You probably have heard the word firewall, but do you know what it exactly is? To speak in the simplest language, firewall is the part of network security which is used to block and allow communication both in and out of the network. To enter an amusement park or a concert or big sports event you need a ticket. Entry is prohibited without a ticket. A dishonest person may try different options to get into but if the security is tight enough then unauthorized access is not possible. The same goes to a network as well. Here the firewall takes care of the security task.
Let’s have a look at how does a firewall works. Imagine a room having many doors and each of the doors is designated for a particular kind of person. For example, those who have names begin with p can go through one door while people who are tall can access to the room through another door. Other than having access permission, nobody will be able to enter the room. And those who have access permission to a particular door are not allowed to go through a different door. Now you can take the same example for a firewall. These doors are called as ports on a firewall and there are different port numbers as well. Some ports are kept open whereas other ports are closed.
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To protect a computer network, there are both hardware and software firewalls. Router is a very good example of a hardware firewall. On the other hand, a software firewall is a program which is installed on a computer to protect unauthorized access. Antivirus programs such as McAfee and Norton are very good example of software firewalls. There are both trial versions and paid versions of these antivirus software programs. It is always recommended to go for the paid programs. You can also start with the trial version and if you find the performance satisfactory, you can go for the paid version.
When it comes to choosing the best firewall, you need to consider a number of things. For most of the common computer users, the Windows firewall is absolutely ok. For better protection, you can opt for a full internet security antivirus programs that are provided with a firewall. There are a number of options available and do some research before taking the final call. You can also consult a computer repair company for technical support.
With firewalls you can easily maintain a list of all types of communication and indicate which to allow and which to block. If accidentally a program gets blocked you need to change the instruction as well. But changing the instruction is not easy at all. Administrator permission is required for this.
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There are many computer help providers that offer tech support to install firewall. Consult any of them and fix computer problem.
