PC Maintenance

Hardware vs Software Firewalls

Firewalls are extremely important to keeping your PC’s safe. There are two main types which you can get - Hardware and Software and there is a difference between them. Hardware firewalls are contained in your router. These help to keep your computer invisible on the internet and block traffic which you didnt originate. Software firewalls have to be installed onto your computer and often come with securtiy suites. Software firewalls also block outbound traffic. Surprisingly, the Windows firewall is an exception to this rule. It is highly recommended that if you have a high speed internet connection then you should have both a Hardware and Software firewall. I was very interested to examine these topics and I shall be looking at what Firewalls we have in place at school as I now wish to develop my understanding of firewalls, so much so that I chose another Firewall tutorial.

Explaining what Firewalls Do and Do not do.

Hardware firewalls DO not prevent virus installations. There is always a good chance that you can download a virus which is disguised as something else. Also, Hardware Firewalls do not block spam emails or attachments, these could also be viruses. In addition these firewalls also do not stop you spreading viruses. It is interesting to see just how much hardware firewalls DO not do. On the other hand, Software firewalls tell you when software is trying to access the internet or when something is trying to get into your computer. They are a second line of defense. This tutorial extended my understanding of Firewalls. It made it very clear what they each do and enhanced my understanding of why we really need them both.

Following a PC Maintenance checklist

The tutorial gave a very practical guide which users should do monthly to keep their computers out of trouble. These tips included, checking for updates (manually too), updating security software, defragmenting disks for longer life, use PC Pitstop, msconfig to speed up your computer, running a clean up utility and backing up everything you have. It really struck me how slack I am at doing this. When I consider how much work I do on my computer and how valuable it is, I should spend the time to go through this check list once a month... If not all of them, then definitely try to back up.