Firewall software

A firewall software is a program that runs inside your computer and blocks unwanted network traffic, . Firewall Software is a necessity for any laptop computer, especially one that connects to the Internet from a variety of locations. Wherever your laptop goes, so too goes your firewall, because it’s right there inside. But if you have a desktop computer and you connect to the Internet using a dial-up modem, you’ve got to get a software firewall to protect it. Sometimes software firewalls are known as personal firewalls, so named because they are your very own.


Some major antivirus companies have firewall software in their product families; some of them have all-in-one products that include antivirus, antispam, firewall, and other components. There are also some good software firewall products that have no affiliation with antivirus companies

Check if your windows firewall software is on or off

If you have Windows Vista or Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) running on your computer, you can check to see if your firewall is turned on through the Windows Security Center:

Click Start, and then click Control Panel.

Click Security Center, and then click Windows Firewall.


If you have Windows XP, but you don't have Service Pack 2 running on your computer, you can download it by visiting Microsoft Update. You can also take the following steps to make sure the firewall is turned on:

Click Start, and then click Control Panel.

Click Network and Internet Connections, and then click Network Connections. Tip If the Network and Internet Connections category is not visible, click Switch to Category View in the upper left corner of the window.

Under the Dial-Up or LAN or High Speed Internet category, click the icon to select the connection that you want to help protect.

In the task pane on the left, under Network Tasks, click Change settings of this connection (or right-click the connection you want to help protect, and then click Properties).

On the Advanced tab, under Internet Connection Firewall, make sure the box is checked next to Protect my computer and network by limiting or preventing access to this computer from the Internet. If a check mark is in the box, the firewall is on. If the box is clear, the firewall is off and your computer is potentially vulnerable on the Internet.


If you have a different version of Windows, such as Windows 2000, Windows Millennium Edition, or Windows 98, you should obtain a hardware or software firewall from another company and install it. You can check the manuals of your home networking devices, such as wireless access points or broadband routers, to determine if they include built-in hardware firewalls. If you don't know if a firewall software is on your computer, you can check in the All Programs folder. Click Start, and then click All Programs. Look for a firewall program. Some common brand names for software firewalls for home users include McAfee, Symantec, and Tiny Personal Firewall.

Purchasing firewall software

If you’re in the market for antivirus software, or would consider upgrading or switching brands, then it is better go go for all-in-one PC security products serious consideration. Some companies with such offerings include:

Norton Internet Security from Symantec: Included in this bundle are antivirus, firewall, privacy control, antispam, and parental control.www.symantec.com

Internet Security Suite from McAfee: This bundle includes antivirus, firewall, antispam, and privacy control. www.mcafee.com

PC-Cillin Internet Security from Trend Micro: This includes antivirus for your PC and for your PDA, spamfiltering, privacy protection, and antispyware. www.trendmicro.com

When they are configured correctly, there is little — if anything — to do on a firewall software. If you’re using a software firewall that asks you whether the so-and-so program should be permitted to access the Internet, you’ll still see these messages from time to time.

In most cases, you need never look at the logs in which the entries for blocked communications are kept. You’re hiring the firewall to keep everyone out, but not necessarily to tell you who they all are.



Make sure that you’re apprised of any upgrades in your firewall software. Sometimes flaws are found that need to be fixed, and improvements come along from time to time. To make sure that your firewall software is kept up to date, configure your firewall program to check automatically for updates or add yourself to the firewall company’s e-mail distribution list.

With ZoneAlarm and other similar programs, you need to pay close attention to those pop-up dialog boxes that ask if the so-and-so program should be allowed to communicate to the Internet. Viruses and worms that attempt to communicate to other computers will be blocked, only if you answer "no." If you don’t pay attention and you answer "yes," "yes," "yes" to every program that comes up without reading them, then you may as well not waste your time and money on a firewall.

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