What Is A Firewall, How a Firewall Works, and Why You Have to Use One
As you may be aware, a firewall is a protective barrier to your computer, which acts to shield it from threats on the regional network and the internet. It is kind of like a security system for your residence. Where I live in Hawaii, a lot of us leave our doors unlocked all the time, and never have infernal cape service an issue.
Regrettably this is a really bad idea online - when your computer is internet (which if you have high speed net like DSL or cable, is all of the time) it's as if the whole world is next door to your"house," so unfortunately you've got to act like your neighbours are criminals, since someone in Nigeria can access to your computer just as easily as somebody at Captain Cook, Hawaii.
Your network or internet connection (an internet connection can also be a kind of network connection, it just connects you to the world instead of one or more computers in your house or office) is really divided up into what are called"ports" -- envision a home with lots of many windows, some open, some closed -- most vents have a specific purpose, like port 25 which is usually used for sending email.
If you have a router (that is a device used to share a DSL or cable connection with more than one computer, or to create your internet connection wireless) then there should be no firewall in the router. This is what is known as a hardware firewall (since it is a part of a piece of gear ), instead of a software firewall, and it will be a program on your PC.
Windows XP, Vista, and Windows 7, as well as any version of Mac OS 10.2 and greater have a software firewall built to them. Earlier versions of Windows and the Mac OS do not. When you have Windows XP with service pack 2 installed, or any newer version of Windows, then the firewall should come switched on.
To put it differently, a passive firewall just sort of sits there, and blocks the needed ports to keep out things and that is about it. An active firewall on the other hand, does the same thing, but also kind of sits up and pays attention to what is going on inside your computer, and gives you control over what applications can get outside.
So in case you have a piece of spyware onto your computer that's trying to"phone home" to report in on what information it's gathered about you, the buy infernal cape osrs busy firewall can block it to protect you. Along with the byproduct of this is you are safer.