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Thread: Multiple Firewalls

  1. #11
    AOs Resident Troll
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    I agree with warriorfan808 on this.

    2 firewalls...one hardware...one software.

    IMHO...2 software firewalls will chew too many resources on the computer...

    Offset it by running a firewall on the computer and sticking a firewall\router infront

    Kinda like a condom,...and the pill, diaphram etc

    MLF
    How people treat you is their karma- how you react is yours-Wayne Dyer

  2. #12
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    Originally posted here by moxnix
    I don't think you really know the difference between an antivirus application and a firewall. Here is a PDF document that you might find very informative reading. https://lawrencecentral.ltschools.or...ponentsFAQ.pdf

    Welcome to the convoluted, inverted, and mad mad world of computer security.
    Yes, I do know the difference between a firewall and an antivirus program. I said block, not scan and detect, as in block the programs from communicating online. I was just origonaly thinking that a program made by one company (program 1) would block access to a program that another (prorgam 2) wouldn't, and program 2 would be able to block some that program 1 wouldn't, and more would be blocked that way.

  3. #13
    Hoopy Frood
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    Originally posted here by metguru
    Yes, I do know the difference between a firewall and an antivirus program. I said block, not scan and detect, as in block the programs from communicating online. I was just origonaly thinking that a program made by one company (program 1) would block access to a program that another (prorgam 2) wouldn't, and program 2 would be able to block some that program 1 wouldn't, and more would be blocked that way.
    Firewalls do not use signatures to detect which programs can access the internet or not. Therefore, running two firewalls will gain you no greater protection, because one firewall will not block programs from accessing the internet that the other firewall didn't catch because it didn't have a signature for that program.

    If you have a decent, reputable firewall with outgoing protection, it should catch (and ask you if you want to allow) every attempted internet connection made by programs on your computer. If it doesn't, it is either a) not very good b) vulnerable to some sort of exploit which is allowing the program to bypass the firewall's control over your internet connection.

    - X
    "Personality is only ripe when a man has made the truth his own."

    -- Søren Kierkegaard

  4. #14
    Regal Making Handler
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    Thanks for the information. I was just thinking that since they were from different companys some would block viruses that others wouldn't, but I guess I was wrong.
    Firewalls will not block viruses or trojans from entering your system. They will block worms, there is a difference.

    Back to the question of more than one software firewall. By having more than one you are actualy making your computer less secure. This is because you are adding another layer of compexity to your system and adding more complexity adds to your level of exposure to compromisation.

    It just adds another application to your system that needs to be kept upto date and another application that may suffer from a vulnerability.
    What happens if a big asteroid hits the Earth? Judging from realistic simulations involving a sledge hammer and a common laboratory frog, we can assume it will be pretty bad. - Dave Barry

  5. #15
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    *sigh* Hey Relyt... in your next firewall post, would you mind pointing point that there is no such thing as a "hardware firewall"? This myth seems very prevalent.

    There are firewall appliances (bastion host/dedicated firewall) and local firewalls... these may be any of the five types Relyt mentioned above.

    Having multiple firewalls can be useful.... but only if they are of different types or serve different roles (controlling different network segments etc). Having two firewalls of the same type doing the same thing is just asking for trouble.

    cheers,

    catch

  6. #16
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    Catch,

    I'd be happy to stress that point more. Also on the last one the words "Hardware & Firewall" were never used together, nor escaped my lips. That category is now:
    Dedicated Appliances:


    cheers
    Connection refused, try again later.

  7. #17
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    Yeah, you've been good about that... I just singled you out, because you have that firewall series that seems to be the most widely read.

    It just bugs me because people say "hardware firewall" as if that makes any indication of what type it is. (not to mention that it is the wrong term... and makes one think it must be refering to the OSI model)

    cheers,

    catch

  8. #18
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    Thanks guys for all the continuous information, I think everything is cleared up now

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