Firewall protection methods

I'm about to go ADSL broadband and am tempted to take the ISP's modem
package, on the basis that it would probably simplify matters in the event
of problems in the initial setting up. However I am assuming that the modem
will be pretty basic and may well not incorporate a firewall which some
others appear to do.

Can any kind person advise me, please, whether there is anything to choose
between obtaining firewall protection by means of a modem with a built in
facility, and the use of firewall software such as ZoneAlarm?

(Normal domestic use only.)

Thanks.

Chris

Zone alarm will protect your PC against more intrusions. Even with a good
Stateful packet inspection, I would still run zone alarm. It's free so why
not?


"Chris" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:bqal05$gg9$(E-Mail Removed)...
> I'm about to go ADSL broadband and am tempted to take the ISP's modem
> package, on the basis that it would probably simplify matters in the event
> of problems in the initial setting up. However I am assuming that the
modem
> will be pretty basic and may well not incorporate a firewall which some
> others appear to do.
>
> Can any kind person advise me, please, whether there is anything to choose
> between obtaining firewall protection by means of a modem with a built in
> facility, and the use of firewall software such as ZoneAlarm?
>
> (Normal domestic use only.)
>
> Thanks.
>
> Chris
>
>

On Sat, 29 Nov 2003 17:28:54 -0000, "Chris"
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>I'm about to go ADSL broadband and am tempted to take the ISP's modem
>package, on the basis that it would probably simplify matters in the event
>of problems in the initial setting up. However I am assuming that the modem
>will be pretty basic and may well not incorporate a firewall which some
>others appear to do.
>
>Can any kind person advise me, please, whether there is anything to choose
>between obtaining firewall protection by means of a modem with a built in
>facility, and the use of firewall software such as ZoneAlarm?

There is a short delay following boot and network start-up after which
time ZoneAlarm (and presumably its competitors, but I couldn't say for
sure) loads and becomes active. So there is a period during which
time your PC is not protected, around 30-60 seconds maybe. There is a
theoretical risk of a port attack during this time.

PC-based apps like ZA can be more useful identifying and blocking
PC-resident spyware etc, as new apps need to "ask" for permission to
communicate with the Internet.

For this reason I use both.

Thanks very much, Tony and Rick. Most helpful.

Chris

In article <(E-Mail Removed)>, (E-Mail Removed)
(Rick Marks) wrote:
e use of firewall software such as ZoneAlarm?
>
> There is a short delay following boot and network start-up after which
> time ZoneAlarm (and presumably its competitors, but I couldn't say for
> sure) loads and becomes active. So there is a period during which
> time your PC is not protected, around 30-60 seconds maybe. There is a
> theoretical risk of a port attack during this time.
>

But as this would be some time before you are actually connected,
authenticated, and logged onto the network (IP address given etc)

I doubt it would make a jot of difference.

For your safety and peace of mind, get a single port router, and a network
card. Make sure the port redirection table is empty, and Robert is your
mothers brother.

Then when you want to be really sure, go to www.grc.com and ask for a port
scan. You should be stealthed on all ports really, and if you're not, at
least you know and you can find out why !!

HTH

- Steve

* steve wrote:

> But as this would be some time before you are actually connected,
> authenticated, and logged onto the network (IP address given etc)

Not at all. If you have a modem/router which doesn't rely on the PC
on the end of it for half its functionality, then you're *always*
vulnerable. For instance if you have any of the ethernet ADSL routers
configured in the ordinary way, then your machines are exposed all the
time, because the router manager the connection and authentication.

--tim

On Sun, 30 Nov 2003 11:03:30 +0000 (UTC), (E-Mail Removed)
(Steve) wrote:

>In article <(E-Mail Removed)>, (E-Mail Removed)
>(Rick Marks) wrote:
>e use of firewall software such as ZoneAlarm?
>>
>> There is a short delay following boot and network start-up after which
>> time ZoneAlarm (and presumably its competitors, but I couldn't say for
>> sure) loads and becomes active. So there is a period during which
>> time your PC is not protected, around 30-60 seconds maybe. There is a
>> theoretical risk of a port attack during this time.
>>
>
>But as this would be some time before you are actually connected,
>authenticated, and logged onto the network (IP address given etc)
>
>I doubt it would make a jot of difference.

With an Ethernet connection the DHCP client runs quite early in the
boot process.

My Win98 PC is certainly accessible to my home network as soon as the
'network logon' box appears. The ZA client starts up later, once user
login has completed.

In fact I don't have to log on to this PC to be able to access its
shared resources (disks and printer) from another PC across my home
network.

I couldn't say how a USB 'net connection differs.

On Sat, 29 Nov 2003 17:28:54 -0000, "Chris"
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>I'm about to go ADSL broadband and am tempted to take the ISP's modem
>package, on the basis that it would probably simplify matters in the event
>of problems in the initial setting up. However I am assuming that the modem
>will be pretty basic and may well not incorporate a firewall which some
>others appear to do.
>
>Can any kind person advise me, please, whether there is anything to choose
>between obtaining firewall protection by means of a modem with a built in
>facility, and the use of firewall software such as ZoneAlarm?

I've just installed broadband.

I've always used ZoneAlarm and been pleased with it.

As I enjoy fiddling and tweaking I went for a more expensive router
which is more user definable than most but as has been explained to me
a Hardware Firewall (The modem) knows nothing about your computer and
can only adhere to rules set for it whereas a software Firewall is on
your computer so can be customised to protect against 'spyware'.

Geoff Lane

In article <(E-Mail Removed)>, (E-Mail Removed)
(Rick Marks) wrote:

> >
> >But as this would be some time before you are actually connected,
> >authenticated, and logged onto the network (IP address given etc)
> >
> >I doubt it would make a jot of difference.
>
> With an Ethernet connection the DHCP client runs quite early in the
> boot process.

Since the OP was considering the bundled modem, I would expect it to be a
USB one.



- Steve

On Sun, 30 Nov 2003 21:06:29 +0000 (UTC), (E-Mail Removed)
(Steve) wrote:

>In article <(E-Mail Removed)>, (E-Mail Removed)
>(Rick Marks) wrote:
>
[snip]

>> With an Ethernet connection the DHCP client runs quite early in the
>> boot process.
>
>Since the OP was considering the bundled modem, I would expect it to be a
>USB one.

Fair point.