Jim Hampton wrote:
*Everyone* should have a firewall. If you aren't set up as invisible, your
machine will respond to pinging.

Your machine is vulnerable without a firewall, *especially* if you are on
broadband. Regardless, even a dial-up should have a good firewall as well
as an anti-virus program running at all times whilst on the Internet. It is
also a good idea to have an anti-spyware program as well.


I just have my cable/DSL router between my modem and PC's.

I find those programs cause more grief then they save.