Firewall necessary with a Router + Sygate question

Hey, have a linksys Wireless G. Is a software firewall really necessary??? I "heard" that the hardware firewall in the router is sufficient. I use Sygate anyway. Does anyone know the command line to put with a shortcut to block all traffic??

Thanks

Reply to
Mousetater
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"Mousetater" wrote in news:cwnJe.7020$ snipped-for-privacy@fe02.lga:

What's the make and model of the Linsys router?

Duane :)

Reply to
Duane Arnold

In article , snipped-for-privacy@hotmail.com says... snip...

On Sygate Firewall main page, click tool bar button "Block All". Casey

Reply to
Casey Klc

I wouldn't even bother with a software firewall unless you're worried about programs connecting outbound.

Reply to
Kerodo

Yes, that's a damn good reason to use a software firewall.

Reply to
John Moore

If you use a little common sense and don't do idiotic things, then you don't even need one..

Reply to
Kerodo

Ah, but that assumes the user has a trace of common sense. This is obviously false. Why does there exist the market of firewalls and anti-spyware, and anti-trojan, and anti-virus applications to protect users against the spyware, trojans and viruses the users installed because they didn't want to think in the first place.

Remember, if you restricted the use of computers to those people who are not idiots, the Internet would be a lonely place.

Old guy

Reply to
Moe Trin

I have been quite successful here myself for many years, however, you are quite right. The vast majority of users are not so lucky.. :-)

Reply to
Kerodo

And how is a software firewall going to stop that from happening?

Reply to
Kerodo

All it takes is to do a google search on something and hit a search page that is malicious. No one is completely protected unless you turn off all scripting. You have all scripting turned off in your web browser? If you do your browser won't be very functional.

Reply to
John Moore

You're paranoid.. If you have a router, you're fine. The ONLY reason you would need a software firewall is if you do idiotic and foolish things. Most people do. But if you use your brain and safe practices, you don't need one.

The truth is, if you allow something to find it's way onto your system, then it's too late already. Do you think you'll be safe because the firewall tells you something is trying to get out? Nope. By that time, the damage is done.

The smartest thing to do is to prevent the problem in the first place by practicing safe computing.

Reply to
Kerodo

You apparently can't answer the question, can you? :)

Reply to
Kerodo

Nothing is perfect, but there are a few simple things that can be done and make surfing much safer:

1) Stop using IE, even if your setup is secure at the moment. 2) Use FireFox 1.0.6, and set as follows: Privacy: Cookies, X For the originating web site only Web Features: X = Block Popup Windows, empty the ALLOWED SITES X = For the originating web site only You can also try (disable "Enable Java" and "Enable JavaScript") although this makes some pages not display properly. 3) Don't run as an Administrator level user account when browsing the web. 4) Don't install file sharing/P2P applications and don't install those dang "tool bars" or search helpers. 5) Install and maintain your Antivirus software and run AdAware Se frequently.

There are others, but if you do the above you'll be a lot better off.

Reply to
Leythos

You need to relax a little.. I don't recall claiming to be an expert in anything. I simply offer my opinion on things just like everyone else.

Reply to
Kerodo

I do all that but this guy telling someone they don't need a software firewall because they have a router is just negligent.

Reply to
John Moore

If you need to ask then you shouldn't be giving advice.

Reply to
John Moore

I don't run my PC with anti virus protection resident but I don't go around telling other people to do that. In fact, I don't have firewall outbound protection either. I don't tell other people to run their PC as I do though because I know that it wouldn't be a good move for many people.

Reply to
John Moore

It's all in how good the user of the firewall is. I personally only run a software firewall on laptops that leave our offices. I've found that software firewalls (personal firewalls) have little impact on the actual security of workstations for most home users - to many of them just blindly accept outbound or inbound when they don't have a clue.

If you consider that most users of Windows based system run as an administrator, use unsecured IE, and don't understand security, having them use a PFW is meaningless.

So, I've seen hundreds of seats behind a simple NAT router without compromise, for years - it's easy to monitor if your NAT box does logging (like WallWatcher) you can see all inbound and outbound traffic connections, so you can tell if you've been cracked.

Reply to
Leythos

[restoring previous post for context]

Actually, my system has _seven_ browsers for me to use, and I normally use a very dumb text only browser because it's so much faster than the full featured auto everything brower normally used by people who really shouldn't be using something as complex as a digital watch, never mind a computer. If I discover that the page I'm wanting to visit isn't rendering, I can look at the raw HTML and see why - then take the appropriate action - which often means using a more featured browser. But that happens on less than a fraction of one percent of the pages I look at.

It's not going to do anything. Even if the firewall does detect something going on, the user automatically clicks the icon to get the warning box out of the way (assuming the firewall hasn't been configured to "Don't warn me about this ever again").

Some .sig files I've collected over time.

--------------------- And the Windows way is to click "ok" or "cancel" on any message or window to get it to go away. They don't read 'em first, they just get rid of them as quickly as possible. You could pop up a box that said "Click here to be hit over the head with a salmon" with an "Ok" button and at least half of the people that it was presented to would quickly click on "Ok".

------------------- It just so happens that the most frequently used vector to date is that of user stupidity (why is it that we laugh at the cartoon animal who falls for the "stand here and press this button" gag, but so many of us seem content to "click here and be amazed"?)

-------------------- "Sufficiently advanced incompetence is indistinguishable from malice."`

-------------------

Old guy

Reply to
Moe Trin

Reply to
Connor

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