Functional evolution - Firewall in Windows 7

In spite of the fact that in recent years, with the advancement of technology and user needs, mainstream anti-virus software such as Kaspersky and Kingsoft has begun to introduce anti-virus software versions containing firewalls. As a result, users naturally ignore the firewall of Windows itself. But this does not mean that the firewall that comes with Windows is useless. In fact, the firewalls in Vista and Windows 7 are quite powerful.

When the firewall in Windows 7 is compared to Vista, it can't be said that there has been a revolutionary advancement, but it can be considered an evolutionary version.

The evolution of Windows Firewall

The firewall in Windows XP is very simple, can only protect the received network data, prevent the non-system pre-installed program from running, and, by default, it is closed. It is not set to be enabled by default until SP2 appears.

The firewall in Windows Vista has added the Windows Filtering Platform (WFP) and can block the sending of data through the advanced security settings MMC.

The firewall in Windows 7 has been further improved and optimized to make it easier to use, especially through the support of multi-firewall policies, which brings great convenience to mobile notebook users.

Introduction to Windows 7 Firewall

In Vista, you can open the basic settings of the firewall through the control panel. On Windows 7, advanced firewall settings can also be opened via the control panel.

More Network Options

Vista's firewall allows users to choose whether the network type is public or private. In Windows 7, the private network was further refined into a home network and a work network, plus a public network, which constitutes three options.

Home Network - Under this option, users can create a HomeGroup. At this point, network discovery will open automatically. Computers in the home network can share files, music, videos, printers, and more.

Working Network - Under this option, network discovery is also enabled by default, but users cannot create and join Homegroup. If the user joins a host through Control Panel - System - Advanced System Settings - Computer Name, the system will automatically join the host network.

Public Network - This option is mainly for public network access such as WI-FI. Network discovery is turned off by default.

Multiple Profile Support

In Vista, even if users have unused profiles for public and private networks, they can only choose one of them. If users accidentally access multiple networks, the system will automatically apply the most rigorous configuration to block all data. In WIndows 7, the system can apply different configuration files for different network adapters.

Setting down

At this point, Microsoft listened to the user's opinion, Windows 7 firewall settings are not so cumbersome. As a simple example, in Vista, when a user creates a firewall rule, the user must manually fill in the port and IP address. But in Windows 7, users can fill in the scope.

Adding Advanced Settings to Profiles

The Advanced Settings Console allows users to edit profiles of different network types.

For each profile, the user can set:

*Windows Firewall on/off status
*Connection settings (block, block or allow all network connections)
* Data sending settings (block or allow)
*Notification area icon (Whether the user is prompted when the program is blocked)
*Allow unicast response to multicast or broadcast traffic
*Supports group policy settings and local management Firewall rules created by members
*Supports group policy settings and security rules created by local administrators

Event logging

In Vista, events recorded by the firewall will be stored in In a separate file, the default is Windows\\System32\\LogFiles\\Firewall\\pfirewall.log. In Windows 7, the firewall is specially equipped with an event browser to make it easier to view records.

Netsh Commands

In Windows 7, Microsoft still provides Netsh commands for backward compatibility.

Summary

Windows 7 Firewall has improved the firewall in Windows Vista and removed the previous advanced settings. It can be said that the firewall in Windows 7 is more powerful and easier to use than Vista.