Re: Surfboard continues pc activity after pc is shut down

From: Quaoar (quaoar_at_tenthplanet.net)
Date: 04/04/04 

Date: Sat, 3 Apr 2004 22:20:43 -0700

spiritlady99 wrote:
> I recently got a new pc with XP home, the old one had XP pro, I
> attemted to setup a home network to transfer information from the old
> to the new. After shutting down the new pc the surfboard still shows
> activity on the new pc. I ended up with a virus before I detected
> this problem. I managed to use system retore and reset to the day I
> set up the pc. No change. Anyone have any ideas. I have tried
> everything reseting internet connections defalts. Help!

If a computer is connect directly to a cable modem, the computer is wide
open to the internet. This is particularly bad news if there is no
firewall and anti-virus installed, since anyone or anything like a worm
can directly access the computer. Updated anti-virus and working
firewall are absolutes for a computer directly connected to a cable
modem.

A router offers decent, if not perfect, protection from direct attacks
since the IP assigned by the cable system is for the router, not the
computer connected to the router, which now has an internal lan IP
address that is invisible to outsiders. The router in its basic forms
provides NAT, network address translation, that makes directly
connecting from the internet difficult, if not always impossible. An
updated anti-virus remains mandatory, but the firewall requirement is
optional *if* the owner is not concerned with blocking unauthorized
*outgoing* packets as would happen with some trojans and worms that
co-opt the computer as a retransmitter of spam. Complete security
requires both anti-virus and firewall in both instances.

The Windows XP firewall can be invoked as very basic protection, but a
decent anti-virus is still required.

Q

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