Installing a firewall on home network

I need to install a firewall on my grandmother's computer which is
networked. Is there anything special I might need to do since the
computer is networked? I figure I'll have to allow the IP addresses of
the network (or whatever). I know nothing about networks.

I haven't decided on a firewall for her. I'm thinking about Outpost
free firewall or Kerio/Sunbelt free firewall. I'm not sure if this
will be installed on the main computer or one of the other ones.

I read somewhere that the Outpost free firewall isn't suitable for a
networked computer. Is that true? Is there a free firewall that will
work on a networked computer?

Re: Installing a firewall on home network

In article <1195022529.676425.20290@50g2000hsm.googlegroups.com>,
littleboyblu87@yahoo.com says...
> I need to install a firewall on my grandmother's computer which is
> networked. Is there anything special I might need to do since the
> computer is networked? I figure I'll have to allow the IP addresses of
> the network (or whatever). I know nothing about networks.
>
> I haven't decided on a firewall for her. I'm thinking about Outpost
> free firewall or Kerio/Sunbelt free firewall. I'm not sure if this
> will be installed on the main computer or one of the other ones.
>
> I read somewhere that the Outpost free firewall isn't suitable for a
> networked computer. Is that true? Is there a free firewall that will
> work on a networked computer?

If her computer is "Networked", does that mean that she's behind a NAT
router of some type? If so, then the Windows firewall is all that she
needs for a firewall. None of the firewalls you install, where she can
manage it, will save her from herself.

Enable Windows firewall, remove exceptions in Windows Firewall. Disable
File/Printer sharing. Change her account to a LIMITED account (make sure
there is still an Administrator level account), install and ensure that
a quality AV software is installed, install FireFox and Thunderbird and
don't let her use IE/Outlook Express.....

--

Leythos
- Igitur qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum.
- Calling an illegal alien an "undocumented worker" is like calling a
drug dealer an "unlicensed pharmacist"
spam999free@rrohio.com (remove 999 for proper email address)

Re: Installing a firewall on home network

Leythos wrote:
> In article <1195022529.676425.20290@50g2000hsm.googlegroups.com>,
> littleboyblu87@yahoo.com says...
> > I need to install a firewall on my grandmother's computer which is
> > networked. Is there anything special I might need to do since the
> > computer is networked? I figure I'll have to allow the IP addresses of
> > the network (or whatever). I know nothing about networks.
> >
> > I haven't decided on a firewall for her. I'm thinking about Outpost
> > free firewall or Kerio/Sunbelt free firewall. I'm not sure if this
> > will be installed on the main computer or one of the other ones.
> >
> > I read somewhere that the Outpost free firewall isn't suitable for a
> > networked computer. Is that true? Is there a free firewall that will
> > work on a networked computer?
>
> If her computer is "Networked", does that mean that she's behind a NAT
> router of some type? If so, then the Windows firewall is all that she
> needs for a firewall. None of the firewalls you install, where she can
> manage it, will save her from herself.
>
> Enable Windows firewall, remove exceptions in Windows Firewall. Disable
> File/Printer sharing. Change her account to a LIMITED account (make sure
> there is still an Administrator level account), install and ensure that
> a quality AV software is installed, install FireFox and Thunderbird and
> don't let her use IE/Outlook Express.....
>
> --
>


She uses a wireless router. I don't know if it's secure or not, I
didn't set it up. Her computer is the main computer. I don't know if
she wants me to install the firewall to the main computer or another
one (there's three desktop computers and one laptop). I'm fairly
certain the Windows Firewall is disabled by AOL. At least once a year
for the past few years she's had problems with spyware and viruses.
She's been using Norton Internet Security but has decided to get rid
of it as it slows the computer down. That's why she needs to find
another software firewall.

Re: Installing a firewall on home network

In article <1195042018.564165.88080@o80g2000hse.googlegroups.com>,
littleboyblu87@yahoo.com says...
>
> Leythos wrote:
> > In article <1195022529.676425.20290@50g2000hsm.googlegroups.com>,
> > littleboyblu87@yahoo.com says...
> > > I need to install a firewall on my grandmother's computer which is
> > > networked. Is there anything special I might need to do since the
> > > computer is networked? I figure I'll have to allow the IP addresses of
> > > the network (or whatever). I know nothing about networks.
> > >
> > > I haven't decided on a firewall for her. I'm thinking about Outpost
> > > free firewall or Kerio/Sunbelt free firewall. I'm not sure if this
> > > will be installed on the main computer or one of the other ones.
> > >
> > > I read somewhere that the Outpost free firewall isn't suitable for a
> > > networked computer. Is that true? Is there a free firewall that will
> > > work on a networked computer?
> >
> > If her computer is "Networked", does that mean that she's behind a NAT
> > router of some type? If so, then the Windows firewall is all that she
> > needs for a firewall. None of the firewalls you install, where she can
> > manage it, will save her from herself.
> >
> > Enable Windows firewall, remove exceptions in Windows Firewall. Disable
> > File/Printer sharing. Change her account to a LIMITED account (make sure
> > there is still an Administrator level account), install and ensure that
> > a quality AV software is installed, install FireFox and Thunderbird and
> > don't let her use IE/Outlook Express.....
> >
>
>
> She uses a wireless router. I don't know if it's secure or not, I
> didn't set it up.

