Belkin ADSL Wireless Router and Zone Alarm problem

I have recently converted to a Belkin ADSL Wireless Router which works
fairly well. However, after some time I often find that my browser can no
longer access the internet even though OE can still send and receive new
emails (although HTTP access to Hotmail accounts stops at the same time).

By trial and error, I have found that if I shut down Zone Alarm the problem
goes away - and restarting it does not cause the problem to return (at least
for some time (usually an hour or two)).

Does anyone know what causes this problem and if there is a remedy?

I have temporarily set the IP address of the router as a Trusted site in ZA
to see if this fixes the problem but, by doing so, am I simply circumventing
any protection that Zone Alarm might provide - i.e. I might as well switch
it off completely?

Thanks.

PS My router has the latest firmware and ZA is latest version too.

On Mon, 1 Aug 2005 23:39:39 +0100, Victor Delta wrote:

> By trial and error, I have found that if I shut down Zone Alarm the
> problem goes away - and restarting it does not cause the problem to
> return (at least for some time (usually an hour or two)).

> Does anyone know what causes this problem and if there is a remedy?

> I have temporarily set the IP address of the router as a Trusted site in
> ZA to see if this fixes the problem but, by doing so, am I simply
> circumventing any protection that Zone Alarm might provide - i.e. I
> might as well switch it off completely?

I'm certainly no expert in this field, but my setup is with a 3COM ADSL
wireless router and I set the IP address of my PC's network card as
trusted zone, the entry type is "Adapter Subnet" and in my case the
address is 192.168.1.2/255.255.255.0. All these entries were picked up
automatically by ZA, which defaulted to Internet and I changed to Trusted.

The 3COM has its own built in firewall but that doesn't protect from
outgoing hence my use of ZA for extra security.

HTH

--
Best regards
Barry

On Mon, 1 Aug 2005 23:39:39 +0100, "Victor Delta" <(E-Mail Removed)>
opined, with wit and/or wisdom,:

>I have recently converted to a Belkin ADSL Wireless Router which works
>fairly well. However, after some time I often find that my browser can no
>longer access the internet even though OE can still send and receive new
>emails (although HTTP access to Hotmail accounts stops at the same time).
>
>By trial and error, I have found that if I shut down Zone Alarm the problem
>goes away - and restarting it does not cause the problem to return (at least
>for some time (usually an hour or two)).
>
>Does anyone know what causes this problem and if there is a remedy?
>
>I have temporarily set the IP address of the router as a Trusted site in ZA
>to see if this fixes the problem but, by doing so, am I simply circumventing
>any protection that Zone Alarm might provide - i.e. I might as well switch
>it off completely?
>
>Thanks.
>
>PS My router has the latest firmware and ZA is latest version too.

I've got the same setup and had similar problems; I found that
restarting the PC would work, and the http problems were infrequent
enough (once or twice a day on average) for me not to bother looking
further into it, especially as my laptop doesn't suffer from the same
effect (laptop is on a wireless connection, PC through the Ethernet
port.) Oddly, since I installed O&O Defrag, the problem went away
entirely for a while, resurfaced but has again now gone away (or at
least hasn't happened in over a week now) so if you haven't defragged
lately it might be worth a go (or it may have been entirely
coincidental, but at least if it does no good it can do no harm...)
--
Dreams are like water
Colourless
And Dangerous

"BJH" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> I'm certainly no expert in this field, but my setup is with a 3COM ADSL
> wireless router and I set the IP address of my PC's network card as
> trusted zone, the entry type is "Adapter Subnet" and in my case the
> address is 192.168.1.2/255.255.255.0. All these entries were picked up
> automatically by ZA, which defaulted to Internet and I changed to Trusted.

Thanks. Yes, my fear is that this by-passes any protection ZA might provide
(but I'm not really sure)?

By the way, how did you change the entry to 'Trusted' as I am unable to edit
an active connection?

"Tân Coul" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> I've got the same setup and had similar problems; I found that
> restarting the PC would work, and the http problems were infrequent
> enough (once or twice a day on average) for me not to bother looking
> further into it, especially as my laptop doesn't suffer from the same
> effect (laptop is on a wireless connection, PC through the Ethernet
> port.)

Yes, I'm just the same - wireless laptop doesn't suffer from the same
problem (and uses ZA too).

> Oddly, since I installed O&O Defrag, the problem went away
> entirely for a while, resurfaced but has again now gone away (or at
> least hasn't happened in over a week now) so if you haven't defragged
> lately it might be worth a go (or it may have been entirely
> coincidental, but at least if it does no good it can do no harm...)

I'll try it, but suspect this is just coincidental!

On Tue, 2 Aug 2005 21:03:04 +0100, Victor Delta wrote:

> By the way, how did you change the entry to 'Trusted' as I am unable to
> edit an active connection?

Open Zone Alarm and select the 'Zones' tab in the firewall settings window.

Click on the word Trusted or Internet to change. (A little context menu
will pop up)

--
Regards
Barry

On Tue, 2 Aug 2005 21:03:04 +0100, Victor Delta wrote:

> Thanks. Yes, my fear is that this by-passes any protection ZA might
> provide (but I'm not really sure)?

Go to www.grc.com and take the link to 'Shields Up' and take the tests to
verify the effectiveness of your firewall.

That should satisfy your concerns!

--
Regards
Barry

"BJH" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:e8cxayepxkob$.dt8xdyt4p8io$.(E-Mail Removed)...
> Open Zone Alarm and select the 'Zones' tab in the firewall settings
> window.
>
> Click on the word Trusted or Internet to change. (A little context menu
> will pop up)

Thanks. I was so busy trying to right click, and finding my attempts to edit
thwarted, that I never stopped to see if there were any left click options!
All sorted now.

"BJH" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:12p2o392qo25b$.t2a9p9d50f46$.(E-Mail Removed).. .
> Go to www.grc.com and take the link to 'Shields Up' and take the tests to
> verify the effectiveness of your firewall.

Good idea! Taken your idea and all ports checked ok. Thanks again.

Victor Delta wrote:
>
> "BJH" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:12p2o392qo25b$.t2a9p9d50f46$.(E-Mail Removed).. .
> > Go to www.grc.com and take the link to 'Shields Up' and take the tests to
> > verify the effectiveness of your firewall.
>
> Good idea! Taken your idea and all ports checked ok. Thanks again.

That however is only a check for inward or 'the internet hacks your
PC'. Zone Alarm is equally of use in preventing programmes on your PC
from making contact outwards. This may be anything from a pain in the
neck registration programme to a full blown trojan sending your bank
details to Moldova.

Bill