[thelist] firewall

[Ken Schaefer]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From: "Jeff Howden" <jeff at jeffhowden.com>
Subject: RE: [thelist] firewall


: > From: john at johnallsopp.co.uk
: >
: > OK people, another one of these requests.
: >
: > Any firewall recommendations for a home user on
: > ADSL running Win 98?
:
: one word -- hardware.
:
: hardware has so many advantages over a
: software firewall i hardly no where to begin.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

That really does depend on the situation, and what you're trying to achieve.

Most hardware firewalls are not application-layer aware. So, if you allow
connections outbound to remote port 80, then it means that the user's
browser can go out to visit websites. And it means that their email client
is also going to be able to get out (and hit a web-bug confirming a live
email address).

An application layer firewall would be able to distinguish between those two
apps. So Internet Explorer/Mozilla would be able to go out to port 80, and
Eudora/OE/Outlook would not.

Cheers
Ken