Internet Security

You have a couple of options.
First install xp sp2 which offer better firewall protection then before.
If you wan to use a software firewall I would suggest zonealarm or sygate personal firewall, both have a free version of their software.

However a hardware firewall would be better since that won't be proned to security issues of the os that is running on a machine.
I have used both linksys and dlink products during the course of last years with good results.

Leopold

Personal Firewall Reviews -- After important tips and comparative reviews, this page provides links to vendors and reviews for forty-nine personal firewall products:

Top Picks -- Norton & ZoneAlarm

More Choices -- BlackIce, eTrust, Fireball, Freedom/Hacker Stopper, F-Secure, Kerio, Look'n'Stop, McAfee, Outpost, Panda, PC-cillin, Preventon, PrivateFirewall, , Sygate, Terminet, Tiny & Trustix

Not Reviewed -- Armor2net, Bullguard, CheckIt, 8Signs, Firekeys, Firewall X-treme, Hackersmacker, InJoy, Kaspersky, Norman, Omniguad, pcInternet Patrol, Primedius, SecurePoint, SecureUP/3b, SoftPerfect, SphinxWall, Surf Secret, TGB::Bob! VisNetic & Webroot

Fading Away -- ConSeal, eSafe, HackTracer, PC Viper, NeoWatch, Steganos & Sphinx

Not Recommended -- Internet Firewall 2000, Mindsoft & VirusMD

"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." This great definition is quoted from Make Your PC Hacker Proof, Jeff Sengstack, PC World, July 21, 2000.

Important Tips -- Before installing personal firewall software on a Windows XP computer, be sure that the firewall built into Windows XP is turned off. 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, use the Windows XP add/remove software tool in the control panel. After you install a firewall, be sure to check it with a service like the Security Space Desktop Audit 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.

Bottom line for personal firewalls. Zone Alarm free version is excellent and it is FREE. Norton is a resource hog and I don't particularly care for it. Seems to work fine but Zone Alarm is superior in my opinion and, did I mention, it's free.

Like someone else mentioned, don't forget to disable Windows XP firewall.

Dalton

they have given good answers and they are right!

first are you on a network at work or home?

at home are using dial-up, cable, or dsl?
for cable and dsl you can are a router that has NAT on it. It acts like a firewall. you can search the web for info about NAT. The router can be wire or wireless.

That way you can have your own network at home.

Hubs and switches do not have NAT on them.

On each PC/Laptop install a firewall like ZoneAlarm.

At work your network people should handle the firewall and other network issues.

Second if it home do not forget to install Ad-Ware, Spy-Bots, and/or Mircosoft Anti-spyware. You can install all three, they do work together and keep them updated. Each one checks things a little differently. No adware or spyware program can do it all.

hope this helps
good luck

http://www.my-etrust.com/microsoft

Antivirus/Firewall and more. The LE version is free for the first year.

Does it's job.

Lee

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