NWA-PCUG Newsletter
Article, October 2004
How And When To Enable Windows XP's Firewall
by Linda Gonse,
Editor, Orange County IBM Users’ Group, California
Most users are aware of a need for an antivirus program and a firewall in order to be protected from regular, daily Internet threats.
What some may not know is that Windows XP has a built-in firewall. While it lacks the bells and whistles of a full version firewall, such as Norton or Zone Alarm, it is still useful.
You can enable it by going to Control Panel and clicking on the Network Connection icon. In the Connections window, right click on the name of your connection and click on Properties in the drop-down menu. Click on the Advanced tab. Check the box next to "Protect my computer and network by limiting or preventing access to this computer from the Internet." Then, click OK.
Follow these steps each time you wish to enable the firewall for other Internet connections on your computer.
But, before enabling XP's firewall, you should be aware of these points:
- It must not be used through software or hardware routers.
- It only works on incoming Internet traffic, not outgoing traffic from spy-ware, Trojan viruses, or hacker tools.
- On local area networks (LANs) with other computers, it will block File and Printer Sharing.
- It can be turned on or off for each of your dial-ups, LAN, or high-speed Internet connections.
There is no restriction against any non-profit group using this article as long as it is kept in context with proper credit given the author. The Editorial Committee of the Association of Personal Computer User Groups (APCUG), an international organization of which this group is a member, brings this article to you.
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