New Broadband - security?

Geoffo_M

I have just moved from dialup to broadband and am confused as to what I should switch on/off to avoid hackers. I am told that my Thomson router has a "powerful firewall" and I also have the standard XP firewall as well as avast AVS.

At first I was turning off the router, but I have read on other forums that this is inadvisable during the first 10 days when BT are trying to gauge my line. So when I'm not online, I am 'Disabling' my LAN (r/click icon in system tray) and at night, I am powering down my PC (but leaving my router on).

Does this sound right? I am new to all this; is there anything else I should be doing?

Thanks
Geoff

superjaggybunnet

Does your provider not supply some sort of protection?

I am with Virgin and they supply their PCGuard free of charge to broadband customers.

It covers everything.

nickcardwell

you dont need to disable your lan, if your computer is switched off.

for firewall ,xp is basic, you should download zonealarm (free edition) (google it) its more powerful.

as for thomson router "powerful firewall" i wouldnt depend on it...

Geoffo_M

superjaggybunnet wrote: »

Does your provider not supply some sort of protection?

I am with Virgin and they supply their PCGuard free of charge to broadband customers.

It covers everything.

No, afraid not. That would be nice

Geoffo_M

nickcardwell wrote: »

you dont need to disable your lan, if your computer is switched off.

for firewall ,xp is basic, you should download zonealarm (free edition) (google it) its more powerful.

as for thomson router "powerful firewall" i wouldnt depend on it...

No what I meant was that I was powering down at night, and disabling during the day when I wasn't online. Thanks for zonealarm advice - I don't want to risk anything!

Blacksheep1979

zonealarm is wanksticks - have a look at Kerio.

gooner045

Blacksheep1979 wrote: »

zonealarm is wanksticks - have a look at Kerio.

Lol

But you are right.

Online armor for me before I got ESET worth paying for imo, but as this site is money saving Online Armor Firewall, heard good things about Kerio though

hth

Geoffo_M

I've searched 'firewall' on other posts and on one it said type cmd then "netstats -an" to find what ports are active. I've done this on mine and there are a list. But when I disable the LAN connection and type it again, they are still there. I thought if I disabled the LAN connection then nothing could access my PC. Is this wrong?