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What is a Firewall?
First off, let’s answer the biggest question first. What is a firewall? In the simplest terms possible, a firewall is the part of network security, be it software or hardware, that blocks unauthorized communication and allows authorized communication both in and out of the network.
Imagine being at an amusement park, big sports event, or a concert. Before you get in the door, they check to see if you have the appropriate ticket or not. If you have a ticket they let you in and give you freedom to come and go by putting a stamp on your hand. If you do not have a ticket you are not permitted entry. A less honest person could then try to sneak around to the back door, but if security is doing things right, all doors will be guarded and only those who are authorized will be permitted access. In essence this is exactly what your firewall does for your network.
How Firewalls Work
As for how a firewall works, that answer gets a little more complicated. Think of a building with many different doors. Each door is for a particular kind of person. People whose last names begin with R can go through one door; people who are short can go through another door. People can only go in through the doors that are designated for them and are prevented from going through other doors. Some doors may even be designated for thieves and wrong doers. They all get sent to their proper doors. Just because they are sent to a door though, does not mean they are let in. The door they are sent to may be locked closed so the criminals cannot get in. On a firewall these doors are called ports and each kind of communication uses a different port number. Some ports are open while others are locked closed and that is how traffic is allowed in and out of your network. This is of course a simplified explanation, but it should give you an idea of how firewalls work.
There are both hardware and software firewalls available for use. A hardware firewall would be something like your router, a physical device you can put your hands on. A software firewall is going to be a program that you install on your computer such as what comes along with many antivirus programs like McAfee and Norton, or the one built directly into Windows®. On top of the ones that come with paid programs, there are also free firewalls available for download. Some are fairly simplistic and block the most obviously bad things. Others are very complex and can let you get down to the nitty gritty of what times certain programs are allowed to access the internet.
The best firewall for you depends on what kind of control you want over your network. For the most novice users, the Windows® firewall is just fine. Or maybe you purchased one of the full internet security antivirus programs that came with a firewall. Those work great too and have simple, easy to understand interfaces. For those wanting more, the possibilities are endless. There are so many great programs with so many great features, you really need to get in and research each one to find out which one fits your needs.
Of course, as you can imagine, having the ability to block a program from the internet can create its own set of problems. As happens to many well meaning people, sometimes the firewall program can come up to ask if they want to allow a certain program to access the internet or not and they accidentally hit no. Now, all of the sudden, their favorite game or work program says it cannot work because it cannot go online. More often than not people don’t even realize they blocked a program and they panic wondering why it won’t work.
Firewalls keep a big list of every type of communication they both allow and block. If someone accidentally blocked a program from being able to access the internet, all they would have to do is access that list and give it different instructions on what to do. Sometimes though, this can be more difficult than it sounds because every firewall program is different and has different ways to access this list. This is where our helpful Personal Technology Experts® come in handy. Are you fed up trying to figure out why something can’t access the internet and think maybe your firewall is blocking it? No problem, we can get in there and help you figure that out to get everything back up and running in no time. Just give Support.com a call and take your first step towards the easy way out.
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We're here 24/7 as your remote Firewalls help. Just call one of our Personal Technology Experts® and we’ll handle everything. The entire process is easy. After you call, one of our Tech Experts will start remotely scanning your computer right away. By using only your Internet connection, we can fix just about any problem you may have—big or small. We're here to help you get the most from your technology. Also, by calling Support.com, there’s no need to go out to a local support center or invite strangers to your home. You’re free to just sit back and relax after we start.
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