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recommended software protection in hotspots and open WANs?

I'm getting a new notebook with Windows Media edition, and I'm planning on using it in wireless hotspots, like on campus and Barnes and Noble, and was wondering what people would recommend to help protect you from such secure-less connections?

I found Steganos Anonym VPN

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$100 for a year of service seems pretty steep. Even though it sounds like the best protection! I hate Norton, so please don't recommend Norton products. What about any of the regular software firewalls like ZoneAlarm
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or AVG
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, do they even protect against possible open WAN/hotspot intrusion attempts?

Thanks for any feedback! Liam

Reply to
Liam
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Protect you from what? VPN only protects from the wireless data to/from your machine is not eavesdropped on.

None of them are FW(s). FW(s) separate two networks. What you're talking about a personal FW is only machine level packet filters and they don't separate anything.

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or AVG
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, do they even

You go to the O/S and shutdown services like Client for MS Networks and File and Print Sharing, unbind them off of the wireless NIC, which closes ports. You have no need to be in networking situation.

Here are some other things you can do to protect the O/S harden it to attack..

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You can run any of the personal packet filters, even XP's FW, as it really doesn't make that much of a difference which one you use, as long as you go to the O/S and harden it to attack.

Duane :)

Reply to
Duane Arnold

Just the same as for other network connections, too:

Activate the Windows-Firewall, don't use Internet Exploder or Outlook Express but some alternative, keep your system and your applications up to date. And keep your eyes open.

Yours, VB.

Reply to
Volker Birk

Thanks for the reply! Great info. =)

-Liam

Reply to
Liam

[..snip..]

Question: That has a LOT of GREAT info! But I wonder, is all that possible with Windows XP Media Center version? Or just XP Pro? I'm not finding anything that would indicate. I think, from what I've seen, MCE is the same as XP Pro except some additional software, and the requirement to set up the domain settings from the beginning or else you can't later.

Any opinions on this?

-Liam

Reply to
Liam

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- WiFi

Reply to
Plato

A small amount doesn't apply to the Home edition, like disabling Simple File Sharing. I don't know what's the difference between MCE and Pro. But I would suspect MCE is more like the Home edition, as it might not have IIS as part of the installation package, like Home.

Duane :)

Reply to
Duane Arnold

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