I could'a put this in mylot
By ElicBxn
@ElicBxn (64169)
United States
April 12, 2010 5:19pm CST
But really, the reason I've been kind of absent isn't JUST because I haven't been here, or because I've had so many notifications or anything...
Its because my DUMB computer has not been staying online!
As most of you who are more computer "literate" than I am, will know, your router and most computers have "firewalls."
Well, some how, my computer's firewall and the router's firewall were fighting it out behind the scenes and knocking me off line all the FREAKING time!
I finally, this weekend, decided to turn off the computer's firewall long enough to get some of my backlog of notifications done!
As I'm sure my friend's may have noticed, I'm now responding to stuff from the early part of the month.
However, my geek friend is supposed to come over and he'll probably turn it back on...
So, between my sister visiting, and the roomie's family stuff and the firewall problems, I am finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, and now the end is probably going to be moved - AGAIN.
I REALLY need a new computer - or at least more RAM, but that's not likely to happen for a while - after all, we need to get Solo's teeth done and 3 cats spayed, and...
Well, anyway - I'm glad to be working, at least for the moment...
So, how do you deal with computer problems? Do you think I took too big a risk turning off my firewall, even tho the router has one too?
7 people like this
13 responses
@scarlet_woman (23463)
• United States
14 Apr 10
sounds like norton.i had that a long time ago,and it seemed to pick fights with every other program.
2 people like this
@gabs8513 (48686)
• United Kingdom
13 Apr 10
Hi Elic
I have never heard of a router having a Firewall that is new to me lol
You should only need one Firewall but the best one would be your Computer as you do not know how secure the one in your Router is if you know it is secure then there is no need to have the Computer Firewall on to be honest
@GardenGerty (169449)
• United States
12 Apr 10
I took the firewall off my browser ages ago. I do not have any problem with it. Actually, I could probably reinstall it now. I treated my computer to a mess of new RAM and it is a much happier camper. I wish it was as easy to update the memory in my brain.
2 people like this
@ElicBxn (64169)
• United States
13 Apr 10
I need RAM, and I agree, getting "wetware" memory would be great!
Actually, RAM is kind of the "attention span" of the computer, you put too much into it and its not able to give anything enough attention to get things done. (The roomie used to stress the 8 gig RAM on her computer - and that much stuff would seize mine up!)
@smacksman (6053)
•
12 Apr 10
I wouldn't worry about Windows software firewall. I've had mine turned off for years! All the hackers know how to get round it anyway so it is more trouble than it is worth.
Your router/modem has a hardware firewall built in as you say (like mine) and that is a far more secure firewall than any that came out of Microsoft so that is the one to use.
I remember a report when XP first came out and Microsoft bragged about the new built in firewall to protect all users. To prove how good it was they put a PC with XP running online and invited hackers to try their luck.
It lasted a few hours only before it was breached!
@cerebellum (3863)
• United States
12 Apr 10
Welcome back! I hope when your friend turns the firewall back on, it won't kick you off line again! I know very little about computers, I didn't know you could turn of the firewall.
@magtibaygom (4856)
• Philippines
12 Apr 10
I think it's okay to turn off Firewall. Just install good anti-virus software preferably one with good "anti-spyware" feature. A good example of it is, the one I'm using right now that's good in blocking attacks and malicious traffic from malicious I.P. addresses. I'm using Symantec Endpoint Protection.
@MsTickle (25180)
• Australia
20 Apr 10
I'm in the same boat as you - in fact, you probably know more than I do. I can't imagine why your router has a firewall...I would maybe have turned that one off and left the computer one on. It's the computer and everything on it that need protecting after all.
Isn't it?
Isn't it?1 person likes this
@recycledgoth (9894)
•
13 Apr 10
I've been offline for almost two weeks hun, mainly due to my computer picking up a virus despite all the security measures in place. Fortunately I have a tame computer nerd who will happily fix up my machine but it's a real pain in the bum when it goes wrong.
@BarBaraPrz (51818)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
12 Apr 10
I'm glad you figured it out. Tell your geek friend what's happening and maybe he can find a solution to let the two play nice.
I just rely on my ISP's firewall, but then, I do have a Mac.
1 person likes this
@ElicBxn (64169)
• United States
13 Apr 10
Like I said, the router has a firewall, so now that I have F-Prot - that isn't what I call a great system - turned off, it seems to be happy.
It well could be that I just had 2 firewalls going on the computer and they weren't happy with each other.
After all, before they came and messed with the computer the first time, I wasn't having the problem, and I think they may have put another firewall on it for all I know.
1 person likes this
@bellis716 (4799)
• United States
14 Apr 10
W hen I have computer problems, I call our neighbor, who, if he can't fix it, calls his son. Or, I might first ask our son, who is a computer programmer for DPS. the problem with asking our son is that he is in Austin. He can tell me what to do, but I usually won't understand a word he said.
1 person likes this
@ElicBxn (64169)
• United States
14 Apr 10
maybe you could talk your son into setting up a remote connection so he can log in onto your computer via something like "log me in" Then he could fix it himself!
I know what you mean about not understanding a word they say - actually, I understand all the words, just in in the computer's context!
1 person likes this
@paula27661 (15811)
• Australia
15 Apr 10
I have just Windows firewall and have not bothered to install anything else; a computer technician told me I should not need to. Sometimes life keeps you away from here and although it’s frustrating not much can be done about it. Glad you’re back here, I’ve had school holidays keeping me away... As far as computer problems go, I've had so many that I have just about earned a qualification in IT, the hard way! I can fix most problems now but I still get just as annoyed when things go wrong!
1 person likes this
@blue65packer (11826)
• United States
13 Apr 10
I have had computer problems over the past year! It is quite the list! I first took my computer to the IT department at where I work. I asked them to install anti-virus software and to clean up all the viruses. After 9 weeks I got my PC back to find they cleaned up my computer,didn't install any anti-virus software and I would not to be able to log in after a month of use! That happened! I couldn't log in after a month and decided never to get help from the IT department again! They are a bunch of idiots! I ended up shipping my computer to my older brother to be fixed. He is a computer programer and luckily I didn't have to UPS my PC across the country! He lives like 70 miles away from me. My big brother fixed my computer and install an anti virus program. My computer didn't give me any problems again until late summer. I took it to my brothers agian. This time I was told the mother board was out and I needed a new computer! Luckily my brother gets hold of used and unwanted computers from work. A few weeks later I got a better and newer PC! I was happy! After Thanksgiving the computers hard drive went down and I had to give my computer back to my brother to be fixed! Of course he fixed it and if I ever need his help I'll ask him again! He doesn't charge anything and helps fix other families computers! I really got luckily in that department!
1 person likes this
@timetravel (1424)
• United States
8 Oct 11
what security system do you have installed? Who is your internet provider? Those can also affect things. By not staying "online" do you mean it's crashing constantly, or something else? If it's constantly crashing, no matter what appears to be going on with security, it could be ignited simply by your computer being overheated. All the defragging in the world won't cure that. Sometimes installing an extra fan inside can help, or cleaning the dust out from the innards, or using a small outside fan to blow cool air at the vents.
by the way, I wanted to comment on your orange cat's photo, but I couldn't because it said something about I need to be a friend to comment on profile photos?
