[AT] OT virus warning

Sat Aug 18 04:41:27 PDT 2007

The letters in the 802.11 standard don't really refer to dates  - 
actually the "a" standard was faster than "b". If you are running 
wireless NICs with 802.11b, buying a router with 802.11n functionality 
might increase your physical range a little, but you won't pick up any 
speed (nominally 10Mb/sec).

Your old router may have had problems because it needed a new firmware 
download, not because "it got slow". Consult the original manual or go 
to the vendor's Website for information on bringing it up to date.

As far as what a "firewall" does, your TCP/IP software provides a range 
of "ports" for data to flow in and out of your system. The firewall 
(whether it is hardware based or software based) simply monitors those 
ports and denies access to any source (in or out) that is not 
specifically permitted by the system administrator (you). What the 
hackers do, generally is search for systems that don't have firewalls 
and try to enter through "port 80" or some other "back door". The 
"worms" that come through various bogus messages start programs running 
that disable the software firewalls. They may also attempt to disable 
the hardware firewalls too, but I am not familiar with that function 
(the hardware firewall firmware is protected with a password that the 
administrator sets, but most users leave the password as the default 
that comes with the router).

There are several Websites where you can run tests that try to break in 
to your system and report back the vulnerability.

See <http://www.firewallguide.com/index.html> for a good source of 
information on firewalls, hacking, testing, etc.

Mike

charlie hill wrote:
> Well I just finished 4 hours of running Housecall and all it found was a 
> vulnerability in IE7 that I had yet to download the patch for.  I got that 
> downloaded so I guess I'm ok.  AVG didn't find anything either and I'm 
> running the full featured paid version of Zone Alarm.
> 
> I have a 802.11 B router but I quit running it a while back because it's too 
> slow.  I need to buy a new one.  What's it up to now version N?
> 
> Charlie
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "charlie hill" <chill8 at suddenlink.net>
> To: "Antique tractor email discussion group" <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
> Sent: Friday, August 17, 2007 8:11 PM
> Subject: Re: [AT] OT virus warning
> 
> 
> 
>>Thanks Steve.  I'll try it.
>>
>>Charlie
>>----- Original Message ----- 
>>From: "Steve W." <falcon at telenet.net>
>>To: "Antique tractor email discussion group" 
>><at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
>>Sent: Friday, August 17, 2007 7:13 PM
>>Subject: Re: [AT] OT virus warning
>>
>>
>>
>>>Yep. Go grab a copy of the Sygate Personal Firewall. Install it and it
>>>will show you EVERYTHING that is trying to connect and talk.
>>>
>>>http://download.oldversion.com/sygate562808.exe
>>>
>>>This is the last free version. Works pretty well at showing what is
>>>going on.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>charlie hill wrote:
>>>
>>>>Well after reading up on it a bit online (didn't find anything at Kim's
>>>>site) I don't believe I have it.  I opened the e-mail but didn't click
>>>>the
>>>>retrieve card link inside the message.
>>>>
>>>>On a similar note.  Is there any way to tell what programs and or 
>>>>traffic
>>>>is
>>>>flowing into and out of a computer at any given moment.
>>>>Sometimes my computer seems to be very slow and working very hard when I
>>>>don't have it doing anything.   I am paranoid about computer security so
>>>>it
>>>>could be that all I have is an old computer.
>>>>
>>>>Charlie
>>>>----- Original Message ----- 
>>>>From: "charlie hill" <chill8 at suddenlink.net>
>>>>To: "Antique tractor email discussion group"
>>>><at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
>>>>Sent: Friday, August 17, 2007 5:12 PM
>>>>Subject: Re: [AT] OT virus warning
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>H.L.  I think that virus might have gotten me.  I got a virus
>>>>>notification
>>>>>from my ISP but I can't find it when I scan my system.
>>>>>It must be a tough one because I have AVG and Zone Alarm both looking 
>>>>>at
>>>>>everything that comes into and leaves my computer.  I kept getting 
>>>>>those
>>>>>cards and kept deleting them unopened but I finally got curious and
>>>>>since
>>>>>AVG said it was clean I opened one of them.
>>>>>
>>>>>Thanks for the heads up.  I'm going to Kim's site now to see what she
>>>>>says
>>>>>about it.
>>>>>----- Original Message ----- 
>>>>>From: "H. L. Staples" <hlstaples at mcloudteleco.com>
>>>>>To: "Antique tractor" <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
>>>>>Sent: Friday, August 17, 2007 4:46 PM
>>>>>Subject: [AT] OT virus warning
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>Greetings! You have a virus
>>>>>Have you been receiving a lot of e-card notifications? I have. But 
>>>>>these
>>>>>weren't really sent by friends or family. They're spam messages that
>>>>>direct
>>>>>you to a malicious Web site. Your computer will be infected by a virus.
>>>>>And
>>>>>antivirus programs can't protect you from these messages.
>>>>>
>>>>>This warning came through from Kim Komando.  I have been receiving lots
>>>>>of
>>>>>the so called greeting cards and hit the delete button ASAP.
>>>>>
>>>>>H. L. Staples
>>>>>McLoud, Oklahoma
>>>>>USA
>>>>>_______________________________________________
>>>>>AT mailing list
>>>>>http://www.antique-tractor.com/mailman/listinfo/at
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>-- 
>>>>>No virus found in this incoming message.
>>>>>Checked by AVG Free Edition.
>>>>>Version: 7.5.484 / Virus Database: 269.12.0/957 - Release Date:
>>>>>8/16/2007
>>>>>1:46 PM
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>_______________________________________________
>>>>>AT mailing list
>>>>>http://www.antique-tractor.com/mailman/listinfo/at
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>-- 
>>>>>No virus found in this incoming message.
>>>>>Checked by AVG Free Edition.
>>>>>Version: 7.5.484 / Virus Database: 269.12.0/957 - Release Date:
>>>>>8/16/2007
>>>>>1:46 PM
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>_______________________________________________
>>>>AT mailing list
>>>>http://www.antique-tractor.com/mailman/listinfo/at
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>>-- 
>>>Steve W.
>>>Near Cooperstown, New York
>>>NRA Member
>>>Pacifism - The theory that if they'd fed
>>>Jeffrey Dahmer enough human flesh,
>>>he'd have become a vegan.
>>>_______________________________________________
>>>AT mailing list
>>>http://www.antique-tractor.com/mailman/listinfo/at
>>>
>>>
>>>-- 
>>>No virus found in this incoming message.
>>>Checked by AVG Free Edition.
>>>Version: 7.5.484 / Virus Database: 269.12.0/957 - Release Date: 8/16/2007
>>>1:46 PM
>>>
>>>
>>
>>_______________________________________________
>>AT mailing list
>>http://www.antique-tractor.com/mailman/listinfo/at
>>
>>
>>-- 
>>No virus found in this incoming message.
>>Checked by AVG Free Edition.
>>Version: 7.5.484 / Virus Database: 269.12.0/957 - Release Date: 8/16/2007 
>>1:46 PM
>>
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> AT mailing list
> http://www.antique-tractor.com/mailman/listinfo/at
> 
> 