RJK
Mon Sep 01 07:22:24 PDT 2008
Well I'm blowed ! I worked on a PC a couple of months ago that was using a
SmartAX adsl modem, and inaddition to the menu labelling in it being a whole
world unto itself !! ...I also noticed that the "firewall" seemed to be
broken into two parts, after I'd tweaked it around as best I could -
www.grc.com 's "Shields Up" reported that lots of ports were actively being
detected by GRC as "blocked" rather than "Stealthed" ...as he calls it,
...which can attract attention to those ports of course because they're
responding as blocked, instead of simply denying access and not responding !
Despite the ambiguous menu labelling inside that SmartAX, it seemd to
require that NAT, (again - ambiguously not labelled as such if I recall
correctly), and the other "Firewall" options to be enabled. Trying to
match up some of the options in that modem with more common terms for them
was VERY difficult, I remember. Hers was a adsl modem + 2 or 4 port router,
made in China, and supplied by her UK ISP "TalkTalk"
...I can remember not liking it at all !
regards, Richard
"Peter in New Zealand" <peterbalplug@extra.co.nz> wrote in message
news:g9gi4s$8i5$1@lust.ihug.co.nz...
> Thanks for the comments. I agree some software just doesn't seem able to
> do without it's umbilical. I always try to disable all calling home that
> is unnecessary, apart from, as you say, antivirus software and so on. My
> question was prompted by the fact that the SmartAX ADSL2+ MT882 modem I am
> using now has a part of it's config setup that has "enable" and "disable"
> for a firewall, so I assumed it has some sort of firewall built in like
> the old DLink did. Curious thing is that the manual for it simply doesn't
> mention anything about a firewall. Hence my question.
>
> UPDATE: Just did some more digging on the Internet and found that it does
> indeed have a firewall built in. So I guess I just answered my own
> question. My thanks again to those who helped with ideas and comments.
>
> --
> Peter in New Zealand. (Email address is fake)
> Collector of old cameras, tropical fish fancier, good coffee nutter, and
> compulsive computer fiddler.
>
>
> "RJK" <notatospam@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:Ok6MEdBDJHA.5060@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
>> Some people will relate that a software firewall in addition to a NAT is
>> not necessary. They're the clever clogs who know what they are doing !
>> I love it when the odd one of those, (who always proclaim that all that
>> is needed is for one to be "web-savvy" and "never open that unsolicited
>> email etc. ...and practice safe surfing habits etc.), get something
>> nasty which has slipped past all their web-savviness :-)
>>
>> My view is that considering that so much software, that ends up in a PC
>> is web-enabled, (and that software writers seem continually to be
>> insisting in their software that it needs to scuttle along to its' home
>> web-site for various reasons), that I like to be notified when something
>> lurking in the background raises its' head with the intention of
>> communicating with its' home web-site !
>>
>> I don't want all the free "runtime" software such as Adobe reader, and
>> Sun Java, and various application programs to be continually checking
>> with their home site to see if an upgrade is available, for a whole
>> multitude of reasons !! And I've found that some software still tries
>> to 'get out' even after digging right through it to switch off
>> "automatic check for updates," so it makes one wonder just what some of
>> the software writers are up to !
>>
>> Exceptions are of couse a/v and and other trusted, (and uninfected!),
>> software which is best given permission to collect regular updates.
>>
>> The main attraction of a good 3rd party software firewall, for myself, is
>> that it monitors for, and alerts you to "unauthorized outbound connection
>> attempts", in addition to "unauthorized inbound connection attempts," and
>> for myself helps me to keep and eye on software in my PC that tries to
>> get out, even after telling it "No" :-)
>>
>> regards, Richard
>>
>>
>> "Peter in New Zealand" <peterbalplug@extra.co.nz> wrote in message
>> news:g9g4r4$il$1@lust.ihug.co.nz...
>>> For some years I have had a LAN with four computers at home, based on a
>>> DLink DSL504T modem/router also providing access to the Internet. With
>>> the
>>> kids all grown up and gone now-a-days I decided to simplify everything.
>>> My
>>> one remaining machine now connects to the Internet via a SmartAX ADSL2+
>>> MT882 modem using the ethernet port.
>>>
>>> The old DLink had a hardware firewall built in, and I also ran a
>>> software
>>> firewall on each individual computer. My question is, now with a
>>> firewall also in
>>> the new modem, and no LAN any more, do I really need a software firewall
>>> on
>>> my single machine as well any more? I am running Windows XP SP3 with the
>>> Windows firewall enabled at present.
>>>
>>> Many thanks for any advice offered.
>>>
>>> --
>>> Peter in New Zealand. (Email address is fake)
>>> Collector of old cameras, tropical fish fancier, good coffee nutter, and
>>> compulsive computer fiddler.
>>>
>>
>>
>
>