Windows XP Firewall -- do I need it?

In my house, we have two computers on a LAN based on a D-Link DI-604 router, which has a basic hardware firewall that does NAT and can accept rules for filtering both incoming and outgoing traffic.

I'm also running Trend Micro's PC-cillin Internet Security 2007, which includes a software firewall that watches both incoming and outgoing traffic. Outgoing traffic is monitored for sensitive personal information; PC-cillin will block any attempt to transmit the info it's been told to watch for: credit card numbers, phone numbers, addresses, whatever.

PC-cillin does the AV thing too, of course. For spyware, I'm also running Sunbelt's CounterSpy.

Yes, I'm running Windows XP Pro. Yes, the Windows Firewall is up. But do I need it? Does it do anything that the other firewalls aren't doing for me?

Any comment would be appreciated.

 

No! Windows Firewall is useless, it shouldn't even be called a firewall. Your TM Suite is all you need with your routers firewall. If you need or ever want another firewall, see step 3 in the thead below. I have four PC's going thru a router with a built in firewall as well, however I still have software firewalls installed on each PC. I feel better this way, I use ZA Free on all my PC's.

How to Protect yourself from malware!

 

You need a good 3rd party Firewall.

Why? http://www.ezlan.net/firewall.html

There are Very good Free protection applications, http://majorgeeks.com/downloads34.html

 

cat5e, Majorgeeks.com picks up the tab for this forum. Please support them in return by keeping software links in house.

Thank you.

 

Thanks for the links and comment, cat5e. It looks like there might be some useful information on the EZLan site.

I take it you're saying that the Windows XP firewall doesn't add anything to my LAN security.

But now I'm curious: what would the software firewalls you've pointed me to do for me that PC-cillin Internet Security 2007 won't do?