Topic: router + firewall

[Mustapha Phagg]

Not sure if this is the right place but here goes.

Have the router firewall set up and the shilds up test comes back as ports closed. Now i know "stealthed" is better but the configuration is too complicated for me, so if i run a normal software firewall as well will it do the job if anyone gets past the router.

Wish!! if only the other half of my brain was working i'd be a genius. :dream:

[Adept]

Did you download the IP Agent software from the GRC site Mustapha?

For the most reliable results you are
invited to use our FREE IP Agent:

The ShieldsUP! tests depend upon accurately determining your computer's Internet Protocol (IP) address. If your IP address is incorrectly determined the wrong machine will be mistakenly tested. In addition, computers with multiple network connections ? like a modem and a network adapter ? can have more than one IP address. And machines with only one IP address can have it effectively "hidden" or "masqueraded" if the connection passes through any sort of firewall, proxy server, or other buffering agent.

IP Agent easily manages all such complications. It determines your machine's current IP address ? or addresses ? then contacts this ShieldsUP! website for you. If your machine had a single IP address you'll be taken right to the main ShieldsUP! page. If more than one IP address was found you'll be able to choose among the available addresses.

As far as I know, if your ports are closed, they are not vulnerable to hacking. It is possible that because the ports are visible on the net (as opposed to stealthed) your IP will attract more "attention" than otherwise, simply because the hackers know there is a computer there.

It's entirely possible that your router only closes ports and doesn't stealth them

Have you tried the tests at www.pcflank.com BTW?

[Mustapha Phagg]

Cheers Adept: Checked with pcplank and it shows the same as shields up. The router is capable of stealthing the ports it's just too complicated for me to work out.
That's why i asked if a software firewall as well as the router would be ok.

[Clive]

I used to use Zone Alarm with my router firewall and the only problem I found was that some websites such as Yahoo couldn't be accessed.  If I disabled ZA (it only takes a second) then everything was fine.  Once I had finished with that website I could then rearm ZA.  However I then discovered that my router stealthed everything by itself so I uninstalled Zone Alarm.  I can't give you any more help though as Adept set it all up for me.  

[Mustapha Phagg]

Thanks Clive, i'll just have to get the old grey cells working and have a go at it. Shame they don't set the firewall up when you buy it.

[Mustapha Phagg]

Cracked it, found some instructions on how to stealth the firewall, had to make a new "rule".

So took a chance that it would not totally mess up the whole bloody lot and stuck it in. Worked a treat, and now the router is purring along and it's firewall the same.

[Clive]

I can almost see the smug, satisfied look on your face from here Mustapha.  Nothing better than solving something for yourself is there?  Thats what I've heard anyway.   :heehee: