ok...
because of the Hackings/Crackings these days i´ve got a question....

What Firewall are u using or don´t u use any Firewall and why not?
Are Firewalls good or useless?

write ur arguments!

I´m using a bundle of my ISP (Telekom) called PSS, it has an intergrated (complex)Firewall + Virus-Scanner.
therefore is used McAfee Virusscan+Firewall and i was very impressed about it, but now i have this new one, because the year is over for using McAfee (license).

Why I´m using a Firewall.....if u use a Firewall, look @ its log-File!!! *smile*
and otherwise u can control what progs can call @home/M$

none - firewalls are useless and just cause problems

Nope. With a firewall you have complete controll which software tries to access the internet.
Nasty Realplayer for example, gainware in DivX, Microsoft Tools and others.

My favorite is:

[ads start]Sygate Personal Firewall, the best in my eyes. I am a long time user of the and it works very fine for me[/ads end]

Kidding with ads, in my eyes the SPF is the best.

*smile*

we´ve got the same line @degger

@mertsch
and do u use a Virus-Scanner instead?

;-) Oh, i forgot NAV 2004 as virus and bad script killer

hmmmm stop tools from accessing internet ??? I dunno what tools you install but mine do not access the internet ... who installs spyware ? who uses realplayer ? and who uses divx with adware ?
just a little tip in the divx case you do not need to use it illegal when you do not want to encode .... just get the PRO installation ... and abort registration ... now you have codec installed without adware ... you can DL pro directly from Divx dot com
Kaspersky AV

and as I said If I have to use a firewall I would use Sygate or XP SP2 firewall

where do u know if a prog wants to call home if ur not using a firewall which tells you that?
almost every prog i start, mostly MS progs , other too, and many games with no Multiplayer, too.
ok , realplayer is not installed on my breadmachine.there are too much better video player out there.

i don´t know that all progs will be blocked to call home, M$ will have a backdoor to spy us all, maybe. so we´ll never be safe !
and then we don´t have to use Win Update, maybe that´s the biggest spy prog!!

:knife:

I use Smoothwall on a P200 as my filewall, it keeps everything out and my ADSL safe

Personally, I find that a combination of hardware and software is the safest way to go. For inbound detection (hackers) I use a SOHOware Broadguard NBG800 router with built-in hardware firewall. It is about the most inexpensive router out there that incorporates the "stateful packet inspection" mechanism and is bulletproof. My system can't even be pinged, let alone broken into.

On the outbound side, I use Norton Internet Security 2001. Any of the versions will work though and if you put it in MANUAL mode, you'll be amazed at how many processes actually do try and access the Internet (most of them are just checking for updates). In manual mode, you can pick and choose which one(s) you allow to access the outside world and create very specific rules that apply to them all (protocols and port numbers).

On the Broadguard router, I have it set up to email me whenever someone tries to break into my system. It doesn't happen very often but when it does, the router "learns" and after a few attempts, it permanently blocks the IP address of the offending hacker. In the case of on-line games or remote control software, it provides port-forwarding features that allow you to determine which port (and protocol) to pass [what you consider to be safe] packets to on any system connected to the router (it can handle up to 255 systems).

It's a broadband/DSL router, by the way, and is totally transparent once it's configured and running. You access it via 192.168.1.1 through a browser and it's a snap to set up. I have it connected to a Motorola SB5100 cable modem and I'm averaging around 3MB/sec on downloads, which is pretty good for Southern California. It's also a Domain Name Server (DNS) as well and I've got all the systems connected to it on static IPs.

So, if you want to cover ALL the bases (inbound as well as outbound), there's only one way to approach the problem --- use a router with built-in hardware firewall (for inbound attacks) and some sort of software firewall (like NIS) for applications/scripts/worms/etc. that attempt outbound connections (to whoever). Nothing will get in OR out without you knowing about it. Period.

Later.

sorry, but thats true BS
and I really hate ppl. saying that especially you ...
Windows is NO spyware thats BS I do not know what you have installed that you firewall reports that shit but its simply not true
1. auto update can be deaktivated
2. I do not know where u know from that windows update is spyware ?!
someone said that BS and everybody believes this
there are numerous reports that windows update DOES NOT SEND ANY PERSONAL INFORMATION!!!
it just sends the windows which is just normal and the hardware the key is generated from BUT YOU AGREE THAT its well known
... office never connected internet as long as I used it ...
maybe you firewall is just misconfigured showing every prog to connect internet or maybe u just use the wrong ones !
when I tested any public firewall over 2 weeks I never had any strange happening else the lsass.exe from MS but if you look over what it does ....
and if games send informations this could be update or CDKEY check also here u may play the wrong games .. else then Warcraft 3 no game wanted to connect internet

....
"and I really hate ppl. saying that especially you"

woah.....come slow down
whats up with ya?

so....Win Update...ok, if u/Websites say, than this could be ok
....Office....plus other progs... they may only send files if ur online !?!
they almost NEVER open an internet connection !?!
but always u enter any site, u left some footsteps that can be returned to you....and they know some things about you (Gläserner User) and not everybody wants that, even they have nothing to hide.

not with me .... with 70% of all users...
anybody says MS is bad ... MS is spyware ... MS is just one big bug ...
thats just BS
Windows is simply great and since XP its awesome
and if MS would contain spyware ... huh what do you think ? they could bring millions of illegal users to jail
and if you use your OS with caution and take care about it it will run like charm - the sentense "the biggest bug is sitting in front of the PC" is 95% true
sure there are bugs that haven't been fixed up to now and hey most virus attack windows systems - but why ?
because 95% do use windows and thats why 95% of all attacks go against MS
hmmm and why do ppl. not switch to other OS ?
because there is no real alternative - linux may have less bugs but its for most user unusuable
hmmmm and why is Linux looking more and more like windows ? got an answere to that ? I do ...
And if you ask the REAL Linux geeks they will tell you that an unconfigured Linux is just as unsecure as windows

but back to topic ... I my eyes firewalls are useless if you use the right tools/apps which do not contain spyware or want to harm you then there is no problem
I have my PC running 24/7 since years and NEVER had any problem with that sure sometimes someone want to login your FTP server and someone messanger pops up telleing you some cool things how to enlarge your .... but all those things can be shut down / prevented
without firewalls or things like that
and if you want a REAL firewall you got to use a router or any other hardware device .... a firewall can be hacked just like any other software can ou just have to know how

again ... if someone wants to harm you he can do it ... firewall or not

Not to get off the subject, but we've gotten WAY off the subject here. You may want to consider starting a new "Windoze bashers vs. Windoze defenders" thread and duke it out in there. I thought this thread was originally created to discuss FIREWALLS and not Microsoft products.

Later.

your so right...
but sometimes we´re going a little bit away....*smile*
sorry