Win XP Firewall

[ilyaz]

I have Win XP Home installed on my machine. It was easy to checkmark the
Internet Connection Firewall option, but there are quite a few Settings
options. On the Services tab, I think, I should check all but Remote
Desktop. But what about options on the ICMP tab? I'm at loss. May someone,
please, suggest what do I need to check? I have just one computer and am the
only user of it.

----------
Ilya Zeldes
Fort Myers, Florida

[Tom Porterfield]

ilyaz wrote:

> I have Win XP Home installed on my machine. It was easy to checkmark
> the Internet Connection Firewall option, but there are quite a few
> Settings options. On the Services tab, I think, I should check all
> but Remote Desktop. But what about options on the ICMP tab? I'm at
> loss. May someone, please, suggest what do I need to check? I have
> just one computer and am the only user of it.

You really don't need to check anything on the services tab unless you
are running a web, mail, news, ftp server, etc. If you are not, then
you don't need any of those items checked. There is also no need to
check anything on the ICMP tab.

--
Tom Porterfield
MS-MVP Windows XP & Smart Display
http://mywebpages.comcast.net/tp.porterfield/support

Please post all follows to the newsgroup only

[Rifleman]

In article t>,
quoth
> I have Win XP Home installed on my machine. It was easy to checkmark the
> Internet Connection Firewall option, but there are quite a few Settings
> options. On the Services tab, I think, I should check all but Remote
> Desktop. But what about options on the ICMP tab? I'm at loss. May someone,
> please, suggest what do I need to check? I have just one computer and am the
> only user of it.
>
> ----------
> Ilya Zeldes
> Fort Myers, Florida
>
>
>
>
I wasn't aware there WERE any settings for the XP firewall... mine
certainly hasn't got any.

[ilyaz]

Thank you, Tom! You saved my day!
Ilya

"Tom Porterfield" > wrote in message
...
> ilyaz wrote:
>
> > I have Win XP Home installed on my machine. It was easy to checkmark
> > the Internet Connection Firewall option, but there are quite a few
> > Settings options. On the Services tab, I think, I should check all
> > but Remote Desktop. But what about options on the ICMP tab? I'm at
> > loss. May someone, please, suggest what do I need to check? I have
> > just one computer and am the only user of it.
>
> You really don't need to check anything on the services tab unless you
> are running a web, mail, news, ftp server, etc. If you are not, then
> you don't need any of those items checked. There is also no need to
> check anything on the ICMP tab.
>
> --
> Tom Porterfield
> MS-MVP Windows XP & Smart Display
> http://mywebpages.comcast.net/tp.porterfield/support
>
> Please post all follows to the newsgroup only

[Rifleman]

In article t>,
quoth
> Thank you, Tom! You saved my day!
> Ilya
>
> "Tom Porterfield" > wrote in message
> ...
> > ilyaz wrote:
> >
> > > I have Win XP Home installed on my machine. It was easy to checkmark
> > > the Internet Connection Firewall option, but there are quite a few
> > > Settings options. On the Services tab, I think, I should check all
> > > but Remote Desktop. But what about options on the ICMP tab? I'm at
> > > loss. May someone, please, suggest what do I need to check? I have
> > > just one computer and am the only user of it.
> >
> > You really don't need to check anything on the services tab unless you
> > are running a web, mail, news, ftp server, etc. If you are not, then
> > you don't need any of those items checked. There is also no need to
> > check anything on the ICMP tab.
> >
> > --
> > Tom Porterfield
> > MS-MVP Windows XP & Smart Display
> > http://mywebpages.comcast.net/tp.porterfield/support
> >
> > Please post all follows to the newsgroup only
>
>
>
Can someone please tell me where all these "tabs" are, in relation to
the inbuilt firewall? All I have is one check box on the connectoid
which enables or disables the firewall.

[Tom Porterfield]

Rifleman wrote:

> Can someone please tell me where all these "tabs" are, in relation to
> the inbuilt firewall? All I have is one check box on the connectoid
> which enables or disables the firewall.

In the properties for the connection question go to the Advanced tab.
There you will see a check box to enable the firewall - "Protect my
computer and network by limiting or preventing access to this computer
from the internet." When you check the box next to that line the
Settings button on the bottom of the dialog will become enabled. Click
that button and you a dialog with three tabs will be displayed, one for
services, one for security logging and one for ICMP.

--
Tom Porterfield
MS-MVP Windows XP & Smart Display
http://mywebpages.comcast.net/tp.porterfield/support

Please post all follows to the newsgroup only

[Maureen Goldman]

>"Tom Porterfield" > wrote:
>In the properties for the connection question go to the Advanced tab.
>There you will see a check box to enable the firewall - "Protect my
>computer and network by limiting or preventing access to this computer
>from the internet." When you check the box next to that line the
>Settings button on the bottom of the dialog will become enabled. Click
>that button and you a dialog with three tabs will be displayed, one for
>services, one for security logging and one for ICMP.

I'm not the original poster. You mean it isn't enough just to check
the "protect my computer" box? I did go to a website that tests that
sort of thing, got a result about being in stealth mode.

[Tom Porterfield]

Maureen Goldman wrote:

> I'm not the original poster. You mean it isn't enough just to check
> the "protect my computer" box? I did go to a website that tests that
> sort of thing, got a result about being in stealth mode.

