Using another computer as firewall.

Some years ago I was told that a redundant computer may be used as a firewall to protect another computer. The implication was that this would be more secure than a software firewall installed on the machine to be protected.

If this was true, is it still true?

 

Thank you Joe. I had Comodo's firewall installed on my XP Pro machine some time ago but found it to be a nuisance so I uninstalled it. Can't remember the details.

In view of your comments I think I will stick to Windows 8.1's firewall.

 

Greetings, dmb06851.

Agreed with JoeRay on all points. Back in the day XP machines (and to a greater extent Linux systems) made great firewalls - not needed now.

However, those older boxes do still make fine intranet and/or LAN print servers, and I know of a couple of gaming groups around here that use souped-up XP boxes as game servers for LAN parties.

They ain't all boat anchors yet.

 

Firewall suggestions
https://www.untangle.com/shop/NG-Firewall-Free
http://www.ipcop.org/
http://www.smoothwall.org/
http://distrowatch.com/search.php?category=Firewall

There are people who don't run antivirus out here too.. they say they never been infected, how do they know?

 

Firewall != Antivirus. That said I have been alerted of virus like activity maybe three times in the past 10 years, and infected once in the past 18 years.

If you don't open BS attachments, don't visit questionable sites, don't download anything but trusted software, the risk drops a thousand fold. Take a look at my app list that is attached, I am quite careful with what I install.

Regarding firewalls:

Considering a good chunk of people are double natted with many routers having built in SPI firewalls and they leave the default Windows firewall on...how many firewalls do you need before feeling safe?

 

I'm sure that I don't properly understand what a server is, but I was, until January, using an XP Pro machine in the lounge, networked to an XP Home machine in an upstairs room. My printer was connected to the latter and I could through it from the lounge.
I am guessing, therefore, that the XP Home machine would have been called the printer server.

I no longer need to do that since this machine and a newly acquired printer have a wireless connection.


I've never heard of the firewalls mentioned in foogoo's links so I shall steer clear of them. The listed items on that distrowatch page mean nothing to me I'm afraid.

Adrynalyne's attachment's file extension is, according to its icon, .txt , but the downloaded and saved file is php. Very strange.

I don't understand what that list of applications is supposed to tell me.

 

You can use the Internet (Google) and research them yourself.
You ask about using another computer as a firewall, I suggested good firewalls for that purpose.

While I'm afraid to ask and get banned, what does

mean? I was equating the no antivirus to the people saying a firewall is not needed.

Firewall and antivirus software are two fundamentally different and complementary kinds of security applications.

Firewall : Also known as a 'packet filter'. Basically, software which monitors network traffic and connection attempts into and out of a network or computer and determines whether or not to allow it to pass. Depending on the sophistication, this can be limited to simple IP/port combinations or do full content-aware scans. A firewall can be thought of as a screen or sieve that categorically strains out potentially harmful data.

Antivirus: finds programs/files/software/etc that might compromise your computer, either by being executable or by exploiting a vulnerability in the program normally supposed to process them -- Rootkits, trojans, or other types of malware.
It detects these kinds of harmful programs that are already installed on your computer or about to be installed.

 

It means it wasn't relevant. From your own admission, they are fundamentally different enough that antivirus shouldnt have even been mentioned by you because it sends the conversation off on a tangent that isn't in the least bit relevant.

Your risk of getting banned is relevant to you breaking the rules. Immaturity in your comments isn't a bannable offense, it just makes you look bad.

 

Ok, point taken. I will have a look into them.

 

Honestly, I think the advice you have received is substantial enough but its up to you. I know a lot of people who throw up firewalls and panic due to what they feel are constant attacks. Then they are super paranoid about everything, when its really just common every day traffic. The only time I would consider another firewall past what is built into your router or Windows 7/8/8.1/10, is if I did not trust to keep my system clean of bad software that calls home. In which case, you are simply using a band-aid instead of solving the real issue.

 

At least two of the firewalls in foogoo's links wipe the drive clean before installing themselves, which presumably means that I would have to reinstall my operating system afterwards. I'm not prepared to do that just to get a firewall.
The majority of the items at distrowatch are unintelligible to me.

 

When you said you wanted to use another computer as a firewall I didn't get that you want to use a Window's machine. Linux firewalls are generally what you call an 'appliance' it is configured to do one thing. Running a firewall on a Windows PC, if you are still using it as a desktop too would be a mistake IMO. If there is a popup to create a rule, you might Ok it and create a hole in the wall, if it is a separate box you don't use, it would be safer.
You can use VM player or Virtual Box and test out a firewall too. There are plenty of virtual appliances and virtual images out there to evaluate first.
For more info you could always Google or go to YouTube for detailed instructions.

But, since Windows firewall is good enough, I'm calling my corporate hq and telling them to shut our firewalls off, Windows has it.

 

Thank you foogoo.

What I am now thinking of doing, once I get this Windows 8.1 system sorted out (probably by reinstalling - again), is put XP in a virtual machine, probably VMware Player, and use it unless I really have to use 8.1.

I am fast losing patience with 8.1 and see no reason to keep crossing swords with it.

Since 8.1's firewall is better than XP's, could the latter be turned off, or would it be better (belt and braces) to leave it on too?