any default setting without thoroughly understanding what you're doing) the router's sufficient.

I'm a MS certified systems engineer, and run 3 servers hosting 10 domains, serving both web and email from my house, plus another half dozen computers. A router and anti-virus works just fine for me.

Since I'm completely self-taught and not MS certified it is kind of you to share your knowledge. To clarify, I did not set my router to open port 80 or any other ports. Other than one firmware update from Linksys the router is unaltered. How else could these attempted intrusions occur? Can I fix it? Perhaps they explained how this could happen in your MS Certification class and you could share it. I assumed the router left port 80 open so the internet connection would work both ways, but I didn't manually configure the router to open any ports. So, if they aren't coming in on port 80 I don't know how they could be happening, yet they are.

Anyone who takes 30 minutes to download, update and run Adaware and Spybot on any computer used to surf the net might be surprised at what they find. Mostly they find tracking cookies, but every so often they find other more nasty things.

Most virus problems will start with port 80, then once in place will open additional ports. Many things reported by a firewall are harmless,although they have potential to be destructive. The firewall software creators want you to have something to look at , so that you can tell that it is working.

Many home routers come through a user programable firewall that you access online to customize to your personal taste, such as SBC DSL service provided by the phone company, and several cable internet providres. HOWEVER, some simply supply you with an unprotected access point to the web. Call your provider and ask.

You can run as many firewalls and "resident" spam blockers as you want, but each will add some degree of lag, meaning that it will slow you down. If you have a fast service,and a fast computer, you may not notice.
Some special file sharing programs require that you have additional ports opened, so that they may operate properly, and some home networking and server applications require additional ports. The software you use to set up these applications may have trouble interfacing with mulitple firewalls, to set them up correctly.

Bottom line...If your service provider claims to have a good hardware/software firewall inplace, then a GOOD anti-virus program that checks email, and a couple of good Anti-Spam programs are all that is necessary. I would personally suggest the new free Microsoft Anit-spam program which is free, and the free SpyBot Search and Destroy program. If you feel you really want an additional firewall, the Windows firewall that comes with Service Pack 2 (WinXP) is a very user frindly and effective one that is FREE. If you are ANTI MICROSOFT, then ZoneAlarm works fine. That should keep you up and running worry free for many days ahead. HOWEVER, you should understand that no matter what you do....the chance is always there that something bad could happen, so back up your "can't loose" information to CD/DVD, and forge ahead in peace.

If someone wants to access an xp computer with Remote Desktop from ''outside'' what port do you open and how safe is it? Thanks

Terminal server and Windows Remote Desktop both use TCP port 3389

A router is is all you need. The router adds safeguards to your network that non-router networks (even with a software firewall) cannot protect.

Obviously you have a router that does not have a built in firewall. I run Zone Alarm behind a Linksys firewall router and Zone Alarm has not had to block an intrusion since installing the router. Routers come with and without firewalls.

It has a firewall.

My SMC Barricade has a good firewal - I'm well protected by it with no software firewall needed, **BUT** when I first got it and I nosed around in its setup program and went into the "advanced" area where the firewall settings are I saw to my dismay the default as shipped is firewall service turned off. You have to actually turn the firewall on and "apply" the change.

What a silly default.

If I had taken the easy way out and used the "express setup" (avoiding the details of advanced setup) I would have never seen this.

Vasser seems to have forgotten another free tool in the fight against spam, privacy, tojans, etc. The Yahoo! Toolbar not only blocks pop-ups but it now has an Anti-spy function that recently discovered Viewpoint's Media Player as a spyware. In my arsenal, I use all of vasser's recommended programs plus the Yahoo! & Google toolbars and Window Washer as well. Zone Alarm does its job very well for a free program but if you like to tweak a lot, the Zone Alarm Pro provides lots of opportunities and in my humble opinion, well worth the money spent.

Hello atinfante

Every additional program, toolbar, process etc takes additional resources and screenspace. I like to keep my computer and interface as clean and mean as I can and this keeps things fast and problem free. Why not use Firefox and forego the additional toolbars, most of which are spyware themselves but for their own purposes. Firefox has built in popup blocking and does not have the inherent holes in Microsofts IE that allow drive by downloads from unethical websites.

Michael