QUESTION ABOUT FIREWALLS

[pyrate83]

I just upgraded from dial-up to roadrunner. First let me say holy-shit that's fast. Now on to my question. I was using a free firewall called Sygate Personal Firewall when I was on dial up. Now, I don't know if I need anything stronger or not since I am on a much faster connection. My modem is hooked up to a router so I don't know if the router helps or not? What do you think.
Thanks

[Capmaster]

I just upgraded from dial-up to roadrunner. First let me say holy-shit that's fast. Now on to my question. I was using a free firewall called Sygate Personal Firewall when I was on dial up. Now, I don't know if I need anything stronger or not since I am on a much faster connection. My modem is hooked up to a router so I don't know if the router helps or not? What do you think.
Thanks

The need for a more robust firewall with broadband comes from the fact that you're connected all the time and not from the speed increase. I personally use Sygate's Personal Firewall and have been happy with it. QUite often I'll look through the log and see repeated attempts to violate the firewall .....probably someone fishing for an open system.

Your router should have a hardware firewall built in unless it's really ancient.

[mujahid7ia]

Routers have great hardware firewalls. You can set up rules and do very advanced things with them. IMO, a hardware firewall makes a software one redundant... Paranoia

[pyrate83]

Yes you're both right my router does have a built-in 128 bit encryption on it plus it sounds like my sygate personal firewall is still good to use.
Thanks for the info!

[808smokey]

Zone Alarm for me

[Solarjetman]

A router just by itself provides adaquate protection from most attacks. I still suggest people runn a software firewall on their computer, but since its only secondary, you could get by with any program you like best.

Case in point, My software firewall has not been triggered once since I installed my router a few years ago.

And no, that is not an invintation for hackers to try.

[808smokey]

A router just by itself provides adaquate protection from most attacks. I still suggest people runn a software firewall on their computer, but since its only secondary, you could get by with any program you like best.

Case in point, My software firewall has not been triggered once since I installed my router a few years ago.

And no, that is not an invintation for hackers to try.

2nd that. hardware firewalls rule over software.

[HillJack]

If you're behind a properly configured hardware firewall/router, you are pretty safe from the outside world.

Keeping a software firewall installed and running is good for YOU having the control over what programs can and cannot "phone home" without your knowledge.

A Linksys WRT54G and Kerio v2.1.5 for me baby

[pyrate83]

Thanks for all of the help guys. Funny thing though, now that I am behind the Windows XP firewall, Sygate's Personal Firewall, and my router's firewall, I have had zero logs of anyone trying to scan my computer which I seemed to get when I was on dial up. I feel pretty safe now.

[F1118]

Sygate is a wonderful software firewall ... No offense but Zone Alarm is junk compared to Sygate.