Re: Personal firewall and windows networked computers

In article <1140244143.740525.171170@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>,
shahramsheybany@xxxxxxxxx wrote:
Hello All, I hope this is the right place to post this question. If
not please direct me to the right place. I have 6 computers of
diferent windows versions networked via a linksys cable/dsl router and
connected to internet via a DSL modem. On some of the machines I run
Norton internet scurity which runs its own firewall instead of the
windows firewall. This interferes with file sharing between computers.
I can disable it through Norton program. I have several choices:
five minutes, 30 minutes, until next start up and finally permanently.
I have been using the five minutes option which works but is a pain in
the neck. Is my router going to protect me if I permanently disable
the Norton firewall? I read somewhere that using a router, I am not
directly connected to the internet and therefore, I am not in danger of
viruses. Is it true? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Shahram Sheybany

Firewalls don't give any protection against viruses. For that, each
computer needs its own antivirus program.

The Norton firewall has configuration options that tell it to allow
access (such as file and printer sharing) by other computers on the
local area network. Once that's configured, you can leave the
firewall running all the time.

Your router acts as an incoming firewall, blocking undesired incoming
access to your computers from other people on the Internet. You don't
need a firewall program for that.

However, Norton does something that the router doesn't: act as an
outgoing firewall, preventing undesired outgoing traffic (from
malicious programs) from your computer to the Internet.

If you have good antivirus and antispyware protection, which prevents
malicious programs from being installed, I don't consider an outgoing
firewall to be necessary for most people. If you want outgoing
protection, you need a program like Norton.
--
Best Wishes,
Steve Winograd, MS-MVP (Windows Networking)

Please post any reply as a follow-up message in the news group
for everyone to see. I'm sorry, but I don't answer questions
addressed directly to me in E-mail or news groups.

Microsoft Most Valuable Professional Program
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com
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