What does the FIREWALL actually do?

Question

I have Windows XP.

I went to my control panel
Security

And i noticed my firewall was diabled.

I've been having some problems lately. I had winantispyware downloaded onto my computer somehow .. and it took me days to get it off.

I'm pretty sure i disabled my firewall because i couldn't do something online with it enabled.

My firewall being disabled, could this have anything to do with winantivirus being downloaded onto my computer without me knowing?

Should i keep it enabled? What does it do?

Thanx to all who answer.

Answer 1

Hi,
A firewall is like a internet barrier between ur computer and the rest of the online world. It allows everything to go out of ur pc but doesnot allow anything or anyone to enter without ur permission.
This is probably the reason why such viruses and programs were installed on your computer.
Visit Microsoft's:
http://onecare.live.com
Run the free safety scanner.
It will get rid of all viruses, trojans, spyware, registry errors, bad installs and harddisk problems.
It is probably the best out there.
Then download AVG:
http://free.grisoft.com
Keep ur firewall enabled at all times as it helps keep out intruders, viruses, and trojans. If u still don't understand what it is then imagine this. Someone is trying to attack you but a huge wall of fire pops out in front of u. Will he able to cross through. Obviously firewalls are not 100% effective but they reduce the risks. So if the guy is carrying a fire extinguisher with him (LOL) he could create a path just like some software could get through the firewall to, that is why u need extra protection.
I hope u liked this answer.
Good Luck and take care!

Answer 2

If you have a router in between you and the internet then they typically have a firewall in them. If you have a bridge between you and the internet then you need your XP Firewall enabled very badly. Otherwise, if you are concerned about other systems connecting to you via your own network (especially through wireless) then you need the Firewall enabled. If you want to connect to other systems on you Local Area Network for the purpose of gaming, then you need to disable your firewall. The XP firewall's purpose is to protect your system from inbound connections from other systems.

Spyware installs on your system mainly from your internet activity. By simply visiting a website you can get spyware. They use weaknesses in your internet browser to capitalize on that. To combat that, have a good Anti-Virus/Anti-Spyware version of software installed on your system. I.E. AVG and Spybot S&D. Also keep your Microsoft security updates current and... use Mozilla Firefox as a browser instead of Internet Explorer. This helps tremendously. THere are a few more things that you can do (use common sense, don't click on pop ups other than to close them)....

Answer 3

windows firewall is nothing it is meant to be used with another firewall that you installed yourself. usually when you install a real firewall it will disable windows firewall.
i firewall and not windows but a real firewall wil but not limited to:
protect you from others connecting anonymously to your computer
refuse ping requests
stealth ports
protect open ports so malicious content can not use a open port to send out its signal
and a few other things.

your routers firewall isn't that good either, it only protects the routers end and is usually only a trial, it is missing alot of the paid for functions.

Answer 4

It's like to prevent anything bad like viruses come to your system. However, if you force to insert the viruses (usually if you download it) the firewall will allow it. So it's like the lower level of anti-virus. For me, I activated it. I think the better security we got, the safer we can get. Anyway, if you want to do so, just activate the one from Windows (you know how to do it, right?) or just buy Norton, McAfee or whatever antivirus which already got the firewall inside. For my advise, just enable it.. Good luck! :D

Answer 5

closes off spam and unnecessary things
closes off porn and objectionable items