[at-l] gmail

[wdlists at optonline.net (Walt Daniels)]

> 
> I used to use Zone Alarm but it had a conflict with my ISP.  
> With ZA I frequently couldn't get on-line at all. Between all 
> the variations in software code and hardware it is sometimes 
> tough to find something that works well with everything and 
> just when you think you've found it, you upgrade something 
> and the magic is gone again. :-P
> 
I don't really believe in the safety of any of the software firewalls and
their ability to really protect. I use the "hardware" firewall in my router.
Hardware is in quotes because it is really software running on a standalone
computer. The difference is that that hardware really has no access to my
machines behind it and has no important contents worth protecting on itself.
I run gmail on my machine through that firewall with no problems. I have
never had it interfere with anything I try to do. I did have to open a port
so that I can use VNC to get to my home machine from outside my home.

The latest rage for the virus writers is to exploit holes in anti-virus
software and most likely soon in firewalls. Cisco routers have been attacked
heavily - not resulting in compromises of machines but thoroughly messing up
connectivity.