Failed to Read... : Connecting to Xara.com

[Doug]

Nor would I.

Its not paranoia - its a real problem

Would you walk across the road with your eyes closed and feel safe because you couldn't hear anything coming? Even once?

It IS paranoia. I wouldn't go and walk thru the bad part of town where the drug dealers are and walk down a dark alley at midnight, that's a reasonable precaution.

But being paranoid to go out of your house at all is a pathetic phobia.
Are you scared to go out because you MIGHT get mugged?


Computer wise, it's just plain silly to be scared to turn off your firewall for a few minutes. Of course there are scanners looking around, but there are also millions of other computers on the internet.

I use a hardware router with firewall and virus checker 99% of the time but in a situation like the original poster described, of course I would temporarily turn off the firewall fro a few minutes. I've been using computers since the XT (early 1980's) and been on bbs's and later the internet since around 1990.

I have only ever had one virus and no attacks. BTW-the one virus was from a floppy disk from work!

Oh ya-raging paranoia: welcome to the internet!

[Burpee]

Hi, I thank each and everyone of you for responding. I looked around my ZoneAlarm and found Xara.com. It was banned from connecting to the web so I allowed it. It works fine now. Thank you!!!

[Doug]

Hi, I thank each and everyone of you for responding. I looked around my ZoneAlarm and found Xara.com. It was banned from connecting to the web so I allowed it. It works fine now. Thank you!!!

Glad you got your problem fixed

Cheers

Doug

[handrawn]

Its no big deal Doug - I just would not advise anyone else to do it thats all.

Glad you got the problem sorted Nancy

[Doug]

Its no big deal Doug

To turn off the firewall for a few minutes? No it's not, that's what I've been trying to tell you. Kids-they never listen!

I just would not advise anyone else to do it thats all.

Yes, you said that before. Want to try one more post and say it again, that way you can get the last word in.

Here you go-the last word-since it's so important, it's all yours, I won't be wasting time reading it.

Thank goodness for the ignore list-PLONK!

[steve.ledger]

I've been using computers since the XT (early 1980's) and been on bbs's and later the internet since around 1990.

Good for you Doug but calling media induced concern 'paranioa' isn't being objective.
I'm not sure that being on the attack and trying to make a fool out of a member is a good way to get a message understood either.

I've often heard about NAT (Network Address Translation) built-in to most DSL modem/routers as being a 'hardware firewall'. This isn't quite correct. NAT is a mechanism to make further use of the rather scarce amount of IPv4 addresses out there. It monitors incoming packets and sends them to the network PC that requested them while hiding that PC's IP from the outside world. Although if you have a port forward set for that internal IP (eg: torrent clients need PF), you've kind'a announced it's presence. Port scanners will pick it up and worm their way through no problem.
Software firewalls are only as good as the computers users understanding of them.
The reason I suggested in post#5 that Nancy's problem could be related to a permission setting (which turned out to be exactly what the problem was) is because I see this all the time. Lot's of people have heard that you need a firewall so install one of the popular brands, then proceed to say 'Deny' or 'Allow' at every request the firewall makes, thus either fully opening up their PC or fully closing it down and having no access to the internet at all.
The media are good at sensationalising but poor at educating. The general PC public need to be correctly informed before they can make the correct choices. This isn't happening as fas as I can see.

[handrawn]

Humm raw nerves or what?
Sorry if I offended you Doug, I only meant it was not worth slagging each other off about.