The Network Security. Org

Improving Home Network Security with Windows XP

If you have more than one computer connected at home, then you have a home network. Home networks make it easier to share Internet access, files, printers, and more. Unfortunately, networks also make it easier for hackers, viruses, and worms to intrude on your privacy. Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) contains a number of improvements that help protect your security, especially on a home network. Read on to find out more about how your new or existing home network will be protected.

Windows Firewall will be turned on for all network connections. This helps protect your computer against security threats, such as intruders who might try to access your computer over the Internet or a network. You might have to adjust Windows Firewall settings for some programs, such as games, to allow some features to work properly. For more information, read Understanding Windows Firewall.

You might need to create exceptions to the firewall protection. By default, only the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard and File and Printer Sharing features are allowed to accept unsolicited communications with the Internet. If any of your programs do not run the same with Windows Firewall turned on, you can add them to the exceptions list. For detailed instructions, see Understanding Windows Firewall: Using the Exceptions Tab.

About printer notifications. If Windows Firewall is turned on, information about a printer, such as "Ready" or "Paused," in the Printers and Faxes folder, will not appear immediately (but it will appear soon), and your computer will not receive notifications (such as "print job completed" or "printer out of paper") from your printer.

To access printers from other computers on your home network, configure file and printer sharing. If Windows Firewall is enabled on the computer to which your printer is connected, and the file and printer sharing ports on the Exceptions tab of Windows Firewall are not selected, other computers on your network will not be able to connect to that computer to use the printer. To learn more, see Understanding Windows Firewall: Using the Exceptions Tab.

Most home networks don?t need to use a network bridge. A network bridge joins two network segments so that they act as one unified network. It can also compromise your network security. For that reason, SP2 turns automatic bridging off. If you have a mixed network (for example, wired and wireless), you might want to set up a network bridge to connect the two parts of your network.

Using an Internet gateway device is recommended, rather than Internet Connection Sharing (ICS). An Internet gateway device is a piece of hardware that you buy at a computer store. This is also sometimes called a router, a base station, or a residential gateway. Your network connects to the Internet through this device. Improve Your Home Network Security with Windows XP Service Pack 2

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