[Chas521]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hi,
I am using a Westell 327w router as a hardware firewall connected to my cable modem for my Cablevision ISP. I use the firewall part only, not interested in wireless. I originally had Verizon DSL - that's where the router came from - and I was able to change the settings in the router at the website to use with my cable service. My OS is Vista Home Premium. When I run a firewall test at GRC [hope that I got this right], I pass all the tests with stealth but I fail the ping test. Should I be worried or is that much ado about nothing? I have the security setting set to low because when I set it to high then I couldn't synchronize my computer clock from the internet because port 13 was blocked. I can set it to medium but according to the router site it's the same as high but there can be custom settings made and I'm not sure how to do that. Any ideas? Thanks.

Charles

[bearone2]

i pass the stealthy way at grc on all machines running behind the router and have never done the ping thingy.

[JohnWill]

I'm curious how you use a router with a DSL connection with a cable modem with an Ethernet connection. Can you describe that, because I sure don't think it can be done. If you're connecting to one of the LAN ports with the cable modem, you have no NAT layer between you and the Internet, which is the "firewall" provided by a router.

[Chas521]

Originally Posted by JohnWill

I'm curious how you use a router with a DSL connection with a cable modem with an Ethernet connection. Can you describe that, because I sure don't think it can be done. If you're connecting to one of the LAN ports with the cable modem, you have no NAT layer between you and the Internet, which is the "firewall" provided by a router.

Hi John,
I did a search on the internet on how to use my 327w [DSL original through Verizon] with my Cablevision service. There were actually quite a few and they all actually agreed on how to do it. I was instructed to go HTTP://192.168.1.1 [from memory so I hope that I got it right] and make the changes in the posts. I don't remember everything but I seem to remember changing it to ethernet 1 and to routed bridge - there were other things that I did per the instructions but everyone said that it could be done. According to what I read, a router doesn't know if it's for DSL or cable until you make the necessary changes. Now when I look at the lights on the front of my router, the DSL light is off and the Internet light is on.

I'm presently using the Vista firewall along with the router and it appears that the router is operational because all the front lights are green and there is no interference with my computer operation. Other than the ping problem that I originally posted, everything else is stealthed at Shields Up but I still would like to know about the security setting.

Charles

[Chas521]

Hi,
I am using a Westell 327w router as a hardware firewall connected to my cable modem for my Cablevision ISP. I use the firewall part only, not interested in wireless. I originally had Verizon DSL - that's where the router came from - and I was able to change the settings in the router at http://192.168.1.1 to use with my cable service. The net has posts that tell you how to do it. My OS is Vista Home Premium. When I run a firewall test at Shields Up, I pass all the tests with stealth but I fail the ping test. Should I be worried or is that much ado about nothing? I have the security setting set to low because when I set it to high then I couldn't synchronize my computer clock from the internet because port 13 was blocked. I can set it to medium but according to the router site it's the same as high but there can be custom settings made and I'm not sure how to do that. Any ideas? Thanks. BTW, I'm using the Vista firewall and the router firewall.

Charles

[Chas521]

Hi,
My other question about security [on this forum] appears to have not illicited any responses, so perhaps I can make it easier. I passed all the stealth test on Shields Up but failed the ping test, should I be worried? I am presently using Vista's own firewall and a router. Thanks again.

Charles

[lotuseclat79]

Hi Chas521,

What does the webpage at the Shields Up website say about ping failure?

Does the Shields Up website test both the TCP ports and the UDP ports?

You should probably run at ZoneAlarm Free to protect the outbound side of your system should you ever be compromised so that you can prevent outbound connections from malware. Vista does not yet have this capability. Vista and your router only protect the inbound side of connections, not the outbound side.

-- Tom

[Chas521]

Originally Posted by lotuseclat79

Hi Chas521,

What does the webpage at the Shields Up website say about ping failure?

Does the Shields Up website test both the TCP ports and the UDP ports?

You should probably run at ZoneAlarm Free to protect the outbound side of your system should you ever be compromised so that you can prevent outbound connections from malware. Vista does not yet have this capability. Vista and your router only protect the inbound side of connections, not the outbound side.

-- Tom

Tom,
Thanks for getting back. I'll run Shields Up again and get back to you. As for the outgoing, I downloaded and installed Vista Firewall Control [free BTW] which does control what programs I can use as would Zone Alarm or Comodo.

Charles

[Byteman]

Hi Chas521

I've merged your 3 threads dealing with this same issue- please do NOT start any more, make all replies here in this thread.

[Chas521]

Originally Posted by Byteman

Hi Chas521

I've merged your 3 threads dealing with this same issue- please do NOT start any more, make all replies here in this thread.

THANKS - Sorry! I was just trying to make things somewhat easier by reposting in a somewhat different "language" since I never really received a definte answer. I thought that I may have confused folks.

Charles

[Chas521]

Originally Posted by Chas521

Tom,
Thanks for getting back. I'll run Shields Up again and get back to you. As for the outgoing, I downloaded and installed Vista Firewall Control [free BTW] which does control what programs I can use as would Zone Alarm or Comodo.

Charles

Re-ran Shields Up and here's the results: FILE SHARING - Port 139 does not seem to appear, NetBios is the same as port 139. COMMON PORTS - all ports are stealthed, solicited TCP packets passed, unsolicited packets passed, Ping reply [ICMP echo] failed. Appears my computer responded to the ping.

Charles

[Chas521]

I think that I figured out how to do this. I changed my router security setting to medium and included UDP Port 123 [time synchronization] both outgoling and incoming. Now I pass ALL tests, including the ping and leak and am also able to receive synchronization.

Charles