NetBios & Client for Microsoft Networks

Have a minimal DSL connection running but was seeing some suspicious
UDP port activity hitting the software firewall (which claimed to block
everything). I was especially dismayed to see that an occasional packet
was outbound. Looked again at the TCP/IP settings for the NIC and
noticed that the NetBios checkbox was checked but also greyed out. The
bindings tab listed only "Client for Microsoft Networks" so I disabled
that -- and that cleared the NetBios checkbox. Should I be happy now?
My browser and e-mail seem to still work and my spyware and adware
scans don't detect anything. Thanks.

On 23 Feb 2006 18:19:12 -0800, (E-Mail Removed) wrote:

>Have a minimal DSL connection running but was seeing some suspicious
>UDP port activity hitting the software firewall (which claimed to block
>everything). I was especially dismayed to see that an occasional packet
>was outbound. Looked again at the TCP/IP settings for the NIC and
>noticed that the NetBios checkbox was checked but also greyed out. The
>bindings tab listed only "Client for Microsoft Networks" so I disabled
>that -- and that cleared the NetBios checkbox. Should I be happy now?
>My browser and e-mail seem to still work and my spyware and adware
>scans don't detect anything. Thanks.

Don't worry about all that. If you're not running file and printer
sharing no-one can start a netbios session with your machine. If you
are running file and printer sharing just uncheck the checkbox on the
bindings tab which connects file and printer sharing to the tcp/ip
stack of your internet connection.

Removing the client for ms networks isn't as good an option since it
might lead to other problems such as the one described here where DUN
passwords can't be saved.

http://support.microsoft.com/support.../Q137/3/61.asp


Jim.

In article <(E-Mail Removed) .com>,
(E-Mail Removed) wrote:
>Have a minimal DSL connection running but was seeing some suspicious
>UDP port activity hitting the software firewall (which claimed to block
>everything). I was especially dismayed to see that an occasional packet
>was outbound. Looked again at the TCP/IP settings for the NIC and
>noticed that the NetBios checkbox was checked but also greyed out. The
>bindings tab listed only "Client for Microsoft Networks" so I disabled
>that -- and that cleared the NetBios checkbox. Should I be happy now?
>My browser and e-mail seem to still work and my spyware and adware
>scans don't detect anything. Thanks.

Un-binding "Client for Microsoft Networks" is fine, but it isn't
necessary. You can be happy either way. :-)

Since there's no binding to "File and printer sharing for Microsoft
Networks", other Internet users can't get to your files, even if they
somehow get past the software firewall. And if they can get past the
firewall, you need a better firewall.
--
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 - Windows Networking
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com

Steve Winograd's Networking FAQ
http://www.bcmaven.com/networking/faq.htm