HTPC and AV vs performance

[thepharcyde]

I have a HTPC that only connects to the net to pull down the guide for Media Centre. I never use it for the internet for surfing as I use my laptop for this. Question. Any programs I install have been virus checked on my laptop etc.

If there any harm that can come to my HTPC without having a AV installed? I am behind a router which has its own firewall. and my Wireless ID hidden.

Reason behind not having one installed is updates, during a movie can cause pauses so want disc activity kept to a minimum

 

[Bomag]

I use an old version of Norton AV on my HTPC with all the automatic updates, live scanning etc turned off. Once I week I do a manual scan and then spybot.

 

[BigBoy]

Personally i dont use any AV or firewall. Aslong as your sensible and dont do anything stupid there is not reason why you would need either.

My htpc only connects to get the tv guide and i have never had a problem.

My Rule.

"If you know that software has come for somewhere you trust, then its all ok"

 

[masterluke]

You will more often than not be ok without AV software. However virus's have other ways of getting on the system than just email and web surfing. Sometimes an exploit is discovered that would allow your machine to get infected anyway. Under these circumstances - machines like yours can get forgotten and can act as slaves which can then go on to reinfect many other machines. MS will usually patch the exploit but that may be too late.

IMO the responsible thing to do is to install some AV software, make sure it works, and make windows auto-update, and check it works.

Its not like installing it will make much impact on performance so you might as well.

 

[Spider]

I run AV software just to be safe, but set the update times for 5am so it does it while im in bed....never had any problems with it interfering with the HTPC.

I run NOD32 which is light anyway....

 

[BigBoy]

You will more often than not be ok without AV software. However virus's have other ways of getting on the system than just email and web surfing. Sometimes an exploit is discovered that would allow your machine to get infected anyway. Under these circumstances - machines like yours can get forgotten and can act as slaves which can then go on to reinfect many other machines. MS will usually patch the exploit but that may be too late.

IMO the responsible thing to do is to install some AV software, make sure it works, and make windows auto-update, and check it works.

Its not like installing it will make much impact on performance so you might as well.

This happening through a NAT router is VERY rare as the router points the external IP at its self! Internal IP's are only accessed when specific informantion is passed from the computer to the router.