Preserved Topic: Which Fire Wall for Mac?

Okay, I just got a Cable connection to the internet, (wicked fast - insert grin "here"), and I would like to set-up some kind of software firewall for my Mac. I know there is a good program called "Black Ice" for PC, but I would like some feedback on what I can get for my Mac? Preferably free, but I'm willing to pay for it if nessasary . . .

Is "Norton Personal Firewall" any good?

Thanks for any feedback!

Maybe you should consider buying a hardware router/firewall. Those devices are not very expensive anymore, especially, since now there are entry-level models for homes/small offices. For example, you can get a D-Link router (discussed here)...

Okay, explain this to me more, because I orriginally went out hoping to find some cheap PC, (could have been a 486 for all I cared), to sit between me and my Mac and act as a server/firewall, but I was told I couldn't do that on a cable modem through AT&T @ Home, because the node I'm on is already a workgroup for AT&T, not a dirrect link to the internet, so I can't create a subserver on the already given server - didn't make a whole lot of sense to me, because I figured I could have the computer serve, and just assign multiple IP's, and recombine them for capsule routing through AT&T's network - so what's the deal?? CAN I create a firewall computer on AT&T @ Home? Because right now I'm paying them $10 extra a month to have three computers on int he house, and I just have them hubbed together . . .

AT&T is lying to you because they want your $$$. i was on cox@home for a while and we were specifically told that we couldnt have a network because it violated their TOS. they wanted us to instead buy extra ip addresses from them to put extra computers on the internet at an extra $9 a month per computer.

when i moved to canada, we were on rogers@home and had a local network just fine with a *nix firewall.

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this rose has a thorn...

If you're so inclined, there are several free *nix distributions that lend themselves to a firewall. A cow orker of mine uses FreeSCO and is quite impressed. I'm an OpenBSD advocate myself. OpenBSD may be the most secure thing you can install out-of-the-box.

You don't need a firewall for a macintosh. Just make sure you keep filesharing turned off or on and use passwords and you are good to go. Putting a PC in between your macintosh and the net is like breaking a safe door so you can paint it scary colors, it will just decrease any amount of security you had to begin with. If you are just going to build a linux box specifically for a firewall you absoluty must use OpenBSD, and even then unless you have a pretty large clue you are going to be the weak part of the link. Most security issues are caused by users, and it is especially easy on a *nix system to fall behind on security.

If you are serious about security buy a dedicated firewall/router like a linksys or whatever else is out there, they cost about 100/150 and will protect your boxen and provide you with 255 or so private ip addresses in case you need to grow. If you are really really serious, you should just buy a real dedicated firewall solution...

I would *NOT* buy a software firewall(unless it is an opensourced *nix system or a proprietary system, which would cost thousands). And to run a firewall on the computer you are trying to protect goes against the whole point of a firewall anyway. They are just extra baggage to take care of and another way for norton to part you from your money. Also they will have bullshit alarms that tell you they protected you from 121943019 hacking attempts last night when in reality those were just normal pings.

Again, if you are just going to be protecting your mac, you don't need a firewall.

I think I'd have to agree, iof you have file sharing turned off, a Macintosh is damned hard to hack, nothing is where the little hacker dudes expect them to be! I used to use an old mac as my security workstation for watching over the network, it was an old Mac SE/30 with *just* enough network plugs to access things, but none of the right protocols to let any of the other machines see it, it was *invisible*, heh. Low tech can be good tech.

Your pal, -doc-