Windows Firewall - exceptions?

elbe

Should I put internet explorer and outlook express in my firewall as exceptions? Firewall is on with no exceptions at the moment. OE is working fine but I'm having problems getting in to IE and it tends to 'freeze' when opening my home page which is BBC.co.uk. This has only started to happen since I've upgraded to broadband. There aren't any problems with the broadband connection as far as I can work out. Wondered if the firewall may help matters? Hope someone can help.

fwor

The problem is probably elsewhere.

Unless things have changed very recently, the Windows firewall only controls inbound connections. Responses to requests from IE and OE are not considered to be "inbound".

The problem might be DNS-related, but hard to tell for sure from your description.

elbe

thanks for quick reply. talk to me like a 5 yr old, DNS?

BananaramaMel

Domain name Server is DNS.

If you are using Internet Explorer 8 go back to IE7.

..or reinstall IE.

I had problems like that with IE8.

Although if you've only started having the problems since you got broadband you might want to download a different browser just to check if it is the connection or th browser you're using...hope that made sense

gaming_guy

elbe wrote: »

thanks for quick reply. talk to me like a 5 yr old, DNS?

DNS translates website addresses to ip addresses that computers can understand.

for example google.co.uk is translated to 72.14.221.104 by DNS. put that IP address into the bit where you usually type website addresses and it should bring up the homepage of google uk.

elbe

thanks for everyone's help. I'm using Internet explorer 7 not 8. Have gone into internet properties and reset defaults for security, privacy and advanced. Haven't yet reset internet explorer settings in internet properties advanced settings. I'm monitoring it now I've reset defaults. As it only locks 1 out of 3 attempts to go into IE I'll need to check on it over a few days. strangely after I reset defaults closed down re booted and it wouldn't find modem, re booted again and now all lights are green.

Fingers x

elbe

As for my browser, bbc.co.uk my home page but searches are google.