5punk

Someone told me recently that if you're on a network behind a router, then you don't need a firewall? Instinct tells me to ignore him, but is he right? For similar reasons I've shied away from using the XP firewall, but is it any good and does anyone else use it? "Free" is the key selling point here!

Depends how the router works. It may have a built-in firewall, or it may use NAT.

Most use NAT, to give out internal IP addresses to your machines (192.168.0.1, etc) this gives some protection as you can specify in the router's configuration which ports are forwarded to which machine. Often though, the default is to forward everything to the first machine in the list - which gives you no protection at all.

Also, for application-based firewalling you still need software, as even built-in router firewalls cannot tell what programs you are running, only block/allow certain ports/IPs.

In answer to the second part, the XP one is okay - although not easily configurable. Most people's response to something not working is to just turn it off. There are lots of free ones around, though - the one I got on best with was ZoneAlarm.

XP's built in firewall does it exactly what it says on the tin.

Unless you're extremely paranoid, and have files stored on your computer that you 100% don't want anyone else to access (i.e. you are Gary Glitter), then the built in firewall with SP2 loaded is more than adequate.

This is true.

it's good enough for government work, and bukkake. (i still swear by sygate where i have access to computers)

http://www.bullguard.com/badkarma/

related, yet amusing :D

Free anti-rootkit from Sophos (final assembly by yours truely )

http://www.sophos.com/products/free-too ... otkit.html

fabyak wrote:Free anti-rootkit from Sophos (final assembly by yours truely )

http://www.sophos.com/products/free-too ... otkit.html

Nice find! What a great idea for a piece of software, I wonder if all the big antivirus companies will nick their idea?

Sophos are flippin' ace. We used their clobber on our Army systems and it was soooooooooo much better than the other stuff we got thrown our way it wasn't true.

they are a bit good arn't they (make companies buy more of their stuff, get me a bigger bonus next year!)

General opinion in our place is that Sophos (who we used to use) are better than the stuff we use now.

Cheers for all this stuff, especially CCCleaner- it bloody cleared up 3Gig of space for me!
Really should spring clean my computer out more often...

CC is also good for running at start-up and wiping any potentially incriminating evidence on a shared PC or company laptop, I use it for the later. It may not be an infallible method, as someone will likely point out, but it's good enough for most.

Another useful one if shit has already hit the fan:

WinsockXPFix

In some cases spyware can really disrupt Windows networking and cleaning it out can result in loss of the Internet. This program can fix this - worth downloading first.

Avast anti virus is great, it's the only real option for x64 users, and it monitors your PC constantly, but doesn't have all the stupid pop ups that zone alarm has, it also updates its database about every day. It's saved my bacon many a time.

First post has been changed slightly to reflect stuff that has since gone or been upgraded.

I could do with a more recent list of free anti-virus sites/downloads though please.