Firewall

[Ken C]

The HTPC is on a LAN, a router with NAT sits between the LAN and the internet. SageTV does access the internet for EPG updates, weather, and Google videos, etc. Occasionally, I use Firefox to grab an updated driver. IE and Outlook Express are never used. Currently, Tiny Personal Firewall is active, the XP firewall is disabled.

But, does the HTPC really need a firewall ?

Ken C

[jmiddleton]

Most routers have a pretty good inbound SPI firewall built in and can be configured without exceptions to make you invisible as an Internet server without affecting your ability to initiate sessions as a client. The hardware firewall should offer adequate protection against hackers, worms and similar external attacks. It will do nothing to protect you from malware embedded in email, a web page or a download. Neither will the XP firewall. Some of the newer application layer firewalls do offer some defense from this type of attack. They will also try to block malicious outbound traffic to defend the rest of the network from you if your machine is infected. Unfortunately most of the current generation of firewalls aren't very smart and depend on you to decide what gets blocked and what is allowed through - which is great as long as you guess right!

I would leave the software firewall running - it can't hurt and may help. Probably the best free firewall for XP is the Comodo: http://www.personalfirewall.comodo.com/

[rickgillyon]

For exactly the same reasons, I'd say ditch the software firewall. The hardware is protection enough...especially with limited internet use and no email. My HTPCs have no firewall or virus scanner. Just exercise caution with websurfing on that machine.