Windows Firewall needed?

  • Thread starter Thread starter PVR
  • Start date Start date
P

PVR

I have three PCs on a wireless network, one is Vista/1 and the other
two are XP/3. The wireless router (Linksys) is supposed to have a
firewall.

Do I need the Windows firewalls in any of the three PCs?

Many thanks,

Peter.
 
PVR said:
I have three PCs on a wireless network, one is Vista/1 and the other
two are XP/3. The wireless router (Linksys) is supposed to have a
firewall.

Do I need the Windows firewalls in any of the three PCs?
Click to expand...

While consumer-level routers do provide a small measure of safety, they are
not the same as a firewall appliance. You should use the Windows Firewall
on all of your computers. The Windows Firewall is perfectly adequate for
most users.

Malke
 
While consumer-level routers do provide a small measure of safety, they are
not the same as a firewall appliance. You should use the Windows Firewall
on all of your computers. The Windows Firewall is perfectly adequate for
most users.

Malke
Click to expand...


JI do have a router firewall, and have Windows firewall disabled.
Your answer made me thing (something I should be doing more of . . .)

Question: Is there any disadvantage to enabling the windows firewall in addition to the one
provided by the router? Slower transfer of data, perhaps?

Thanks, Malke!

__________________________________
johnn
__________________________________
"God is dead"
- Nietzsche (1844-1935)
"Nietzsche is dead"
- God
 
While consumer-level routers do provide a small measure of safety, they are
not the same as a firewall appliance. You should use the Windows Firewall
on all of your computers. The Windows Firewall is perfectly adequate for
most users.

Malke
Click to expand...

<<<<<Repeated to correct my atrocious spelling in the first post>>>>>

I do have a router firewall, and have Windows firewall disabled.
Your answer made me think (something I should be doing more of . . .)

Question: Is there any disadvantage to enabling the windows firewall in addition to the one
provided by the router? Slower transfer of data, perhaps?

Thanks, Malke!

__________________________________
johnn
__________________________________
"God is dead"
- Nietzsche (1844-1935)
"Nietzsche is dead"
- God
 
No there is no disadvantage to enabling the windows firewall and using your
router firewall, that is exactly how my system is setup. Router firewall is
enabled and Windows firewall.

--
John Barnett MVP
Windows XP Associate Expert
Windows Desktop Experience

Web: http://www.winuser.co.uk
Web: http://www.silversurfer-guide.com
Web: http://xphelpandsupport.mvps.org
Web: http://vistasupport.mvps.org


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JI do have a router firewall, and have Windows firewall disabled.
Your answer made me thing (something I should be doing more of . . .)

Question: Is there any disadvantage to enabling the windows firewall in addition to the one
provided by the router? Slower transfer of data, perhaps?

Thanks, Malke!
Click to expand...

There's no disadvantage, and there is an advantage. If one computer
on a LAN becomes infected with a worm, Windows Firewall on the other
computers can prevent them from becoming infected.
--
Best Wishes,
Steve Winograd, MS-MVP (Windows Desktop Experience)

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 Program
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com
 
There's no disadvantage, and there is an advantage. If one computer
on a LAN becomes infected with a worm, Windows Firewall on the other
computers can prevent them from becoming infected.
Click to expand...

Thank you, Steve! I have enabled the feature, and as you said:
there's no observable disadvantage.


_________________________
John
_________________________

"God is dead"
-- Nietzsche (1844-1900)
"Nietzsche is dead"
-- God
 
Thank you, Steve! I have enabled the feature, and as you said:
there's no observable disadvantage.
Click to expand...

You're welcome, John. :-)
--
Best Wishes,
Steve Winograd, MS-MVP (Windows Desktop Experience)

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 Program
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com
 
You're welcome, John.   :-)
--
Best Wishes,
Steve Winograd, MS-MVP (WindowsDesktop Experience)

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 Programhttp://mvp.support.microsoft.com
Click to expand...


I am plagued with a disadvantage.
Old wireless router quit. Installed new D-Link. Since then access to
several Net sites is considerably slower.
I would say it's common to have delays of 30 secs (by the clock) and
at times a minute or 1 min. 20 to access a site. That's unlike the
prior experience when access was USUALLY very quick. In other words,
since the new router, surfing has gone back to dialup speed or worse.
This tends to be worst on certain sites, eg search engines like
Google, Yahoo, other sites such as news sources,
Some sites seem not to be affected much.

Someone suggested disposing of all cookies from the bad sites. I did
try that and it helped somewhat.
Then i tried disabling Windows firewall. Pesto! I'm back to great
speed on all sites, even faster than before.

So, do I need that firewall, and if so how can I solve the surfing
problem?

hmt
 
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