by Wayne Hamilton

Given the rise in numbers of computer hackers, scammers and viruses around the Internet, you should install a firewall. Between your computer and data that is entering it, this is your first line of defense. With one, you can avoid dangerous attacks that can wipe out your data or steal personal information.

Since there are a wide variety of firewalls available, including those from major corporations such as Microsoft, you first need to determine what kind of firewall your PC requires.

It is likely that your firewall will already be set up and ready to use if your computer came with the Microsoft XP or Vista operating system installed. However, it may not be turned on or working properly – this is especially true if you are using software from various Voip companies such as broadband telephony. If you do not have one of these later operating systems, then you need to purchase your own software. Since the XP version doesn’t get great reviews, you may still want to purchase separate firewall software if you have Microsoft XP.

You can either visit a store that sells computer software or download a firewall product through the Internet – the most popular products available are Norton, AVG and McAfee. The price of software varies depending on how sophisticated it is but there are also plenty of low cost versions available, even from the big name companies.

You need to take a few things into consideration prior to installing your firewall. The program must not stop you using the functions that you need, such as file and printing sharing. Settings can be configured during installation or at a later date using the documentation provided.

Access to certain parts of the Internet is limited by a firewall. Awareness of how you connect is important as if you use a local area network or a router, this could happen. When you have installed a firewall in place, secured networks in particular are difficult to access. Installing a firewall to a pc linked to a company network may require a specific settings configuration to allow you to connect to them and this can be provided by a company’s IT department.

About the Author:
If you use online broadband telephony and are still having trouble with your firewall, why not try asking the help desk of the Voip company you bought your software and hardware from?

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