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Open Workgroup for File and Print Sharing - Typical software firewall defaults??

I've not quite figured out how the typical firewalls work with XP regarding the LAN.
It used to be that the LAN a computer was on would be available when one of the mainstream firewalls was running: Norton, ZoneAlarm, etc.
Recently I've been seeing more and more situations where connectivity across a LAN just doesn't work.
Recently I've been resorting to adding the LAN IP address range to the software firewall's trusted zone.
I'm wondering if this should be necessary? How do most firewall products recognize a LAN/workgroup? Or, must it always be dealt with manually?

Any insights would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Fred

mfteal

Some firewalls automatically detect the LAN connection when you start them for the first time and then ask you if that connection is trusted or not - certainly Zone Alarm and Kerio do this. However, if the firewall does not do this and you add the LAN subnet range manually, this essentially achieves the same thing.

hypercube

ASKER

OK - so the key here is how it's treated when it's started for the first time. Is there generally a way to know if it has happened? I often don't see a trusted zone that is the LAN.

So, that would mean one should *always* add the LAN to make sure the firewall is going to do what one wants. Do you agree?

What about laptops that move around from LAN to LAN from office to office? Up to now it's not been a problem but yesterday I definitely had one that needed to have a new trusted zone. In the mean time, the computer was working fine on the "home" LAN and I didn't see the home LAN range on the trusted zone list !?

Thanks,

Fred

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mfteal

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