ICF creates a protective barrier between your network and the Internet.
Editor: Windows XPs Internet Connection Firewall (ICF) protects your network against undesired incoming traffic from the Internet -- everything from casual port scans by bored teenagers to serious break-in attempts by determined hackers. ICF creates a protective barrier Between your network and the Internet, only passing through traffic that youve requested.
You can enable or disable ICF separately on each dial-up, LAN, or high-speed Internet connection in the Network Connections folder. Thats good, because there are some connections that can benefit from ICF, and some that must not use it.
Here are some points to ponder when deciding whether to use ICF on your network connections.
Warning #1: As its name implies, the Internet Connection Firewall is for use ONLY on a direct connection to the Internet, such as a dial-up, DSL, or cable modem. If your computer gets its Internet connection through a software router (like Internet Connection Sharing) or a hardware router, you dont have a direct connection and must not enable ICF.
WARNING #2: If the Internet Connection Firewall is enabled on a local area network connection with other computers, it will block File and Printer Sharing. This is probably the most common problem in Windows XP networking.
WARNING #3: ICF is only effective against undesired incoming traffic from the Internet. It cant stop undesired outgoing traffic from spyware, Trojan horse programs, or other Hacker tools. If you want outgoing Protection, use a firewall that offers that capability, and disable ICF on all connections.
WARNING #4: To enable or disable ICF, you must be logged on as a user that is a member of the Administrators group. you can free download XP Firewall Logger 2.01a now.