Modem with NAT firewall, do I also need a software firewall?

"Mikey" <Mikey DeleteThis @not_here.not_there_either.nope> wrote in message
news:4891D95B.E6DFA0CF@not_here.not_there_either.nope...
> Recently purchased a Zoom 5660 modem / router. It has a
> Network Address Translation firewall and Stateful Packet
> Inspection. The computer it's installed on also has
> Zonealarm (free version) installed. Is Zonealarm still
> neccesary with this modem or can it be uninstalled?
>


You do not need Zonealarm unless you like popups to tell you that the ISP is
checking that you are still active..


--
Mike Hall - MVP
How to construct a good post..
http://dts-l.com/goodpost.htm
How to use the Microsoft Product Support Newsgroups..
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?pr=newswhelp&style=toc
Mike's Window - My Blog..
http://msmvps.com/blogs/mikehall/default.aspx

Mike Hall - MVP wrote:

> "Mikey" <Mikey.DeleteThis@not_here.not_there_either.nope> wrote in message
> news:4891D95B.E6DFA0CF@not_here.not_there_either.nope...
> > Recently purchased a Zoom 5660 modem / router. It has a
> > Network Address Translation firewall and Stateful Packet
> > Inspection. The computer it's installed on also has
> > Zonealarm (free version) installed. Is Zonealarm still
> > neccesary with this modem or can it be uninstalled?
> >
>
> You do not need Zonealarm unless you like popups to tell you that the ISP is
> checking that you are still active..
>
> --
> Mike Hall - MVP
> How to construct a good post..
> http://dts-l.com/goodpost.htm
> How to use the Microsoft Product Support Newsgroups..
> http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?pr=newswhelp&style=toc
> Mike's Window - My Blog..
> http://msmvps.com/blogs/mikehall/default.aspx

I've had Zonealarm installed on that computer for a few years (with a modem that
didn't have a firewall) and never got any popups from my ISP.

On Jul 31, 8:29 pm, Bob Willard <BobwB....DeleteThis@TrashThis.comcast.net>
wrote:
> Shenan Stanley wrote:
> > Mikey wrote:
>
> >>Recently purchased a Zoom 5660 modem / router.  It has a
> >>Network Address Translation firewall and Stateful Packet
> >>Inspection.  The computer it's installed on also has
> >>Zonealarm (free version) installed.  Is Zonealarm still
> >>neccesary with this modem or can it be uninstalled?
>
> > Shenan Stanley wrote:
>
> >>Zone Alarm was never necessary in truth.
>
> >>The internal Windows XP Firewall would have given you as much
> >>inbound protection as ZoneAlarm.
>
> >>My suggestion - save the resources and save your sanity -
> >>disconnect from the Internet, uninstall Zone Alarm, make sure the
> >>Windows XP Firewall is enabled, reconnect to the Internet.
>
> > Mikey wrote:
>
> >>But from what I understand, the Windows XP firewall only blocks
> >>incoming traffic, not outgoing, and ZoneAlarm blocks both.
>
> > Bluntly (IMHO):
> > If you need outgoing protection - you're already messed up.
>
> True enough, but outgoing protection gives you some (relatively) early warning
> that your PC has been compromised; without it, you could run for years with
> malware phoning home and sending your personal data (e.g., credit card info)
> to the Russian Mafia.
>
> And, if you have multiple PCs behind a router, the inbound protection of ZA
> (or whatever you like) prevents one compromised PC from spreading its virii
> to the other PCs.
>
> I've been using ZAF and ZA$ on my PCs for years.  ZA is far better than
> M$'s firewall on XP, and far easier that M$'s firewall on Vista, IMHO.
> --
> Cheers, Bob

I second that!! ZA (any version) gives you some more measure of
protection for monitoring Internet outgoing activity. However, there
is one thing no one mentioned before. When you have a personal
network with NAT router somewhere, your PC is still unprotected from
any additional PCs connected on your network. No NAT firewall is
monitoring the LAN activity. If you have a wireless network network
with "low" wireless security or you share with other, then your
personal info can be "exposed" to the other PCs.

