Firewall safety

[techniquefreak]

Maybe this forum is not appropriate for this thread, if so, I apologize.

I came to think that, since I have a router with a built-in firewall, then consequently create a software firewall rule wich allows all traffic on ip-adresses range covering that local network (between router and computer). In this case - will the software firewall (in my case Sygate Personal Pro) block unknown or new outgoing connection attempts - if not - there's not really any point in having the s/w firewall behind the physical one ... ?

Does anybody know the answer to this?

thanks in advance -

- Kind regards

- Jacob

[JoeMSFN]

I know this reply is slightly delayed... but I figure I'd answer it anyway....

If you leave your software firewall wide open for local net traffic, then the only thing that would happen would be infections of unpatched systems on your net.... also you won't see the DNS lookups (assuming ... you use DHCP ... and that the router/firewall issues it's IP as the DNS server)... however after it has done the DNS lookup, it will try to go to the net at which point your software firewall should ask if you want to allow the traffic....

Not to mention it will make remote desktoping and sharing files on your private subnet a lot less complicated

As a side note... I was quite amused when I saw someone's personal firewall ask "Do you want to allow Klez to access the internet?"

Edited December 8, 2005 by JoeMSFN