Re: Trying to Figure out What's OK and What to Block

On Fri, 10 Mar 2006 14:50:54 -0800, Kerodo <loopback@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:

In article <4uo312t5qp4me94i3rg9bgc9v91781qtl4@xxxxxxx>,
fishlips@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx says...
I have a Win Xp computer that I can't seem to get working right on the
internet.

I have a broadband connection and a router. The other computer
connected to the same router works fine.

I had the old version of Kerio (2.1.5) on both, I switched to the free
Tiny firewall on the problem computer just to see if the firewall was
the problem.

When I first start it it works fine. After a while I cannot connect
to anything on the internet unless I reboot.

I am trying to set up the rules so that I block everything that
doesn't need to connect to the internet.

One thing I am not sure of is something identified only as "SYSTEM"
which looks like it wants to send and recieve UDP traffic to the
router and send and recieve to and from the other computer.

Could blocking this be causing me to lose the internet connection?

I do not use the router as a way to network the two computers. I only
use it to allow each computer onto the internet. So there is no
logical reason for the computers to be talking to each other. Usually
it says something to the effect that one computer wants to send a UDP
datagram to the other computer on port 137. Should I allow this?

It's pretty easy to get lost in a nightmare of rules, popups and other
nonsense when you try to control things like that. Since you're already
covered inbound by the router, it would be better to just skip the
software firewall and try using some common sense and keep any bad
programs off the computer to begin with. Otherwise, you'll find
yourself blocking normal things that need to communicate and the bad
stuff will likely slip thru anyway. Best to keep it simple.

I agree with the philosophy of keeping it simple, but I have
legitimate reasons for controlling the applications on the PC. For
one thing, with Windows the "bad" stuff comes bundled with it. Take
Windows Media Player. The first time you use it you set your
preferences and prohibit the program from ever accessing the internet
for any reason, not for updates, not to send information, not to
obtain licenses, not for anything. And then ten minutes later the
software firewall pops up and tells you that Windows Media Player is
trying to connect to Microsoft for something. Without the software
firewall you would never know.

You may say "so what," but my personal preference is that my video
viewing habits remain private. Aside from that the program has some
value. Occasionally it will play files that Videolan cannot. So I
wouldn't get rid of it if I could, I just want to control it.

Another example is HP software that comes with their printers,
scanners, etc. The only way I can stop it from sending out is to use
a software firewall. Again, I just prefer that it doesn't connect out
without permission.

As for trojans and viruses, I am careful about what I do, but who
knows? With the firewall I can see if something new is trying to
connect out and I can figure out what it is before I let it. It is
just a little peace of mind.

As for the bad stuff slipping through anyway, that reminds me of the
way some people say "why lock your doors? if they really want to get
in they will." But if your doors are locked it is more likely they
will look elsewhere for easier pickins.

BTW, some guy with an ip originating in China got past my router a
couple of times - and hit the software firewall, which is how I knew
about it. AFAIK it stopped there.


-Fishlips



"Delicious Fried"
.

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