Shenan Stanley wrote:

> Mikey wrote:
> > Recently purchased a Zoom 5660 modem / router. It has a
> > Network Address Translation firewall and Stateful Packet
> > Inspection. The computer it's installed on also has
> > Zonealarm (free version) installed. Is Zonealarm still
> > neccesary with this modem or can it be uninstalled?
>
> Zone Alarm was never necessary in truth.
>
> The internal Windows XP Firewall would have given you as much inbound
> protection as ZoneAlarm.
>
> My suggestion - save the resources and save your sanity - disconnect from
> the Internet, uninstall Zone Alarm, make sure the Windows XP Firewall is
> enabled, reconnect to the Internet.
>
> --
> Shenan Stanley
> MS-MVP
> --
> How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
> http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

But from what I understand, the Windows XP firewall only blocks incoming
traffic, not outgoing, and ZoneAlarm blocks both.

Mikey wrote:
> Recently purchased a Zoom 5660 modem / router. It has a
> Network Address Translation firewall and Stateful Packet
> Inspection. The computer it's installed on also has
> Zonealarm (free version) installed. Is Zonealarm still
> neccesary with this modem or can it be uninstalled?

Shenan Stanley wrote:
> Zone Alarm was never necessary in truth.
>
> The internal Windows XP Firewall would have given you as much
> inbound protection as ZoneAlarm.
>
> My suggestion - save the resources and save your sanity -
> disconnect from the Internet, uninstall Zone Alarm, make sure the
> Windows XP Firewall is enabled, reconnect to the Internet.

Mikey wrote:
> But from what I understand, the Windows XP firewall only blocks
> incoming traffic, not outgoing, and ZoneAlarm blocks both.

Bluntly (IMHO):
If you need outgoing protection - you're already messed up.

In other words - if you need to stop something on your computer from
communicating with something outside your computer you've either installed
or allowed to become installed something that needs to do that to fulfill
its purpose. Either you did not research what you were installing or you
have been infected/infested by something. In either case - there was
nothing keeping said application from changing the configuration of your
outgoing firewall as it installed so that you still do not know it is
communicating externally.

However - you are welcome to utilize Zone Alarm or any other software
firewall of your choice. It's not my place to say what *you* need or don't
need. I would highly suggest you leave some software firewall running on
your machine - even if you are behind a NAT device or even a hardware
firewall. It can serve to protect you from anyone also behind the same
NAT/firewall device and anyone who compromises the security of said device.
It is an extra layer of security - and one that (in the case of the Windows
firewall) requires practically no configuration by most users (or manual
upkeep of any type - as Windows Updates will keep it patched.)

--
Shenan Stanley
MS-MVP
--
How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

<snipped>
Entire conversation:
http://groups.google.com/group/24hoursupport.helpdesk/browse_frm/threa...fe23eaa



smlunatick wrote:
<snipped>
> However, there is one thing no one mentioned before. When you have a
> personal network with NAT router somewhere, your PC is still
> unprotected from any additional PCs connected on your network. No
> NAT firewall is monitoring the LAN activity. If you have a wireless
> network network with "low" wireless security or you share with
> other, then your personal info can be "exposed" to the other PCs.


Actually - that was mentioned.


Shenan Stanley wrote:
> I would highly suggest you leave some software firewall running on
> your machine - even if you are behind a NAT device or even a hardware
> firewall. It can serve to protect you from anyone also behind the same
> NAT/firewall device and anyone who compromises the security of said
> device. It is an extra layer of security - and one that (in the case of
> the
> Windows firewall) requires practically no configuration by most users
> (or manual upkeep of any type - as Windows Updates will keep it
> patched.)

As I also said - in the end it is up to the user in question - what their
level of paranoia and security needs might be.

While I cannot disagree that Zone Alarm might be used as an 'early warning
system' - it's still plausible that the 'early warning system' could have
been modified so it ignores the calls from said program during the
installation of the application who wants to talk to the outside world.

With as many people who run with administrative rights and how easy it would
be to figure out what firewall someone was running once something starts to
execute and have a routine in place to make the proper adjustments to said
firewall as to allow silent communication - one is far better off turning
their attention to prevention of ever being in said situation IMHO.

--
Shenan Stanley
MS-MVP
--
How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html