Re: Networking over mains cables

In article
<slrngibgsn.hfh.usenet@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Ollie
Clark <usenet@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Am I to understand that 'outbound' actually means
'inbound and outbound, only if initiated by me' and
'inbound' actually means 'inbound and outbound, but
initiated by some other computer' ?

That's correct. An outbound connection is one initiated
by you so web, news, time, POP3 email and many other
services only need to be allowed outbound. An inbound
connection is one initiated by another computer outside
the firewall so a webserver needs to allow inbound HTTP
traffic but someone just browsing the web only needs to
allow outbound HTTP traffic.

So, for goodness sake, why use such confusing language??

I think not understanding that has been the root of your
confusion about this. :)

You are quite right, since this is the first time that I
have seen it. And this is supposed to be *much* clearer than
the original!!

After all, I have read about 'ports' for years, but never
until now had any idea what they are, and not in any way
interested enough to find out.

I think I probably rather though a port was what you plugged
the network cable or the modem into - you remember 'serial
port'? - except that some people preferred to give them
numbers rather than names.

Given that e-mail, web-browsing, newsgroups, ftp all go
along the same bit of wire, why would it occur to the non
expert that they used different 'ports', even if they used
to be all connected to the serial port, and are now
connected to the network port/socket?

Most people need very few inbound ports open.

Please try and look at it from the point of view of an
average user who has been sold a computer and told to plug
it in and it will work.

One day they read something in the paper about online
security; because they are reasonably intelligent they
remember something about there being a firewall in their
router and they try to do something about it.

They find that the instructions are a 183 page PDF, which
IMO is far worse than the proverbial chocolate teapot.

Fiddling around, they find a status page for the firewall,
whill tells them that all or most incoming ports are
either 'false', 'off' or 'blocked'.

Fortunately they know from experience that they do get
incoming traffic, though they have no idea how, given that
it appears to be all blocked. So they do not dare touch
anything because they are concerned that they will break it
if they do.

Should there not be a simple firewall set-up app which
removes all the stuff about ports, tcp etc which most users
neither know nor care about, and can interface with any
firewall?

All it would need would be a control panel with a series of
questions:

1. Do you want to send and receive e-mail?

2. a) Do you want to browse the internet?
b) Will you want to use internet banking, and buy stuff
online?
3. Do you want access to Newsgroups?

and so on, with the user simply having to select the 'yes'
or 'no' box as appropriate?

There is a desparate need for clear and consistent language
here. Without it, it is no surprise at all that people
cannot / will not get their heads round firewalling and
other security issues.

--
Russell
http://www.russell-hafter-holidays.co.uk
Russell Hafter Holidays E-mail to enquiries at our domain
Need a hotel? <http://www.hrs.de/?client=en__MT&customerId=416873103>
.

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