What else is recommended when I take my first leap to wireless, besides the Windows XP firewall that is currently up on my new laptop? One of my work colleagues says Zone Alarm should be all that is necessary. What thinkest my Bleeping advisors??

Zone alarm is abetter choice than the win firewall.
Do you already have a wireless router, a wireless PCI card for your desktop PC, and a wireless PCMCIA card (also known as a PC Card) for your notebook,if that's what the second staion will be? Many notebooks already have a wireless card installed. Do you have broadband,cable/DSL modem? Do you need info on what to get and how to set up?

Yes, BoopMe, I do need info on what to get and how to set up in-home wireless! No, I haven't purchased a router yet. My new laptop arrived with a "Wireless 1370 internal Wireless" card. My desktop does not have a wireless card yet. I have dialup right now but have been told that I'll have to go to DSL in order to satisfactorily go wireless. We don't have cable available in our area. Do I need a wireless card for the desktop too??

For the timebeing....before the router gets bought and the DSL happens at our house, if I wanted to take the laptop w*Grinler on a biz trip and use free wireless at a hotel, Starbucks, etc., should I download the free ZoneAlarm and take down the Windows XP firewall (do they fight one another??)....would that be sufficient security for that scenario?

Thanks for asking....obviously, wireless is new to me, and I sooooo appreciate you Bleepers helping out.

Hi Kat, for now I would put ZA (5.1 or higher) onto both the laptop and PC. Be sure to have Windows updated with SP2 (service pack2) installed.Yes disable the Win firewall as it will conflict. Do you also have XP/SP2 on the desktop? We will probably connect the PC 'wired ' to the 'wireless router' then to the 'wireless card' already in the laptop.
Wireless networks in public areas or "HotSpots" like coffee shops and airports may not provide any security. New technologies are being developed that make the public environment more secure and anonymous. If you are concerned about the security of your computer in a HotSpot, limit your network activities to non-critical e-mail and basic Internet surfing. Although I've heard the Starbucks connection is pretty good ,I don't know about the people in the room. Even tho there are some strong devices to use in public. I'd always not want to type passwords or personnal financial numbers in the public arena.

Don't forget to have a complete layered security suite.
Antivirus
Antispyware
Firewall
Complete up to date Windows.

I also recommend an arsenal of online scanner and trojan removal tools preinstalled. Onc attacked you may not be able to install any programs muchless the ones you will need to rid yoursel of problem malware. The only exception to the "More is better" rule is Antivirus and firewall progams. Only one of each can be active at once.
he basic protection is
Antivirus-I recommend AVG Free Edition
Spybot S&D Free Edition
AdAware SE Free Edition
Microsoft Defender-Free Edition
Firewall-I recommend SyGate 5.6 Free Edition
These programs will actively protect your computer. The rest that I recommend only use resources of your computer when you run them. I have recommended several firewall and antivirus in the event you wanted a choice. ALL are excellent programs and are highly recommended.

Antivirus (Run only one.)
AVG Free Edition Antivirus (I personally use)
Avast Home Edition Antivirus Freeware
AntiVir Personal Edition Classic Freeware
BitDefender 8 Free Edition

Antispyware
Microsoft AntiSpyware Beta (2000,and XP only)
Spybot Tutorial
AdAware SE Personal Edition Tutorial
SpyBlaster Tutorial
SpywareGuard Tutorial

Trojan Removal Tool
Ewido Anti-Malware After a 14 day trial it will not scan automaticily(2000, and XP only)(Features)
A Squared Free

Online scans
Trendmicro's Housecall Internet Explorer Only
Trendmicro"s Housecall FoxFire Only
Panda's ActiveScan Internet Explorer Only
F-secure's Virus Scan Internet Explorer Only
SyGate's Trojan scan
eTrust Antivirus Web Scanner Internet Explorer Only

Removal Tools
Kaspersky Removal Tools
AVG Manual Virus Removal tool
MacAfee Stinger Virus Removal Tool
Symantec's Viurs Removal Tools
BitDefender Removal Tools Free

Firewalls (Run only one.)
Zone Alarm Free for Personal Use
SyGate Personal Free Edition (I personally use)
OutPost Firewall Free
Kerio Free Personal Firewall


Best of all... they are free. I hope this was of some help.

You two Bleepers totally ROCK! I ask for firewall advice and get a super recommendation list from Acklan for security in general plus an offer from Boopme to help set up the whole wireless thing. Thank you, thank you!

A couple more questions....Boopme...are you telling me that wireless networks "themselves" can provide some security? Is that a router function? This Clnewbie (that's half way between a newbie and cluebie, i guess) thought that wireless security was related only to the firewalls one puts up on their computers. I obviously have lots left to learn.

Acklan...a special thank you for telling me to 'run only one' on those sections of security tools you recommend. I'm already running AVG antivirus, Spybot, AdAware,Spyware Blaster on my desktop and just added them to my new laptop. Do you recommend I add all your suggestions (except for the 'run only one' areas)?? Also, for the Online Scans recs, how do those work versus AVG for example? And should I wait to download the recs under "Trojan Removal Tool" and the others under "Removal Tools" until I have a specific problem?

Thanks again folks. This is fun! Serious!

I install the entire list, except for the "Run ONe" items, on every computer I service. That include the 8 I have done this week. Like I said most of them will just wait in the wings until you need them. They are like insurance they are only unneccessary if you never need them. If you need them they are priceless.
I would keep a copy of ALL of them burned to CD in case you have a reinstall. You don't want to be infected with a fresh install.

My 2¢

Hi and thanks. What I was saying is some places as Starbucks are trying to develop safer public hotspots. Your protection is in your firewall and encryption. The firewall on the "recommended list from acklan" are better than windows firewall. They protect what coming in and going out of your PC,windows only protects the IN traffic. At home on your network your router will help alot. It is in essence a second firewall ( the one that won't conflict).

Here are a few videos to help you understand wired and wireless security. L@@K