DSL help

MtnGal

MtnGal

Has No Life - Lives on TB
Mods, please leave a little while before moving. Thanks

Whaoo! no more dial up! I now have DSL.

DSL said I don't need to shut down a night. Is it always connected to the internet? or only when I click IE? Do I need more protection? They, AT&T, say they are heavly protected.

Thanks for your help understanding DSL

MtnGal
 
Dennis Olson

Dennis Olson

Chief Curmudgeon
_______________
DSL and cable-modem are ALWAYS connected to the Net. You need to make sure you have up-to-date anti-virus software installed, as well as AT LEAST a software-based firewall (a hardware-based one like a router would be better).
 
eXe

eXe

Techno Junkie
My trick for this is my firewall. I lock the firewall at night or when I am not home. This way nothing can get in or out.

You can also unplug the DSL modem when you are not there, but I would suggest at the very least some decent firewall software this way nothing can get in or out when you are away.
 
MtnGal

MtnGal

Has No Life - Lives on TB
Thanks. I do have anti virus and firewall. Both are on and seem to be working properly. How do you lock the firewall?
 
Sleeping Cobra

Sleeping Cobra

TB Fanatic
I use a Firewall plus anti spyware/anti virus. I don't shut my computer down but i press the Sleep Mode button on the keyboard but i do have to turn off the DSL cause it wakes up the computer. But it only takes a few seconds to fully turn on the DSL.
 
Knoxville's Joker

Knoxville's Joker

Has No Life - Lives on TB
If you are running windows do be aware that unless your firewall is locked down to a point where it only allows port 80/8080 traffic(internet explorer) and any other ports for the programs you use, industrious individuals can get into your computer. If you are really concerned about security unplug power to your computer case, or unplug yourself from your dsl modem.
 
WFK

WFK

Senior Something
Just turn the PC on and off as would normally do.
Leave the DSL modem on. When the PC is off nothing can get in or out.
Same situation as dialup.
edit: I really see no point in physically unplugging anything
unless you are afraid of lightning damage.

If you have Vista or XP service pack2, you have a software firewall. Turn it ON.
Additional firewalls will just give you grief.
If you also have a router (following the DSL modem or part of it) you can consider that a hardware firewall,
the net just sees the router.

The AV software belongs into the PC and protects it from getting bad stuff from the connections
that YOU make. Which could be a website or a mail server.
With PC off, you don't worry about virus protection...

Anyway, the DSL modem connects you to the net and gives YOU an IP address. When you turn off the DSL modem
the IP address becomes available for someone else. So you own the IP address until you turn off your DSL modem.
Next time you get a different address unless you negotiated a FIXED IP address with your provider.

In my case I fairly often disconnect ALL power from everything (PC, DSL Modem, Router) because I may not be home for a few days.
On return, I just throw the switch and all the parts say hello to each other and hook themselves up in the proper order,
including the wireless part of the router.
 
Last edited:
Knoxville's Joker

Knoxville's Joker

Has No Life - Lives on TB
actually if it is turned off and plugged in and wake on LAN(WOL) is enabled in bios it can be remotely activated and accessed. I was merely adding the unplugging part if he was really really paranoid about such things.

I actually had a friend get hacked on comcast from someone in russia through a neighboors wireless network that was compromised. He noticed the hack in process after the hacker had deleted all the logs and all changes. And he had high security levels setup on the computer and modem/router hardware firewall, and all of that was useless.

That is why i bring up the point of unplugging it, because if you have sensitive information certain parties may want, don't store it on a computer that is accessible from the internet.

WFK said:
Just turn the PC on and off as would normally do.
Leave the DSL modem on. When the PC is off nothing can get in or out.
Same situation as dialup.
edit: I really see no point in physically unplugging anything
unless you are afraid of lightning damage.

If you have Vista or XP service pack2, you have a software firewall. Turn it ON.
Additional firewalls will just give you grief.
If you also have a router (following the DSL modem or part of it) you can consider that a hardware firewall,
the net just sees the router.

The AV software belongs into the PC and protects it from getting bad stuff from the connections
that YOU make. Which could be a website or a mail server.
With PC off, you don't worry about virus protection...

Anyway, the DSL modem connects you to the net and gives YOU an IP address. When you turn off the DSL modem
the IP address becomes available for someone else. So you own the IP address until you turn off your DSL modem.
Next time you get a different address unless you negotiated a FIXED IP address with your provider.

In my case I fairly often disconnect ALL power from everything (PC, DSL Modem, Router) because I may not be home for a few days.
On return, I just throw the switch and all the parts say hello to each other and hook themselves up in the proper order,
including the wireless part of the router.
Click to expand...
 
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