Firewalls?

[Nabubrush]

Well, I'll be home in a week and I'll try that. We'll see if we have the internet back - we've had nothing but problems with Qwest, so who knows.

you have dsl, your modem, is it an internal modem (a card that was inserted into the computer) or an external modem?

if external, is it USB, or Network-based (network- the cord plug would look like an extra wide phone cord plug, usb- the cord would look nothing like a phone cord plug.)?

Well, I haven't actually seen it because I've been at work, but it's definitely external, and I'm 95% sure it's network-based.

Also, you people may know too much, because this is mostly way above my head. I'm hoping at the end of this someone will boil this down to a simple, three-step procedure for me.

[CortJstr]

0) Step 0 is stuff you should've been doing on dial-up anyway: have a virus scanner and update it frequently, use Windows Update (and Office Update, if you have MS Office), don't use the preview pane in e-mail programs, don't use IE if you can help it, and don't open strange attachments or lick people with open wounds.

1) This depends on if you have a router and if so, what brand.

2) Download the free version of ZoneAlarm and install it.

3) Go to www.grc.com and click "Shields Up!" on all ports. The test should come back green and happy. If not come back here for further advice.

[Asherdan]

Green boards on all tests, according to those folks it's stealthy around here.

[CortJstr]

Green boards on all tests, according to those folks it's stealthy around here.

Inviso High Five!

::smack::

w00t!

[AlohaDawg]

I'm happy to report that this OLD machine with the EZ Firewall supplied free by my Cable Company is also all green and happy. Which makes me all green and happy.

[arkabee]

I'd heard that PC Conceal was a god among firewalls but that MacAfee claimed they aquired it to integrate into and improve their own product. But in reality they just wanted the competition gone because the code bases were so different integration was impossible.

they probably couldn't figure out how to use it...

and to add my "me too":

- outlook & outlook express are horrid security nightmares.  that said, i've run outlook/outlook express for a long time.  keeping up to date with AV updates, OS updates, and application updates plus disabling preview pane AND running something like zone alarm that's going to yell if something goes rampant AND generally being able to "keep an eye" on my system has allowed me to not (to my knowledge.... and that's nightmare inducing in and of itself) get infected/compromised.  And the fact that i have to list those caveats is the best reason i can think of NOT to use Outlook or OE.  Eudora is gem.  not sure about Mozilla stuff, last time i screwed around with that "stuff" was Netscape 4 on a mac. *shudder*.  Webmail systems (as much as i hate hotmail) are great in certain circumstances.

- if you are running a MS Windows OS, do your windows updates religiously.

- if you are on the internet, budget $50/yr for Antivirus Software.  (and to drift further... how "hide under the bed and whimper" frightening is the idea of MS "integrating" AV in future OS releases?  agree with whoever said "XP's firewall is horrid", it's better not to use anything than to falsely _rely_ on it to do anything to protect you. )

- thunderbird's preview pane.  i have no experience with thunderbird.  i should, but that's a long story.  it very well might be "safe", but given that it runs on top of an unsecured OS, and the fact that i personally don't like preview panes, and that to me preview pane screams "the application will now be doing things without you telling it to, so sit back and relax, we know best", i'd still be and would be and will be leery of it.  dependent upon how it interprets html, etc, or any scripting language or non-text only content i just am not sure what the app is going to allow to be passed onto the OS, which again has many flaws.

- i highly recommend the combination of lavasoftusa.com's AdAware and Spybots Search and Destroy, not just for the anti-spyware detection, but for the anti-malware detection.  I've had AV software go "wonky" and not detect klez variants, etc, and the anti-malware combo detect it and remove it.  it's free, it's a great additional piece of mind.

- P2P apps etc, and being "safe" by using a firewall.  whenever you are running somone else's App, you have to trust that they know what they are doing AND that they have your best interests at heart.  witness Kazaa, with embedded spyware.  ok, so you use Kazaa Lite, no spyware.  but, who are these people, and what does their application REALLY do?  At some point paranoia will stop you from being able to use your computer, which is counterproductive to using your computer safely.

but, it's important to never say "oh, i'm doing X, Y, and Z, there's NO WAY that i'm infected, compromised, etc." there's always a possibility that some new problem has occured, and if your system is acting wonky, pay attention to it.

[CortJstr]

- if you are on the internet, budget $50/yr for Antivirus Software.  (and to drift further... how "hide under the bed and whimper" frightening is the idea of MS "integrating" AV in future OS releases????  agree with whoever said "XP's firewall is horrid", it's better not to use anything than to falsely _rely_ on it to do anything to protect you. )

$50/yr?!

Supposedly the firewall will actually somewhat functional in this summer's SP.

- thunderbird's preview pane.  i have no experience with thunderbird.  i should, but that's a long story.  it very well might be "safe", but given that it runs on top of an unsecured OS, and the fact that i personally don't like preview panes

90% of the security of Thunderbird/Firefox is because they don't support ActiveX. Granted that's what a lot of malware relies on but there are still enough other sneaky tactics out there that I say No Preview Panes Period is a good rule.

- P2P apps etc, and being "safe" by using a firewall....  witness Kazaa, with embedded spyware.  ok, so you use Kazaa Lite, no spyware.  but, who are these people, and what does their application REALLY do?

