Is this "good" technical advice?

[bpatters69]

Just some quick bacground - I am having trouble connecting to a game server over my home DSL connection. I have a Netgear Router and a software firewall. I figured I would try contacting the software firewall company this morning via chat.

The rep she did not have any expertise with the Netgear router. Makes sense. I said "ok" pretend the Netgear does not exist. What would you suggest then? Read below. Names removed for obvious reasons:


Tech Lady: You need to check if you are able to play the game with our firewall program disabled.

Me: Are you telling me to disable the your firewall?

Tech Lady: Yes, and then check if you are able to play the game. This would narrow down the issue you are experiencing.

Me: So I would only be protected by the Netgear. correct?

Tech Lady: My expertise is in products and software available through McAfee so I cannot comment about Netgear.

Me: Ok. Pretend the Netgear did not exist. Would you still recommend that I disable my your firewall, Virus prot, etc to see if a game can be played? Isn't that risky?

Tech Lady: You need to check it if you are able to play the game.

Tech Lady: This would narrow down the cause of the issue.

Me: Won't I be exposed to viruses and hackers?

Tech Lady: If you are playing the game from the trusted web site then it is not exposed.

Me: Explain what you mean by trusted website? As I understand it, I am connecting to a remote server over the internet. Where would I configure the remote server as trusted?

Tech Lady: You need to disable to check if you are able to play the game.

Me: Can you answer my last question? I understand your logic.

Tech Lady: If the website from which you are playing the game is genuine then you need not worry about it.

I could be wrong, but if I do not have any type of firewall protecting my computer, aren't I opening myself up to every hacker and virus imaginable? Just because I am not browsing the Internet (just connecting to the game server), I still could be hacked or get a virus, right?

 

[Juice Daddy]

weather you have a firewall or not... you can get viruses or hackers...

I'd just disable the firewall...

if you do manage to pick up a virus... just run some adaware program or virus scanner to get rid of it...

 

[hilowe]

She's not recommending that you leave your firewall disabled forever. All she's asking is that you disable for a few minutes, start your game up, and try to connect to the remote server.

If the netgear router was not there, yes, you would be completely exposed, but I'm willing to bet the netgear router has a NAT firewall, so you should be fine, even without the McAffee firewall.

 

[bpatters69]

I agree that no security system is absolute, however; disabling the firewall just seems to be inviting some kind of trouble. I would only have the firewall down for 20 to 30 minutes but that seems like plenty of time.

Agree?

 

[bpatters69]

She's not recommending that you leave your firewall disabled forever. All she's asking is that you disable for a few minutes, start your game up, and try to connect to the remote server.

If the netgear router was not there, yes, you would be completely exposed, but I'm willing to bet the netgear router has a NAT firewall, so you should be fine, even without the McAffee firewall.

The Netgear does have NAT. My point to her was that if I took out the Netgear router and disabled the McAfee firewall, I would be total exposed. I think that is a bad idea even for a short time. I understand that her suggestion was only temporary.

 

[m3incorp]

Yes you would be temporarily exposed, but it is the quickest way to eliminate if the firewall is causing your problems.

 

[ShoobieRat]

Just some quick bacground - I am having trouble connecting to a game server over my home DSL connection. I have a Netgear Router and a software firewall. I figured I would try contacting the software firewall company this morning via chat.......

First, I think you are under the impression that viruses and hackers are constantly raining down on your machine night and day, every second. This is a paranoid viewpoint. If you turn your firewall off, you're computer is not going to instantly explode with spam, viruses, and hacker activity.

Except for a very very very rare, small and minute percentage, you have to do something first before you're at risk.

So turning your firewall off for a test, is not that big of a deal. In fact, there's like a 0.00001% chance that you'd experience any problems during the test. You've got a higher chance of screwing yourself up, than anything else.

Second, if this is a game that connects across the Internet (such as any multiplayer game), and you're having connection problems, disabling the firewall is a logical testing practice. If you turn the firewall off, and the problem goes away, you know the problem was in the setup of the firewall.

It's a standard connection-troubleshooting step.

 

[bpatters69]

All of your responses make sense. Wouldn't it make more sense to disable the software firewall with the Netgear in place as a first step. If that does nothing, I would remove the Netgear and just use the McAffee and I would directly connect my PC to the Westell modem? I would think that would accomplish the same thing and be safer.

The only way to be absolutely sure it is not either firewall is to disable/remove both. I have not done that yet but I have tried each firewall by iteself and I still saw the latency issue.

If I do disable both firewalls, I will need at least 30 minutes to test the set-up. Once I complete the test, I will run a complete virus scan. I don't see any way around it.

Thanks for the help.

 

[bpatters69]

Re: Re: Is this "good" technical advice?

First, I think you are under the impression that viruses and hackers are constantly raining down on your machine night and day, every second. This is a paranoid viewpoint. If you turn your firewall off, you're computer is not going to instantly explode with spam, viruses, and hacker activity.

Except for a very very very rare, small and minute percentage, you have to do something first before you're at risk.

So turning your firewall off for a test, is not that big of a deal. In fact, there's like a 0.00001% chance that you'd experience any problems during the test. You've got a higher chance of screwing yourself up, than anything else.

Second, if this is a game that connects across the Internet (such as any multiplayer game), and you're having connection problems, disabling the firewall is a logical testing practice. If you turn the firewall off, and the problem goes away, you know the problem was in the setup of the firewall.

It's a standard connection-troubleshooting step.

Where can I call you if someting goes wrong?

Kidding.

Understood. I probably am a bit paranoid about security and the Internet but I know enough to be dangerous but not enough to be knowledgeable. When I did remove the Netgear router and I had only the software firewall in place, I did log two hacker attempts. No kidding so you can see where my paranoia comes from. I probably had the Netgear offline for 30 minutes.

 

[killians45]

One thing to remember, just because it says two hacker attempts does NOT mean it was actually a hacker. It usually is suspicious activity, a unknown process communicating or a unsigned system listening/using a port. It maybe completely harmless, but your software doesn't know that becuase it is unsigned. Many gaming servers, for example, may show up as that. Also, non ms messeging services can have that effect, as well.