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I am not good with computers or how they work. I must rely on someone else's expertise for that. What is a firewall? How does it work? What is a good one to buy?
-------------------- Cynthia Pack 246 Diamondview Loop Galax, Va. 24333 Posts: 659 | From: Galax, Virginia USA | Registered: Mar 2001
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A firewall is either a device (another computer, or small router type box) or software that controls traffic in & out of you system or network. In the final analysis all firewalls are software implemented. Some people swear that all you really need is a router which is again either another system or a smaller external device. If you are connected to the internet via cable or DSL there are many small firewall routers available with preloaded scripts to control what can get in & out of your computer. These are usually configurable through a software interface and are fairly reasonable in cost. There are also many firewall programs available usually at a lower cost. I use an external device myself. There is a bit to learn for either type but I feel it is necessary for cable or DSL. ...Google
[ August 18, 2003, 11:20 PM: Message edited by: dave parr ]
-------------------- Dave Parr Sign Painter USA Posts: 709 | From: USA | Registered: May 2003
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Firewalls esentially allow or dissallow traffic to and from various computers. As some have remarked , being connected to the internet 24/7 requires a firewall so that others cant hack your puter or network. A firewall DOES NOT mean you are protected from viruses , all it does is not allow unauthorised access/traffic to your network or puter. Zone alarms and a lot of other "firewalls" are hackable and have been hacked , however they are pretty good basic firewalls , nortons internet security is pretty good too as it incorporates anti virus stuff as well. We run a Linux box running a firewall called Smoothwall tween our ADSL connection and the network , problem is that it is not a simple matter to set up , tho the box that runs it doesnt have to be anything special (PII is ok , no screen is needed etc) It depends what applications you use , if you use IRC than you HAVE to run a top of the range firewall. It is quite amazing at the no of attacks that are logged in one day , sometimes up to 100. You probably wont know that a hacker has gained access to your system as most hackers would not overtly do anything to your system but would rather use it as a sort of "relay" to launch attacks on other system.
-------------------- Rodney Gold Toker Bros Posts: 57 | From: South Africa | Registered: Aug 2003
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It's a fire proof plate between the engine and the passenger compartment..
A firewall permits outside acces to your computer only through certain ports which are defineable. I use both a software type (winproxy) at home, and a hardware firewall/router (d-link) at work. The router is easier to configure and can also be used as a network hub and some let you share a printer as a network device.
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