Windows XP SP2 firewall settings detailed explanation

According to Microsoft data

The English version of Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) has been released, including the new Windows Firewall, formerly known as Internet Connection Firewall (ICF). Windows Firewall is a host-based stateful firewall that discards all unsolicited incoming traffic, that is, traffic that does not correspond to a request sent to the responding computer (requested traffic), nor does it correspond to what has been specified as Allowed unrequested traffic (abnormal traffic). Windows Firewall provides some level of protection against malicious users and programs that rely on unsolicited incoming traffic to attack computers on the network.

In Windows XP SP2, Windows Firewall has many new features, including:

• Default is enabled for all connections to the computer

•Applies to all New global configuration options for connections

•New dialog sets for global configuration

•New operating modes

•Starting security

•Local network restrictions

•Exception traffic can be specified by application file name

• Built-in support for Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6)

• New configuration options with Netsh and Group Policy

This article details the dialog set for manually configuring the new Windows Firewall. Unlike ICF in Windows XP (pre-SP2), these configuration dialogs can configure both IPv4 and IPv6 traffic.

The ICF settings in Windows XP (pre-SP2) include a single checkbox (on the “Advanced” tab of the connection properties) by restricting or blocking access to this computer from the Internet. Protect my computer and network> checkboxes and a "Settings" button that you can use to configure traffic, log settings, and allowed ICMP traffic.

In Windows XP SP2, the checkbox on the “Advanced<; tab of the connection properties is replaced with a "Set" button that you can use to configure general settings, programs Permissions for services, settings specified for connections, log settings, and allowed ICMP traffic. The “Settings> button will run the new Windows Firewall Control Panel program (available in the "Network and Internet Connections & Security Center" category).

The new Windows Firewall dialog contains the following tabs:

•“General”

•“Exception”

&bull ;“Advanced”

“General"tab

“General” tab and its default settings are shown below.

On the "General" tab, you can choose from the following options:

•“Enable (recommended)”

Select this option to &ldquo The Windows Firewall is enabled on all network connections selected on the Advanced tab. When the Windows Firewall is enabled, only the requested and abnormal incoming traffic will be allowed. Abnormal traffic can be configured on the "Exceptions" tab.

•“Do not allow abnormal traffic>

Click this option to allow only incoming traffic for the request. This will not allow abnormal incoming traffic. The settings on the "Exceptions" tab will be ignored and all connections will be protected regardless of the settings on the “Advanced" tab.

•“Disable”

Select this option to disable the Windows Firewall. This is not recommended, especially for network connections that are directly accessible over the Internet.

Note For all connections and newly created connections to computers running Windows XP SP2, the default setting for Windows Firewall is “Enable (recommended)”. This can affect the communication of programs or services that rely on unsolicited incoming traffic. In such cases, you must identify those programs that are no longer working and add them or their traffic as abnormal traffic. Many programs, such as Internet browsers and email clients (such as Outlook Express), do not rely on unsolicited incoming traffic, so they can operate correctly with Windows Firewall enabled.

If you are using Group Policy to configure Windows Firewall for computers running Windows XP SP2, the Group Policy settings that you configure may not allow local configuration. In such cases, the options on the "General" tab and other tabs may be grayed out and cannot be selected, even local administrators cannot make selections.

Group Policy-based Windows Firewall settings allow you to configure a domain profile (a set of Windows Firewall settings that will be applied when you connect to a network that contains a domain controller) and a standard profile (a set of The Windows Firewall settings that will be applied when you connect to a network like the Internet that does not contain a domain controller. These configuration dialogs only show the Windows Firewall settings for the currently applied profile. To view the settings of a profile that is not currently applied, use the netsh firewall show command. To change the settings of a profile that is not currently applied, use the netsh firewall set command.