Then you should make sure that WPA is enabled, that it has a strong key,
that it's not setup with the default password for the admin page, that
it's not using the default subnet....

> Her computer is the main computer.

What does that mean - that computer acting as the file repository for
the other computers?

> I don't know if
> she wants me to install the firewall to the main computer or another
> one (there's three desktop computers and one laptop). I'm fairly
> certain the Windows Firewall is disabled by AOL.

AOL does insert a BUNCH of holes in it, but it does ot disable it,
unless the user does it.

> At least once a year
> for the past few years she's had problems with spyware and viruses.
> She's been using Norton Internet Security but has decided to get rid
> of it as it slows the computer down. That's why she needs to find
> another software firewall.

So, does she use the "main" computer to store files for the other
computers or are they all stand-alone computers?

The wireless router already blocks inbound unsolicited connections to
her computers, so you only have to worry about what you connect to, or
what your computer connects to that you don't know about.

Most NAT devices have logging ability - many work with WallWatcher
logging utility - look for it, Linksys units work very nicely with it -
it will show all traffic types in/out of the router.

--

Leythos
- Igitur qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum.
- Calling an illegal alien an "undocumented worker" is like calling a
drug dealer an "unlicensed pharmacist"
spam999free@rrohio.com (remove 999 for proper email address)

Re: Installing a firewall on home network

Mike S. wrote:

> I know nothing about networks.


Then don't try implementing a firewall or any other network-related security
concept. You can only fail, if not making it worse.

> I haven't decided on a firewall for her. I'm thinking about Outpost
> free firewall or Kerio/Sunbelt free firewall.


It seems like you're not actually thinking in that context. Those aren't
firewalls and neither security products.

Re: Installing a firewall on home network

>
I'm fairly
> certain theWindowsFirewallis disabled byAOL.

I believe you have to manually disable it in Control Panel / Security
Center. AOL'S Security Center suggests that action upon recognizing
Windows Firewall is also on.

Re: Installing a firewall on home network

On Dec 2, 8:23ï¿=BDam, Neil wrote:
> I'm fairly certain the Windows Firewall is disabled by AOL.
>
> I believe you have to manually disable it in Control Panel / Security
> Center. AOL'S Security Center suggests that action upon recognizing Window=
sFirewall is also on.

I'd like to know if it's better to disable AOL's Firewall and use
Windows Firewall.

Re: Installing a firewall on home network

Neil wrote:

> On Dec 2, 8:23�am, Neil wrote:
>> I'm fairly certain the Windows Firewall is disabled by AOL.
>>
>> I believe you have to manually disable it in Control Panel / Security
>> Center. AOL'S Security Center suggests that action upon recognizing WindowsFirewall is also on.
>
> I'd like to know if it's better to disable AOL's Firewall and use
> Windows Firewall.


As long as you don't completely remove this AOL crap, it won't make any
difference.

Re: Installing a firewall on home network

On Dec 2, 9:13 am, "Sebastian G." wrote:
> Neil wrote:
> > On Dec 2, 8:23ï¿=BDam, Neil wrote:
> >> I'm fairly certain the Windows Firewall is disabled by AOL.
>
> >> I believe you have to manually disable it in Control Panel / Security
> >> Center. AOL'S Security Center suggests that action upon recognizing Win=
dowsFirewall is also on.
>
> > I'd like to know if it's better to disable AOL's Firewall and use
> > Windows Firewall.
>
> As long as you don't completely remove this AOL crap, it won't make any
> difference.

I agree that AOL is best avoided, and we will be moving away from it.
Just want to know for now if you recommend disabling AOL's Firewall
and enabling Windows Firewall, rather than the other way around. Both
say not to be running more than one Firewall. Thanks.

Re: Installing a firewall on home network

Neil wrote:


> Just want to know for now if you recommend disabling AOL's Firewall
> and enabling Windows Firewall, rather than the other way around. Both
> say not to be running more than one Firewall. Thanks.


The problem is that you simply cannot disable the AOL firewall. Even when
it's "disabled", the packet filtering driver will still interfere with the
traffic, randomly break network functionality and opening security holes.

Re: Installing a firewall on home network

03 December 2007 23:13 Sebastian G. broadcast thus:

>
> The problem is that you simply cannot disable the AOL firewall. Even when
> it's "disabled", the packet filtering driver will still interfere with the
> traffic, randomly break network functionality and opening security holes.

That's awful programming. I've got a friend who has a PC where AOL was (at
least partially) installed. He's not using AOL thank god but the box is
awfully slow, even for a Windows machine... let me guess, uninstalling AOL
leaves behind the packet filter driver? People should be taken out at dawn
and shot for writing malware like this :).

Re: Installing a firewall on home network

Jamin Davis wrote:


> That's awful programming. I've got a friend who has a PC where AOL was (at
> least partially) installed. He's not using AOL thank god but the box is
> awfully slow, even for a Windows machine... let me guess, uninstalling AOL
> leaves behind the packet filter driver?


Just like almost any other "personal firewall" crap.

Or it modified some TCP/IP performance options. Not much better either.

> People should be taken out at dawn and shot for writing malware like this :).


Why? The irony in the claims of what the software is supposed to achieve
couldn't be any more obvious.