Broadband Protection Question

  • Thread starter Thread starter Dudley Henriques
  • Start date Start date
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Dudley Henriques

Thank you for taking the time to answer my post. Please bear with my long
version as its important to me that whoever answers this understand a unique
situation I have with the way I use my computer.
I've always used a simple dialup for my on line work and have not had any
virus issues at all using the EZAntiVirus from CA that I have installed.
Along with this, I use the XP in-house firewall. This combo has worked for
several years.
My situation is unique as I need my system as free of 3rd party software as
possible for the testing I do for developers producing add on software for
the Microsoft Flight Simulator program.
This being said, I have just signed up with RCN for their broadband cable.
This of course will change my on line scenario, as the port will now be open
all the time the system is on.
What I need to know is this;
RCN offers free Mcafee software and my experience with Mcafee is that it is
invasive to the registry and slows my system, which is not the best thing
when you need every once of performance for testing.
Will my present combination of AV and using the XP firewall be sufficient to
protect the system with the new broadband in operation or will I need to
make changes in the way I protect the computer?
Many thanks for any and all information.
Dudley
 
Thank you for taking the time to answer my post. Please bear with my long
version as its important to me that whoever answers this understand a unique
situation I have with the way I use my computer.
I've always used a simple dialup for my on line work and have not had any
virus issues at all using the EZAntiVirus from CA that I have installed.
Along with this, I use the XP in-house firewall. This combo has worked for
several years.
My situation is unique as I need my system as free of 3rd party software as
possible for the testing I do for developers producing add on software for
the Microsoft Flight Simulator program.
This being said, I have just signed up with RCN for their broadband cable.
This of course will change my on line scenario, as the port will now be open
all the time the system is on.
What I need to know is this;
RCN offers free Mcafee software and my experience with Mcafee is that it is
invasive to the registry and slows my system, which is not the best thing
when you need every once of performance for testing.
Will my present combination of AV and using the XP firewall be sufficient to
protect the system with the new broadband in operation or will I need to
make changes in the way I protect the computer?
Many thanks for any and all information.
Dudley
Click to expand...

In my experience, the native Windows firewall is sufficient to protect
against intrusion. You should be able to keep your current AV program.
In fact, I would recommend staying with it, since it works for you, and
you are familiar with it.

If you ever _do_ decide to change, I give two thumbs down; one each to
McAfee (Network Associates, Inc.), and the other to Norton (Symantec).
 
Dudley Henriques,
That is the exact combination that I use, Windows Firewall and CA EZ AV program.
It works quite well. just make sure that EZ AV signature files are kept up to
date.

You might consider the following since you are now using broadband:
1. Get yourself a router, so you can share service with other PC's in your home.
This will provide an additional firewall to your PC or networked PC's, that is
not as intrusive, as security
suites like McAffee or Norton. Even if you don't plan to network the service to
other PC's, it still is a good idea, and many are reasonably priced, even some
of the Wireless capable ones.

2. I personally run on a regular basis, the following free spyware detection
programs:
a. Ad-Aware www.lavasoft.com
b. SpyBot:S&D http://www.spybot.info/en/download/index.html
I use them both. Just in case one doesn't catch something, the other usually
does.

3. I have installed on my PC, "Windows Defender". I can't praise it, but as far
as I can tell, it's doing no harm. I preferred the previous MS AntiSpyware
program, that was originally created by "GIANT".

--
Have A Good Day
Rich/rerat
Add MS to your News Reader: news://msnews.microsoft.com
(RRR News) <message rule>


Thank you for taking the time to answer my post. Please bear with my long
version as its important to me that whoever answers this understand a unique
situation I have with the way I use my computer.
I've always used a simple dialup for my on line work and have not had any
virus issues at all using the EZAntiVirus from CA that I have installed.
Along with this, I use the XP in-house firewall. This combo has worked for
several years.
My situation is unique as I need my system as free of 3rd party software as
possible for the testing I do for developers producing add on software for
the Microsoft Flight Simulator program.
This being said, I have just signed up with RCN for their broadband cable.
This of course will change my on line scenario, as the port will now be open
all the time the system is on.
What I need to know is this;
RCN offers free Mcafee software and my experience with Mcafee is that it is
invasive to the registry and slows my system, which is not the best thing
when you need every once of performance for testing.
Will my present combination of AV and using the XP firewall be sufficient to
protect the system with the new broadband in operation or will I need to
make changes in the way I protect the computer?
Many thanks for any and all information.
Dudley
 
When these programs detect software they believe is spyware, do Ad-Aware and Spybot tell you what they are? Or do you just delete /uninstall everything these programs report?

Thanks in advance :)

--

.....
2. I personally run on a regular basis, the following free spyware detection
programs:
a. Ad-Aware www.lavasoft.com
b. SpyBot:S&D http://www.spybot.info/en/download/index.html
I use them both. Just in case one doesn't catch something, the other usually
does.
 
