Thanks BFM, Jeff and Robert.
Actually, the message appears when I turn the modem on even before I try to log on. This time it said the same as above except it was “…has received a Broadcast packet from the remote machine [169.254.19.8]”
I clicked no and was still able to get online, so I think I’ll be clicking no from now on.
By the way, the sygate online test is actually a series of tests. The first, quickscan, is obviously the quickest and most basic. If you look on the left of that page you will see there are more comprehensive tests - stealth scan, trojan scan, TCP scan, and UDP scan. The last three tests take 20, 45 and 20 minutes to complete.
Ideally, a separate hardware device - a router that you can configure with your web browser…
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Not sure if I need to add this, but I’ve noticed that many computer shops in Taiwan will try to sell you a “switch” and call it a “router”. They are not the same.
A switch merely lets you connect a bunch of computers together in a network. It’s similar to a hub, but has more intelligence - a hub sends all the data on the network to all machines, while a switch will make sure that only data destined for a particular machine will receive it, thus avoiding data collisions. A router has even more intelligence - it’s own operating system, and the ability to configure rules to filter out malicious traffic, which is what you want.
A switch gives you no security at all, so don’t be tricked into buying one. I don’t think the computer shops are trying to cheat, they just simply don’t understand this stuff. Their idea of a “firewall” is ZoneAlarm.
Ideally, a separate hardware device - a router that you can configure with your web browser. These aren’t real expensive, I’ve seen good ones for sale for around NT$1200. They are easy to buy here in Taiwan, but the biggest problem is finding one where the interface is in English.[/quote]
This is not a thorough test, but it’s reasonable. It should give the result that every port is blocked. If it’s not, hackers are sure to find you. If your firewall comes back and asks permission to allow some nasty file to come through, I would say that’s a very bad sign.[/quote]
Well it’s looking good:
[quote] Your system ports are now being scanned and the results will be returned shortly… Results from quick scan at TCP/IP address: ...*
Ideally your status should be “Blocked”. This indicates that your ports are not only closed, but they are completely hidden (stealthed) to attackers.[/quote]