Safe here is just a relative term. Running a decent P2P client like bitTorrent or eMule with PeerGuardian, Ad-Aware, SB S&D, an AV, and ZA isn't totally safe but it's the safest you can be. It's like wearing pads and headgear while wrestling. You're doing something inherently dangerous but taking all reasonable steps to lower the risk level.

[AugustWest]

Personally, I've always been fond of You Are the Woman (That I've Always Dreamed Of...), although Just Remember I Love You is pretty OK too.

[arkabee]

$50/yr?!

well, i pimp the hell out of NAV, Mcafee pissed me off in 97/98 or so with it's near impossibleness to update, but i'm sure it works i just hate it. i'd assume it's about the same price as nav.  f-prot, i liked, but haven't used in a long while.  the other ones, i dunno, i just don't trust 'em.  avg free is better than nothing, i guess.

what do you use and what do you recommend?

Supposedly the firewall will actually somewhat functional in this summer's SP.

i'm assuming this is one of those comments that in real life i would raise my eyebrow to and you would chuckle.

Safe here is just a relative term. Running a decent P2P client like bitTorrent or eMule with PeerGuardian, Ad-Aware, SB S&D, an AV, and ZA isn't totally safe but it's the safest you can be. It's like wearing pads and headgear while wrestling. You're doing something inherently dangerous but taking all reasonable steps to lower the risk level.

amen.

[slink]

Supposedly the firewall will actually somewhat functional in this summer's SP.

You trust what they say is functional?
Eeek!
If I don't trust BlackIce for their partnering with MS, I'm sure as hell not oging to trust MS themselves.

Plus, I still haven't dared try XP again. It was too scary for my utilitarian sensibilities.
As far as server I run Apache, so IIS can go fuck itself, and as for the whole media player fiasco of late - who hasn't switched to Media Player Classic, found at sourceforge.net?

[CortJstr]

well, i pimp the hell out of NAV, Mcafee pissed me off in 97/98 or so with it's near impossibleness to update
...
what do you use and what do you recommend?

I left McAfee for the same reason. I use Norton simply as the default alternate. But I'm confused because the main program costs like $50 but subscriptions are only like $10 last time I checked.

Supposedly the firewall will actually somewhat functional in this summer's SP.

Read "somewhat functional" as "not actively destructive." Having the current wall on actually hinders your connection and stops P2P's from connecting. I've heard from a couple sources that the Service Pack 2 version isn't a good (or even adequate) firewall but it also doesn't actively screw up your connections.

who hasn't switched to Media Player Classic, found at sourceforge.net?

This confused me. All versions of windows come with Media Player 6.4 still hidden (run "mplayer2" sans quotes) so how is Media Player Classic different?

Yesterday I decided to try out BSPlayer based on this recommendation but I haven't had a chance to install it yet.

[slink]

This confused me. All versions of windows come with Media Player 6.4 still hidden (run "mplayer2" sans quotes) so how is Media Player Classic different?

Well. Newer version of Media Player suck nastily (anything post 6), so they are best avoided. And Media Player 6 has negatives.
Media Player Classic is faster, more stable and less hassle than mplayer2. It isn't embedded in Windows which always helps!
It supports playlists and has many options not available in your normal player.
Take a look here


The other thing I was going to address, is a warning about Norton.
Don't let it try to fix a hard drive. If you ever have a bad sector show up in Norton, do not let it do anything about it! I have watched both Mac and PC Hard Drives destroyed because of Norton fuck*ng about with them, in various versions of Norton. This is the sole reason I have never used Norton.
I know you can run only AntiVirus, but I don't trust a company who have killed so many HD's around me!

And of course for DVD's NVDVD (easily cracked) kicks everything elses ass.

[arkabee]

I left McAfee for the same reason. I use Norton simply as the default alternate. But I'm confused because the main program costs like $50 but subscriptions are only like $10 last time I checked.

hmmm.  the last couple of re-subscribes customers have tried have been approx 30bucks.  regardless, though, my statement "i recomend budgeting $50/yr for AV if you are on the internet" is a budget.  if you can find NAV for 15bucks, grab it, ya?  often times staying a release behind can be far cheaper.

and, resubscribe online, great for a version or two, but after awhile nav2k1 just doesn't cut it, ya know waddimean?  i'm not a big fan of the online AV subscribes, because i've seen people get sooo pissed after they've formatted and not had tth cd. YMMV obviously and all that.

who hasn't switched to Media Player Classic, found at sourceforge.net?

me.  i use an old winamp.

[slink]

me.  i use an old winamp.

I am talking for divx purposes here.
I use Winamp for audio, unless mixing in which case I use the old version of DJS that allows individual apps assignable to whatever soundcard I wish.
Anything but Winamp just doesn't cut it for typical music use, but it just doesn't do for movie files for me. Not even the newer plugins and versions that support video. Too clunky for video.

[CortJstr]

I just installed the BSPlayer and it's dandy. Support for lots of formats, comes with 5 dandy full-mod skins and damned near every fuction allows you to customize two shortcut keys (and "out of the box" almost all the keys are the Winamp defaults). There's a dandy desktop mode in addition to full screen, about 700 video output options, and image capture in two sizes (full or WhatUSee).

The only three complaints I have are there's no FF or rewind buttons in the GUI (although changed the shortcuts to right/left works nicely), there's only one FF speed, and the seek bar is bit touchy.

Only the whole it shames everything else I've used.