Firewalls

The router's firewall and the Microsoft firewall protect you from outside attacks only.  If a trojan somehow gets installed on one of your computers, the router's firewall and the Microsoft firewall will not detect the attack from within the network.  There is really no reason to disable the Microsoft firewall while using the router.  In fact, Windows XP SP2 will bug you all the time with security warnings if you turn off the Windows firewall without running another software firewall.

Steve

i still like having the windows filewall on ... if someone breaches your wireless network, they will have lan-side access and all your machines will be less protected.  windows firewall will let you trust the IP addresses of the other computers on your network and keep others out.

i generally think 3rd party firewalls are a waste ;p

When running the router firewall set up and Windows firewall; --would that not "slow the computer down considerable"?  Right now with no router in place and just Windows firewall, spyware software and anti-virus , pop up blocker set via XP -pk2 via internet options-- this 5 year old Dell P3 with 650 ram,,seems to run slow,, more often slow can be noticed when the firewall is enabled.

You don't say which older computer you have, what processor speed it has, or how much memory it has.  On all of my systems with plenty of memory and CPU speeds greater than 1 Ghz, there is no noticeable slowdown using any firewall program.  On older systems with less CPU speed and less memory, it is the CPU/memory that limits the speed.

Steve

I am running a Dell Dimension XPS 650rt (appro yr 2000) P-3 with 640 ram, Windows XP -sp2, 27.2  gig harddrive, Windows XP firewall , Computer Associates-EZ Antivirus, MSFT Antispyware (beta 1) off Cox Communications ( cable internet) via a Motorola Surfboard -SB4100 cable modem,coxial from a 4 years new direct inbound cables (only splitter is at wall outlet that splits the signal to 1 tv and low voltage to the modem (all inbound signals has been metered three times by Cox-- found to be strong with no signal lost)

I have a question for the 2nd post in here. I also have a firewalled Linksys router, and a firwalled Cisco Systems LAN card for my laptop. I used to have Norton Internet Security 2004 on it, it worked for about 4-6 months, then I had problems with it. Which I think allowed a virus, or something of the kind, into my system, which really messed it up. I took it to my school's IT guy, and he said not to load Norton back on, because the router and card's fierwalls are the best bet. So I did what he said, and 2 weeks later, I think a worm infected my computer, and no my hard drive has gone bad. Now that I have a new one, what can I do to protect my computer from attacks? I have SP 2, but that didn't seem to do anything.

Well Mk,, I don't know but I had a worm or something that made by cpu restart on every shut down with w-98 se,, so after spenting hours deleteing spyware, registary changes, active x'x and what ever to find the problem I gave up and just plain "re-formated the HD and reload Windows and every driver from the OMS-dell and updated drivers and had to locate some I did not have,, I recommend before you do that to run Belarc Advisor (.com) to find the "real hardware model, versions, programs/softwares serial numbers and product keys for your entire system.... do not rely on what the manufacture did or did not send  you on disk.