Re: Success With Windows98 BUT

Roger wrote:
"Peter Crosland" <g6jns@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:EPSdnSHFXYiB6CLXnZ2dnUVZ8iGdnZ2d@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Mark McIntyre" <markmcintyre@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:4VJvm.15483$_J4.9862@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
EW wrote:
I connect to the Internet on my Windows98 machine by Ethernet
cable and able to browse the web with no problems ! There is a
green light on the Ethernet card and the routers Ethernet LED
lights. However I would like the old "blinking" lights in the tray or a
similar application to indicate a connection. This would enable me
to enable/disable the connection as is possible with Ethernet via
XP.

Why bother? It doesn't cost any different, and you don't get any
advantage by disabling it.

Although I use the Win98 desktop often for the Internet I still
use it for word processing, my music library etc. and don't like
the idea of the Internet connection being automatically switched
on at bootup and closed on shutdown.

I don't think you need to worry, provided your router has its
firewall feature enabled, and you have antivirus protection on the
PC. But if its a real peace-of-mind issue for you, why not put the
router on a powerstrip that you can easily switch off?

The problem is the unpatched holes in W98 that the firewall and anti
virus will not protect against. Powering off will only protect for
the duration of the disconnection. The only sensible solution is to
upgrade the OS. Peter Crosland


XP and Vista are also full of security problems, that is why you see
auto updates every few weeks. So for the weeks before the updates
your browser and firewall have not been protecting you anyway. If
you learn about UPNP and UDP and IPv6 you will see why they should
all be disabled from "modern" operating systems. Even a MAC and a PC
using LINUX is vulnerable. Security is only as good as the user
allows it to be. If they are careless they will become victims and a
lot of the time it is common sense. You wouldn't send your bank
details to a person saying they had £25million, or pay them transfer
fees - but
some idiots do. It's similar using some web sites, people will click
on things they shouldn't or disable security as advised!
Use a hardware firewall, also use a software firewall and anti-malware
and spyware programs, switch off java and active-x, disable scripts,
switch off IPv6, use a HOSTS list, use a popup blocker, disable upnp,
do not allow ports on the router to stay open all the time, then use
antivirus programs - whichever suits you.
Don't "click here" in return for the world, don't give personal
details, don't go to sites that are naughty and don't use pirated
software. Most pirated software is infected, which is why companies
never remove it. They make sure people break their PCs. Pirated
software installs various nasty extras and makes changes without
permission. Some
sites will even state incorrectly that trojan key generators are a
"false positive" and to disable the antivirus! Some idiots do this
too. So if you want to stay safe there is a lot more to it than
people think. It's often down to how gullible a person is as to
whether their system is infected or not, which also links with
intelligence levels!

No-one can call you paranoid eh Roger? :o)

Seriously, I do agree to an extent with some of what you say but sadly, most
people don't even do half of what you suggest. All they do is go to PC World
to buy a computer - some even pay £49.99 to have someone come and unpack the
boxes and set up their new machine for them.

As you will know, almost every connector is either colour-coded or keyed so
as to only go in one place and only one way round. If they can't manage to
do that, and have to pay 50 quid for someone to do it for them, they're
NEVER going to get to grips with security are they?


.

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