new 2 networking

i set up a network where the client pc ispluged into the host pc. does the client pc need a firewall or anti virus if the host pc has one?
im new 2 networking and the windows help said i didnt but i dont trust it. im running pentium 2 233mhz and an antivirus really bogs it down. i am just using the networking connection for file sharing.

thanks for the help!

 

Viruses can replicate and propagate across any network. It all boils down to how much risk you are willing to accept. Me personally, I would NEVER have a computer without virus protection. There are free, light programs out there like AVG and Avast.

 

When at least one computer is using real Server OS (like Windows 2003) and all the other computers on the Network are fed through this computer. The Network topology is a Server Topology, and it is possible with software Firewall (like MS ISA Server) to protect centrally the whole Network.

Otherwise, it does not matter how you verbally call your computers. Even if you have one computer with Windows XP (or other client OS) feeding the Internet to other computers by using Software Router (like ICS) it is a peer-to-peer Network.

On Peer-to-Peer Network Central protection is not an option, and each computer needs its own protection.

Freeware Security suit for Internet Connection Protection.