For most folks out there just checking the box is all you need to do.
The advanced settings are for those who might want to open up some of
the firewall to allow specific incoming requests that would (and
usually should) otherwise be blocked.

--
Tom Porterfield
MS-MVP Windows XP & Smart Display
http://mywebpages.comcast.net/tp.porterfield/support

Please post all follows to the newsgroup only

[Maureen Goldman]

>Maureen Goldman wrote:
>> I'm not the original poster. You mean it isn't enough just to check
>> the "protect my computer" box? I did go to a website that tests that
>> sort of thing, got a result about being in stealth mode.

> >"Tom Porterfield" > wrote:
>For most folks out there just checking the box is all you need to do.
>The advanced settings are for those who might want to open up some of
>the firewall to allow specific incoming requests that would (and
>usually should) otherwise be blocked.

Thanks so much for your response. I did look inside the settings,
which are all unchecked except the top one in the services tab,
dplaysvr. Is that as it should be? I didn't change it, at least not
knowingly.

[Tom Porterfield]

Maureen Goldman wrote:

> Thanks so much for your response. I did look inside the settings,
> which are all unchecked except the top one in the services tab,
> dplaysvr. Is that as it should be? I didn't change it, at least not
> knowingly.

Dplaysvr is an interesting file. I don't have that one listed on my
services tab for the firewall advanced settings. I say it's
interesting because that file is one of the files used by Direct X, it
is the direct play server helper. So if you are hosting online games
from your PC it may be necessary to have that service checked. What
makes this even more interesting is that file name is also one of the
ones associated with the magistr virus - see
http://www.sophos.com/virusinfo/analyses/w32mag.html for details. But
since the file is part of Direct X, the presence of the file is not an
indication of virus infection, I don't want to alarm you just passing
along details.

Certainly if you don't host online games for your PC then there should
be no reason to have that checked.

--
Tom Porterfield
MS-MVP Windows XP & Smart Display
http://mywebpages.comcast.net/tp.porterfield/support

Please post all follows to the newsgroup only

[Maureen Goldman]

>Maureen Goldman wrote:
>> Thanks so much for your response. I did look inside the settings,
>> which are all unchecked except the top one in the services tab,
>> dplaysvr. Is that as it should be? I didn't change it, at least not
>> knowingly.

> >"Tom Porterfield" > wrote:
>Dplaysvr is an interesting file. I don't have that one listed on my
>services tab for the firewall advanced settings. I say it's
>interesting because that file is one of the files used by Direct X, it
>is the direct play server helper. So if you are hosting online games
>from your PC it may be necessary to have that service checked. What
>makes this even more interesting is that file name is also one of the
>ones associated with the magistr virus - see
>http://www.sophos.com/virusinfo/analyses/w32mag.html for details. But
>since the file is part of Direct X, the presence of the file is not an
>indication of virus infection, I don't want to alarm you just passing
>along details.

>Certainly if you don't host online games for your PC then there should
>be no reason to have that checked.

No online games played here. Still, perhaps the firewall checked the
dplaysvr setting in response to running the Hasbro Scrabble game,
which can be used to play on line. I've unchecked it, will run the
game later today and see if the check returns.

Again, thanks for replying..

[Maureen Goldman]

> Tom Porterfield
>>Certainly if you don't host online games for your PC then there should
>>be no reason to have that checked.

> Maureen Goldman
>No online games played here. Still, perhaps the firewall checked the
>dplaysvr setting in response to running the Hasbro Scrabble game,
>which can be used to play on line. I've unchecked it, will run the
>game later today and see if the check returns.

Follow-up. Played the Scrabble computer game. Checked the dplaysvr XP
Firewall setting before and after, and it remained empty. Since this
was just a matter of very mild curiosity, that's an end to it.

[Linda Sewell]

Here's what I did:
I have a dial-up connection. When I select "connect to" on the Start menu, I
can then access the dial-up facility. This opens a box headed "Connect
[my_ISP]" At the bottom of that window is the Properties button, which I
then select. From there I select the Advanced tab. On this window at the top
it says "Internet Connection Firewall," underneath which there is a check
box next to "Protect my computer and network by limiting or preventing
access to this computer from the Internet." I checked this box, and I
clicked OK, and then Closed the properties. This enabled my XP firewall.
On that same Advanced tab there's a link to details about firewalls, if you
want to read it.


"Tom Porterfield" > wrote in message
...
> Rifleman wrote:
>
> > Can someone please tell me where all these "tabs" are, in relation to
> > the inbuilt firewall? All I have is one check box on the connectoid
> > which enables or disables the firewall.
>
> In the properties for the connection question go to the Advanced tab.
> There you will see a check box to enable the firewall - "Protect my
> computer and network by limiting or preventing access to this computer
> from the internet." When you check the box next to that line the
> Settings button on the bottom of the dialog will become enabled. Click
> that button and you a dialog with three tabs will be displayed, one for
> services, one for security logging and one for ICMP.
>
> --
> Tom Porterfield
> MS-MVP Windows XP & Smart Display
> http://mywebpages.comcast.net/tp.porterfield/support
>
> Please post all follows to the newsgroup only