On Wed, 8 Nov 2006 13:59:15 -0600, Pappion wrote:

I typed in 192.168.254.254 and a simple page opened to turn on the
"firewall." Does that help??

Okay, it sounds like you have a modem that includes NAT routing and a
"firewall." Firewall is not actually a correct term for this what this is.
It is not a hardware or software firewall but a type of technology that
functions very similar to a firewall.

At the very least I would also enable Windows built-in firewall (that's how
I run on my home network).

If you desire some finer granularity (control) of outbound traffic, then
don't enable the Windows firewall and install a third party software
solution such as Zone Alarm instead. In this scenario, Zone Alarm or
similar would not interfere with what your modem/router is doing.

As for not turning off the computer - I still do it. We get thunderstorms
that can knock out expensive electronic equipment in the blink of an eye
and occasionally enough wind to disrupt the power supply. Also... and this
is just personal opinion... I think it's more "earth-friendly" to not
consume power when you don't need to.

--
Sharon F
MS-MVP ~ Windows Shell/User