Rin Stowleigh
7/1/2011 4:30:00 AM
On Thu, 30 Jun 2011 22:09:54 -0600, PW
<emailaddyinsig@ifIremember.com> wrote:
>On Thu, 30 Jun 2011 22:52:31 -0400, Rin Stowleigh
><rstowleigh@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>>On Thu, 30 Jun 2011 20:10:12 -0600, PW
>><emailaddyinsig@ifIremember.com> wrote:
>>
>>>On Thu, 30 Jun 2011 19:20:57 -0400, Rin Stowleigh
>>><rstowleigh@gmail.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>>
>>>>I forgot to mention.. in the world of multiplayer gaming, you
>>>>sometimes run into firewall issues that are not always easy to
>>>>recognize as such. I'm finding it to be less of an issue in the last
>>>>year or so, but the main symptom of this is when you go into a game
>>>>and you see no servers to join, or you hit quick match and it says
>>>>can't find a game, etc.
>>>>
>>>>It is a good thing to learn about port forwarding if you're not savvy
>>>>in that sort of area yet, and also to understand your own networking
>>>>situation (there's not a lot to it, but if it's a foreign concept it
>>>>can take a little practice).
>>>
>>>I've never had problems before playing MP games but I haven't done a
>>>lot of that.
>>
>>In general if you haven't had problems in the past, you probably won't
>>have much going forward.
>>
>>>>Every now and then I would run into a case where someone actually had
>>>>three firewalls total : Windows firewall on, a firewall on the router
>>>>their ISP provides which is usually going to be on by default, then
>>>>another router with firewall. These days, I've found the easiest
>>>>combination is simply Windows firewall on, ISP firewall off. This may
>>>>not be the ideal solution if you have family members accessing your
>>>>connection from various PCs that you have no hand in administrating or
>>>>don't care to (enforcing Windows firewall etc). In short, you need
>>>>some kind of firewall but Windows firewall is certainly adequate for
>>>>most people, especially if you are on Windows7-64bit, which is
>>>>inherently more secure. If you use a hardware firewall, you may need
>>>>to learn how to get into the tools to open ports, then it sometimes
>>>>takes a little research to figure out which ports a game wants, which
>>>>ranges, whether TCP or UCP, etc. Most newer games seem to just work
>>>>without effort UPNP through the Windows firewall, but Windows will
>>>>often prompt you whether to allow or block an application the first
>>>>time it tries to access the 'net.
>>>
>>>Oh Man! I don't want to have to deal with that stuff! I am running
>>>Win7 64 and Norton Internet Security 2011. And a LinkSys router. And
>>>whatever my ISP installed on the outside of our house.
>>
>>I just mentioned it in case you loaded some games where it matters.
>>Nothing to think about now, just a consideration to keep in the back
>>of your mind (literally) in case it comes up again. It probably won't
>>with newer games.
>>
>>The thing on the outside of your house has no firewall. The Linksys
>>router probably does, but I've found linksys routers the easiest to
>>work with. If nothing else, you can simply turn the router firewall
>>off and leave Windows firewall on and you should be set for any MP
>>games. Really, don't concern yourself with it unless you see some
>>reason to believe that your connectivity to a game or game servers
>>isn't what it should be.
>>
>>There was a time I used Norton products but they're no longer of much
>>use. Microsoft Security Essentials is a free download and better at
>>virus prevention. The built in Windows firewall is free and will not
>>get in the way as much as Norton. If nothing else, just remember to
>>try disabling Norton firewall *IF AND ONLY IF* you have connectivity
>>problem with an MP game.
>
>
>Nah. I read all the reviews. Norton now is probably not what you
>remember.. It's the best out there right now. Avoid eSet like the
>plague! Sorry Leo the Tech Guy. He is just taking their advertising
>money and I understand that he has bills to pay but I'd never run that
>crap again after what my wife and I have been through. Besides, he's
>mostly a Mac guy (their time has come!).
I had a run in with Norton as recently as 5 months ago on a work
laptop -- it was worse than I remembered, and this was on a brand new
laptop, perfectly clean factory install of Windows 7. If you're happy
with it, then by all means keep doing what you're doing, but if it has
a firewall just remember that may be one more hurdle to keeping
multilplayer games working right. Maybe its not? I really never ran
the Norton firewall, only anti-virus, but I can tell you the firewall
won't stop anything the Windows firewall wont. Hopefully, if
something tries to access something that Norton blocks, it will prompt
you to allow or block? If that's the case just keep it in mind in
case it complains about a game.
Also if push comes to shove, just remember Microsoft Security
Essentials and Windows Firewall do same, silently, and don't hit you
up for subscription renewalls.