Thank you. My only additional question would be that I only have a single
computer in the house. I'm a bit confused as to whether or not I should use
a router along with RCN's modem for a single unit setup????
Dudley
 
Most routers use NAT. Check here for why that's good:
http://computer.howstuffworks.com/nat3.htm

"Implementing dynamic NAT automatically creates a firewall between your
internal network and outside networks, or between your internal network
and the Internet. NAT only allows connections that originate inside the
stub domain. Essentially, this means that a computer on an external
network cannot connect to your computer unless your computer has
initiated the contact. You can browse the Internet and connect to a
site, and even download a file; but somebody else cannot latch onto your
IP address and use it to connect to a port on your computer. "
 
Dudley Henriques said:
Thank you for taking the time to answer my post. Please bear with my long
version as its important to me that whoever answers this understand a
unique
situation I have with the way I use my computer.
I've always used a simple dialup for my on line work and have not had any
virus issues at all using the EZAntiVirus from CA that I have installed.
Along with this, I use the XP in-house firewall. This combo has worked for
several years.
My situation is unique as I need my system as free of 3rd party software
as
possible for the testing I do for developers producing add on software for
the Microsoft Flight Simulator program.
This being said, I have just signed up with RCN for their broadband cable.
This of course will change my on line scenario, as the port will now be
open
all the time the system is on.
What I need to know is this;
RCN offers free Mcafee software and my experience with Mcafee is that it
is
invasive to the registry and slows my system, which is not the best thing
when you need every once of performance for testing.
Will my present combination of AV and using the XP firewall be sufficient
to
protect the system with the new broadband in operation or will I need to
make changes in the way I protect the computer?
Many thanks for any and all information.
Dudley
Click to expand...

Basically agreeing with Norman and Rich. The router is an additional safety
level. The biggest danger, one that these do not protect against, comes
when you download something, click a link in email or open an email
attachment. As long as you're really careful about these you should be
quite safe.
 
Thanks Frank.
Dudley
Frank Saunders said:
Basically agreeing with Norman and Rich. The router is an additional
safety level. The biggest danger, one that these do not protect against,
comes when you download something, click a link in email or open an email
attachment. As long as you're really careful about these you should be
quite safe.
Click to expand...
 
Thanks. Interesting reading.
Were you on the team? I go way back with them and still have many friends on
the alumni?
Dudley Henriques
Past President International Fighter Pilots Fellowship
 
They usually they give you a warning first, and "ask" you, if you want to remove
it. With a brief description of the problem. Usually they save it in a
"quarantine" file. So you can restore it later, if you have too. Such as
identifying a program to run Online Games such as "Wild Tangent".

In most cases these programs can delete the problem, but there may be some nasty
spyware that may need additional removal software installed.


--
Have A Good Day
Rich/rerat
Add MS to your News Reader: news://msnews.microsoft.com
(RRR News) <message rule>


When these programs detect software they believe is spyware, do Ad-Aware and
Spybot tell you what they are? Or do you just delete /uninstall everything
these programs report?

Thanks in advance :)

--

.....
2. I personally run on a regular basis, the following free spyware detection
programs:
a. Ad-Aware www.lavasoft.com
b. SpyBot:S&D http://www.spybot.info/en/download/index.html
I use them both. Just in case one doesn't catch something, the other usually
does.
 
Thank you Rich. :)

--

They usually they give you a warning first, and "ask" you, if you want to remove
it. With a brief description of the problem. Usually they save it in a
"quarantine" file. So you can restore it later, if you have too. Such as
identifying a program to run Online Games such as "Wild Tangent".

In most cases these programs can delete the problem, but there may be some nasty
spyware that may need additional removal software installed.


--
Have A Good Day
Rich/rerat
Add MS to your News Reader: news://msnews.microsoft.com
(RRR News) <message rule>


When these programs detect software they believe is spyware, do Ad-Aware and
Spybot tell you what they are? Or do you just delete /uninstall everything
these programs report?

Thanks in advance :)

--

.....
2. I personally run on a regular basis, the following free spyware detection
programs:
a. Ad-Aware www.lavasoft.com
b. SpyBot:S&D http://www.spybot.info/en/download/index.html
I use them both. Just in case one doesn't catch something, the other usually
does.
 
You are quite welcomed.

--
Have A Good Day
Rich/rerat

Thank you Rich. :)

--

They usually they give you a warning first, and "ask" you, if you want to remove
it. With a brief description of the problem. Usually they save it in a
"quarantine" file. So you can restore it later, if you have too. Such as
identifying a program to run Online Games such as "Wild Tangent".

In most cases these programs can delete the problem, but there may be some nasty
spyware that may need additional removal software installed.


--
Have A Good Day
Rich/rerat
Add MS to your News Reader: news://msnews.microsoft.com
(RRR News) <message rule>


When these programs detect software they believe is spyware, do Ad-Aware and
Spybot tell you what they are? Or do you just delete /uninstall everything
these programs report?

Thanks in advance :)

--

.....
2. I personally run on a regular basis, the following free spyware detection
programs:
a. Ad-Aware www.lavasoft.com
b. SpyBot:S&D http://www.spybot.info/en/download/index.html
I use them both. Just in case one doesn't catch something, the other usually
does.
 
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