I have a question about software firewalls. I am using Windows XP SP3 and I am also using Symantec Endpoint Protection on our network. According to Symantec's documentation, you do not need the XP firewall if you have Symantec's firewall enabled. Do the two cooperate well? Anyone heard of running both firewalls at once? Any problems?

Also, just curious, does Peter Norton have anything to do with Symantec at all anymore? If not, anyone know what he's doing now?

Thanks.

Iolair MacWalter
Network Engineer

Symantec = Evil.

 

Just my 2¢

"What the captain doesn't realize is that we've secretly replaced his Dilithium Crystals with new Folger's Crystals."

--Greg  http://parallel.tzo.com
 

More evil than Microsoft?

Iolair MacWalter
Network Engineer

More evil than Microsoft?  YES.

My understanding is that an endpoint firewall will protect everything on your LAN from outside probes, however, a machine on your LAN infected via e-mail, USB, etc. could infect other machines on the LAN unless the individual PCs are running their own firewall.

(A few years ago, I proposed the theory that the way Symantec AV protected your PC was by using so many resources there was nothing left to execute a virus. )

Jeff
It's never too early to begin preparing for International Talk Like a Pirate Day
"The software I buy sucks,  The software I write sucks.  It's time to give up and have a beer..." - Me

Most of my insider threats come from ignorance. So, I see what you're saying about the dual firewall situtation.

I can remember when Symantec did actually protect our PCs that way. It was incredible the amount of ram it used. And, it still is a huge hog, in my opinion. Huge. The only thing I've found so far that uses more resources than Symantec is iTunes.

Iolair MacWalter
Network Engineer

I proposed the theory that the way Symantec AV protected your PC was by using so many resources there was nothing left to execute a virus


ROFL!!! So sadly true!!  We are still running some old iSeries PIII laptops and Symantec endpoint will eat up all of the RAM to the point that you think it is crashed except for the grinding of the harddrive as it tries futilely to swap memory fast enough.

I find Symantec to be exponentially worse than iTunes on Windows (which is exponentially worse than iTunes on Mac!)


About the worst i can envisage is a WindowsME (or Vista...the new ME) pc running symantec and itunes and in-browser flash games using an unpatched IE with lots of toolbar addins.   

Yep, that will do it. I keep hoping that someone is going to come up with a magic piece of software that will protect you from everything, and it uses only 64KB of ram.................

On the other hand, the first PC I worked on had only 64KB of ram.

Iolair MacWalter
Network Engineer

I use a hardware firewall for external, and windows firewall and a good anti-virus for internal.

I haven't seen any virii on computers that I manage in years.

Knock on wood.

 

Just my 2¢

"What the captain doesn't realize is that we've secretly replaced his Dilithium Crystals with new Folger's Crystals."

--Greg  http://parallel.tzo.com
 

I have a Cisco ASA on the external side, and I have Symantec Endpoint Protection on the inside, as well as the comes in the box Windows Firewall. The only time I have a problem is when for some reason a user's computer doesn't get the automatic Symantec AV definition update. Other than that, knock on wood, we don't have problems either. Thanks.

Iolair MacWalter
Network Engineer