hardware firewall

Caporegime
Joined
12 Mar 2004
Posts
29,913
Location
England
jmahoney said:
I have a linksys router and I am only using the hardware firewall.

My question is do I need a software firewall as well?

No.

The router blocks all incoming ports meaning no traffic can get through regardless of what it is so a software firewall would be pointless really.
 
Soldato
Joined
13 Jan 2004
Posts
12,197
Location
Inverness
Energize said:
No.

The router blocks all incoming ports meaning no traffic can get through regardless of what it is so a software firewall would be pointless really.


Would allow all outgoing traffic as well.

Unless you can garauntee you won't get any software installed that you don't want communication with it's evil creator, then get a software firewall.
 
Caporegime
Joined
12 Mar 2004
Posts
29,913
Location
England
You can tell it to block outgoing traffic as well. If nothing can come through in the first place though nothing is going to be installed and communicating.
 
Caporegime
Joined
12 Mar 2004
Posts
29,913
Location
England
Blocking all incoming ports doesn't affect useability of the internet otherwise it wouldn't be the default setting, if your on this forum, you have enough common sense not to download stuff off dodgey websites and will not be using internet explorer.

This is how I have been using my pc for the past 3 years and have never had any issues, nod32 antivirus never picks anything up either.
 
Soldato
Joined
7 Mar 2005
Posts
19,257
Location
LU7
Energize said:
No.

The router blocks all incoming ports meaning no traffic can get through regardless of what it is so a software firewall would be pointless really.
Just reiterating what Energize said. I used to run ZA Pro and NOD32. I then got a Netgear router and got rid of ZA Pro and have had no problems. As Energize says, the router stops stuff getting in so I can't see how you'd need a software firewall to stop stuff getting out if it can't get in in the first place.
 
Soldato
Joined
17 Aug 2003
Posts
20,158
Location
Woburn Sand Dunes
becuase there are rograms in windows you wouldnt want dialing out? becuase things you download could try to dial out when you dont want them to?


lots of reasons for it. its good sense to control what programs have internet access.
 
Soldato
Joined
7 Mar 2005
Posts
19,257
Location
LU7
james.miller said:
becuase there are rograms in windows you wouldnt want dialing out? becuase things you download could try to dial out when you dont want them to?


lots of reasons for it. its good sense to control what programs have internet access.
But if you look after your PC and control what you download then you would at least eliminate any security threats getting onto your PC. That is what I was getting at.
 
Caporegime
Joined
12 Mar 2004
Posts
29,913
Location
England
You can control outgoing information with a hardware firewall anyway, assuming you don't download stuff off dodgey websites then you wont have anything bad anyway and you will be fine.
 
Last edited:
Associate
Joined
20 Jul 2006
Posts
258
OK, lets try it this way, if you owned a bank, and had diamonds, gold etc in your vault, would you like the vault to have say 1 Steel Bolted door, or 2, adn would you like to set who can gain access to try to break your vault?

The vault is your computer, the door your firewalls and peopel trying to crack it = hackers and rogue programs/bugs.
 
Back
Top Bottom