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XP Firewall can already be enabled easily NOW
I don't use XP for a gateway and I don't like the idea of enabling the FW by default. However, if it's as easy to turn off after the SP2 install as it is right NOW to turn on, then it won't be a big deal.

Proper setup for a home network with a broadband connection is for the XP machine to be the gateway, preferably with two NICs in it: 1 plugged into the broadband (with the FW enabled), and 1 plugged into the LAN hub/switch (with the FW disabled). The other machines on the LAN will use the XP machine as their gateway, and since it has the firewall turned on on its external connection, they are all protected by it.

You can plug everything, including the broadband connection (cable in my case),into a switch like I do. The benefits to this are that you can designate another machine with an external NIC as the gateway for the internal machines if your primary gateway goes down. In my case, the alternate gateway is a FreeBSD machine with two NICs.

I use a Linux box with two NICs as the primary gateway and FW and that's the way I intend it to remain. The main concern I have with SP2 will be that Microsoft will have made too many drastic changes that may make XP relatively more "secure," but screw up, lock down, and shut out things that work great now. They have a knack for either overreacting, or not acting at all, to security issues.
Posted by: Oggie_z   Posted on: 10/15/03 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use
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ActiveX and Firewall  Michael Kelly | 10/15/03
Responce to 3rd paragraph  JoeMama_z | 10/15/03
Works for me........  Jose Jimenez | 10/15/03
XP Firewall  pschroeder@... | 10/15/03
XP Firewall can already be enabled easily NOW  Oggie_z | 10/15/03
Home users  pschroeder@... | 10/16/03
I'll Be Waiting About 6 Months Before I Do It  cybershoplifter | 10/15/03
6 months!  pschroeder@... | 10/15/03
contributing to the global security problem ??  cybershoplifter | 10/15/03
Like I Care!  pschroeder@... | 10/15/03
You forget  Rick_K | 10/15/03
Testing  pschroeder@... | 10/16/03
Like I Care!  cybershoplifter | 10/16/03
Problems  pschroeder@... | 10/16/03
SP1 slowdown  pschroeder@... | 10/15/03
Re: ActiveX and Firewall  issthatso | 10/15/03
Corporate vs. Home Users  Michael Kelly | 10/15/03
but...  ryusen | 10/15/03
Yes but...  Michael Kelly | 10/15/03
possibly, but  ryusen | 10/15/03
Once a month?  Michael Kelly | 10/15/03
This is my problem with MS  Arrg | 10/15/03
No complaints about SP's here...  BitTwiddler | 10/15/03
Ditto...  Jose Jimenez | 10/15/03
you must have a problem with all companies  JoeMama_z | 10/15/03
No thanks  skeptic tank | 10/15/03
but...  ryusen | 10/15/03
correct me if i'm wrong...  ryusen | 10/15/03
Make up your mind...  Asher_N | 10/15/03
if you actually read my arguemnts  ryusen | 10/15/03
Memory protection?  CooCooCaChoo | 10/15/03
Original  pschroeder@... | 10/16/03
depends  ryusen | 10/16/03
"Faster, MonkeyBoy, Kill, Kill!..."  dicktaurus@... | 10/16/03
Service Packs & Upgrades are Maintanence!  bunnyman | 10/16/03
Apparently, none of you are Admins  Sir_Chancealot | 10/16/03
Phases of the moon  pschroeder@... | 10/17/03
Hurried SP??!!  vuccolc | 10/17/03
Test post  Oggie_z | 07/27/05

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