To enable file sharing between my desktop and laptop I had to diable the firewalls on both computers (XP firewall on desktop and Trend Micro firewall on laptop).
I used the
formatting link
web site to test the protection provided by my Linksys broadband router. My desktop passed everything with flying colors, but my laptop failed by sending unsolicited packets.
If anyone has any ideas why this would be happening and what I can do about it I'd really appreciate a reply.
I'd really like to have firewalls on both computers and in addition to the router firewall.
I just set up a network for my desktop and my laptop (Netgear fast ethernet card in the Desktop and a Netgear WG311 wireless card in the laptop and linksys WRT54G broadband router). At first, I couldn't get the computers to see each other until I enabled "netbios over TCP/IP" and turned off the firewalls on both computers.
I went to the
formatting link
web site and used the "ShieldsUp" tests to make sure the linksys firewall was adequately protecting my computers. When I ran the tests from my desktop, I passed all the tests. When I ran the same tests from the browser on my laptop (sharing the internet connection of course through the router) it was reported that my security system had tried to counter-probe the test site and thus was exposing itself (unsolicited packets received).
Since I posted my original message, however, I've run the test again and passed. I.e, it's no longer trying to counter-probe. I'm mystified.
I've learned also that I can set up my firewalls to allow certain exclusions so that my networked computers and router can do what they need to, but I'm in the early stages of leaning how to do this.
For now, I have to trust that my router is protecting my computers.
After all my rambling, do you perceive enough to give me any advice. I've already learned alot from reading your other replys to posts in this group.
I suspect he is talking about leaktest at grc. Leaktest is an 'extrusion' detector. It tries to simulate malware running on the user's computer. You download and run the app and it leaks thru' intrusion detectors.
Go down the page a little more than half way, and find the button for ShieldsUp. Click on it. Compare the URL listed on your web browser with the one above that you think is a "browser test".
Now try access it with the browser's "reload" button, or try to access it directly by URL as you did last time. This time read it carefully and see if it makes sense.
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