Firewall...hardware, software, or both?

**zero2dash** · 12-06-2005, 08:34 AM

I've seen a lot of comment lately on firewalls and running only hardware or software but then I've also seen people say both. Which made me wonder...

So what do you use?

**Jeffbx** · 12-06-2005, 09:44 AM

None of the above...

I have a dedicated hardware firewall with stateful packet inspection that also acts as a router, rather than the *slightly* different setup of buying a router that has a firewall built in.

I turn on the Windows XP SP2 firewall on my machines than run XP, but other than that I don't use any software security solutions.

**Markel** · 12-06-2005, 10:45 AM

Both. As I said in another thread, hardware as the primary inbound protection, software primarily to let me know (and control) what applications are trying to send outbound (which is why I DON'T use the XP firewall).

**DarkFury** · 12-06-2005, 11:25 AM

Both for me...

Netgear router (hardware) and ZoneAlarm (software)

**Bires** · 12-06-2005, 05:41 PM

Hardware. Use MAC filtering.

**PrObLy** · 12-06-2005, 05:44 PM

Hardware only for me .... the software ones have caused me more troubles than any "intruder" ever has.

**dsuds** · 12-06-2005, 06:08 PM

Originally Posted by Bires

Hardware. Use MAC filtering.

MAC filtering on wireless networks is worse than useless. It gives you a false sense of security. For a good overview of wireless security go to http://www.grc.com/securitynow.htm and scroll down to Episode 11.

WEP and MAC address filtering are both flawed beyond belief and really don't protect the user from anything but the most basic attacks. Anything above that and the attacker will own your WiFi.

As for the poll, I use both:

Netgear router (wired, not wireless) with NAT filtering and firewall

Windows Firewall on a fully updated WinXPsp2 box

Also I don't use IE for browsing the internet or OE for email.