Silly question?

T

torvalds

Limp Gawd
Joined
Jan 28, 2004
Messages
211
Hi. I have a Linksys WAG354G but im a bit confused at the min... Does the built in firewall act like a software firewall (I use outpost at the minute) or is it only there to stop people from getting onto my wireless network?

If it was there to block all dodgey traffic then I wouldnt need outpost any more and could maybe just enable windows firewall?
 
SOHO routers, wireless routers, and most everything that is consumer level Linksys, Dlink, Netgear and so on, only prevent external to internal threats.

Windows Firewall also only prevents external to internal threats.

Most software based firewalls are supposed to prevent application level threats in both directions.
 
Malk-a-mite said:
SOHO routers, wireless routers, and most everything that is consumer level Linksys, Dlink, Netgear and so on, only prevent external to internal threats.

Windows Firewall also only prevents external to internal threats.

Most software based firewalls are supposed to prevent application level threats in both directions.
Click to expand...

Windows Firewall will also block outgoing connections. You have to let things like Limewire, uTorrent and other programs thru.
 
AMD[H]unter said:
Windows Firewall will also block outgoing connections. You have to let things like Limewire, uTorrent and other programs thru.
Click to expand...

What you are seeing is that Windows Firewall is asking about a program opening an inbound port for listening.

You can test this easily by loading any non-Microsoft browser and surfing the web, if the Windows Firewall had true outbound blocking, it would not allow Firefox, Opera, etc from browsing the web until you explicitly allowed it to do so.

Vista will supposedly have true outbound blocking as well as if you use Microsoft's Onecare product.
 
AMD[H]unter said:
Windows Firewall will also block outgoing connections. You have to let things like Limewire, uTorrent and other programs thru.
Click to expand...

To underscore what SJc said:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/security/internet/sp2_wfintro.mspx
"When someone on the Internet or on a network tries to connect to your computer, we call that attempt an "unsolicited request." When your computer gets an unsolicited request, Windows Firewall blocks the connection. If you run a program such as an instant messaging program or a multiplayer network game that needs to receive information from the Internet or a network, the firewall asks if you want to block or unblock (allow) the connection."
 
Why is it that when I use Zonealarm, or other firewalls for that matter, I cant see files on my main pc from my laptop and vice versa? Its only when I use windows firewall that I can access files and folders on another pc. What settings do I need to change in a firewall?
 
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