Sysgate & Smoothwall

But why???

snipped-for-privacy@eclipse.net (gene martinez) wrote in news:4329fc22.7072878 @news.eclipse.net:

Java is a computer language that can be used with a browser such as IE or others. The site with its listening software/program queried the browser for the information and it got it.

You must understand that your computer initiated the outbound connection to the remote site and it's legitimate traffic between your computer behind the NAT router, software FW and the software that initiated the contact to the software listening at the remote site -- solicited traffic.

The router and software FW jobs for the main part is to stop unsolicited inbound traffic from reaching the computer. For solicited traffic, the NAT router and software FW solutions are not looking at traffic content and they don't care what data is being passed between to end points.

However, you can install one of those snake-oil steathing programs on the computer that works with a browser to conceal the information. But keep in mind that in order for any Internet traffic to reach the computer, the IP has to be or is known.

You can also disable Java or Java-scripting on the browser, but a lot of sites may not work anymore.

Duane :)

One other thing, you have a router, Sygate and Smothwall in play for a Win

98 machine. You must have a Fort Knox situation you're trying to protect?

Duane :)

That should be THANKS.....

No. This is completely OK. Forget that "stealthing" nonsense.

Yours, VB.

It's just not possible to "stealth" an IP address. This is only nonsense. Why this is, I explained in already:

| The "stealth"-features of the "Personal Firewalls" all are based on | misunderstanding ICMP. | | It is not possible to make a PC "invisible" in the Internet by a Software | running on this PC if it's connected, because an host seems to be not | there only, if a router before the host sends ICMP Destination Unreachable | with code 0 (net unreachable) or code 1 (host unreachable), see RFC 791 / | STD 0005,

| | Therefore i.e. portscanners have no problem to detect a PC, which is | "stealthed" by any "Personal Firewall". | | For example, with nmap use the parameter -P0 to detect PCs, which are | "stealthed". | | I don't know, if the providers of the "Personal Firewalls" don't | understand the Internet Protocol family, or if they're lying to | sell their products with non-existing "stealth"-features.

Yours, VB.

What is your opinion of ZoneAlarm (free) then, and what firewall do you use?

Beside this ridiculous "stealthing" and the fact, that it's vulnerable to the SelfDoS attack, it opens useless popups with messages, users usually misinterpret. Before I would use Zonealarm, I'd just use the Windows-Firewall

Here: none. And why should I? I'm not offering any servers to the network.

Yours, VB.