Tips On Personal Firewalls

The perfect personal firewall would be inexpensive and easy to install and use, would offer clearly explained configuration options, would hide all ports to make your PC invisible to scans, would protect your system from all attacks, would track all potential and actual threats, would immediately alert you to serious attacks, and would ensure nothing unauthorized entered or left your PC

* Check Windows — Before installing personal firewall software on a Windows XP, Vista or 7 computer, be sure that the firewall built into the Windows operating system is turned off.
* Just One, Not Two — Never use two software firewalls at the same time. Completely uninstall one before installing another. Use the vendor’s uninstall utility or if not available, try AppRemover, for Symantec products use the Norton Removal Tool, or use the Windows add/remove software tool in the control panel.
* Hardware Firewalls — You can and should use a hardware firewall with a software firewall including a Wired Router, Wireless Router or a Broadband Gateway.
* Patches & Updates — As soon as your firewall is installed, check the vendor’s website for patches and updates. If the firewall offers an automatic update function, turn it on.
* Testing — After you install a firewall, be sure to check it with an online service like Security Space to make sure that it is configured correctly. Testing your firewall is the only sure way to tell that your computer is really being protected.