WinXP firewall: good and bad points

Windows XP operating system goes with built-in firewall software known as Internet Connection Firewall (ICF). But should users enable it? In this brief article we will try to find the answer.

Internet Connection Firewall is a security system that acts as a protective boundary between a network and the outside world. It is used to set restrictions on what information is communicated from your home or small office network to and from the Internet to your network.

If your network uses Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) to provide Internet access to multiple computers, ICF should be enabled on the shared Internet connection. However, ICS and ICF can be enabled separately. You should enable ICF on the Internet connection of any computer that is connected directly to the Internet. To check to see if ICF is enabled or to enable the firewall, see Enable or disable Internet Connection Firewall.

ICF also protects a single computer connected to the Internet. If you have a single computer connected to the Internet with a cable modem, a DSL modem, or a dial-up modem, ICF protects your Internet connection. You should not enable ICF on VPN connections because it will interfere with the operation of file sharing and other VPN functions.

ICF is considered a "stateful" firewall. A stateful firewall is one that monitors all aspects of the communications that cross its path and inspects the source and destination address of each message that it handles. To prevent unsolicited traffic from the public side of the connection from entering the private side, ICF keeps a table of all communications that have originated from the ICF computer.

To enable Internet Connection Firewall feature using the Network Setup Wizard:

1. Run the Network Setup Wizard. To access this wizard, point to Control Panel, double-click Network and Internet Connections, and then click Setup or change your home or small office network.
2. The Internet Connection Firewall is enabled when you choose a configuration in the wizard that indicates that your computer is connected directly to the Internet.

1. In Control Panel, double-click Networking and Internet Connections, and then click Network Connections.
2. Right-click the connection on which you would like to enable ICF, and then click Properties.
3. On the Advanced tab, click the box to select the option to Protect my computer or network.
4. If you want to enable the use of some applications and services through the firewall, you need to enable them by clicking the Settings button, and then selecting the programs, protocols, and services to be enabled for the ICF configuration.

• You do not have to pay for this firewall as it goes as a part of Windows XP
• ICF will protect you against remote attacks on your computer (scanning, denial-of-service, connection requests) and make it invisible to others
• ICF API enables you to open certain ports for incoming connections (some games or messenger clients need such connections in order to operate)

• ICF does not allow some applications to work in Internet. Furthermore users cannot create specific rules to enable those applications to operate.
• ICF does not have outbound filtering features. This means it incapable of blocking Trojan horses and popular leak tests
• ICF does not report attacks or scanning accidents in real time. To view logged stats you have to manually open the file with these stats

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