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chrisbe

I am not a network guru for starters. I have built a few home networks using
NAT and Windows 2000 Server before. Now I am in a new place and have three
computers running Windows XP. I have a cable modem hooked into a D-Link
wired and wireless router which is using NAT. In addition I have Zone Alarm
pro on each compter. I would like to share files and a printer between all
three. I used the XP Network wizard and it recommend not to set up a network
in this fashion since it would be insecure. The wizard recommend i use one
XP computer to share connections with the other. Does anyone have any
thoughts on this? I would rather not use connection sharing and I do not
want to setup a server.

Chris
 
If anything is 'insecure', and among the biggest pains in
the universe to administer and keep operational it's a
multi-honed Windows 2000/XP box, logical or physical.

While the built in firewalls that come with Network
Appliances like Dlink, Linksys, Netgear, etc., are
questionable in terms of total security, they do
accomplish the basics, and NAT (along with blocking
internal IP's from external viewing) is a *huge* one. If
this were me I'd let the router handle internal DHCP, and
set up a trusted network with Zone Alarm on each box for
your workgroup.

So the answer is 'yes', I'd just let each machine use the
router to handle the internet, and use the basic firewall
on the Dlink to handle front line security. Zone Alarm
should allow you to set up an internal trusted zone
because otherwise it will block protocols from each
machine to the other, which is pointless.
 
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