Little Help Needed

[Zantar45 0]

I'm gonna host some games every now and then but I need a little help first.

Anybody know how to disable WinXP firewall?

Also does anyone got or know of a good place to get a firewall?

I tried to host earlier but whenever someone tried to join via direct IP, nothing showed up.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

[NYR_32 6]

To disable the XP Firewall:

Start---Settings--- Network Connections--- Right Click Your Internet connection---Properties---Advanced--- Uncheck the Firewall Box--- Click OK

For another firewall I'd suggest either Zone Alarm (the free version worked well for me for about 6 months until I got my router) or a router with a hardware firewall.

Edited November 1, 2003 by NYR_32

[Specter 0]

The hardware router/firewall is by far your best bet.

Software firewalls tend to take over alot of programs, especially programs that you use online. They can even interfere with the installation of some programs.

You can get a decent router/firewall for between 30 and 80 dollars US.

I paid 29.99 for my fully featured DLink router. A route and some OS tweaking will give you all the protection you need. And at 29.99, it's cheaper than a good retail fully featured software firewall at 50 bucks generally, and you wont have any of the other issues to contend with.

D Link and Linksys both offer top notch, very affordable routers that will completely hide you from the internet and protect your system from outside influences more securely than any software firewall aside from a dedicated Linux firewall.

Remember, software firewalls are just software and are subject to being hacked into through the software itself. A router with a NAT is not.