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#1
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Keeping a Win98 system off the Internet
Hello,
We have a small-office TCP/IP network consisting of mainly Win2K systems. On the network is a network printer and a DSL router that provides Internet access to all the Win2K systems. We also have a Win98 system that we use to run some older programs. Even though this system does not need to connect to the Internet, nor share resources with the other systems, it does need to print to the network printer. So it is connected to the office network. I would like to know how I can ensure that this system is not "connected" to the Internet, so that I don't have to bother with updating anti-virus and firewall programs on it, nor patching Windows itself. No drive on this system is shared. And I have not configured the gateway in the network settings, nor specified DNS servers. I cannot reach the Internet from it. My question is "Can malware from the Internet reach it?" Is there anything more I can do to isolate it from the Internet? As it is, the router does NAT so there is already some sort of firewalling taking place. TIA, G. Amik |
#2
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Keeping a Win98 system off the Internet
Frankly, this is the "crunchy on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside"
approach to network management and it won't help you at all. If a computer INSIDE the network is infected or brings in a virus or worm it will find your Windows 98 system whether or not that system has an Internet connection. Any security you get from "properly configuring" your Windows 98 system is false security. -- Richard G. Harper [MVP Shell/User] * PLEASE post all messages and replies in the newsgroups * for the benefit of all. Private mail is usually not replied to. * My website, such as it is ... http://rgharper.mvps.org/ * HELP us help YOU ... http://www.dts-l.org/goodpost.htm wrote in message ups.com... Hello, We have a small-office TCP/IP network consisting of mainly Win2K systems. On the network is a network printer and a DSL router that provides Internet access to all the Win2K systems. We also have a Win98 system that we use to run some older programs. Even though this system does not need to connect to the Internet, nor share resources with the other systems, it does need to print to the network printer. So it is connected to the office network. I would like to know how I can ensure that this system is not "connected" to the Internet, so that I don't have to bother with updating anti-virus and firewall programs on it, nor patching Windows itself. No drive on this system is shared. And I have not configured the gateway in the network settings, nor specified DNS servers. I cannot reach the Internet from it. My question is "Can malware from the Internet reach it?" Is there anything more I can do to isolate it from the Internet? As it is, the router does NAT so there is already some sort of firewalling taking place. TIA, G. Amik |
#3
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Keeping a Win98 system off the Internet
Frankly, this is the "crunchy on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside"
approach to network management and it won't help you at all. If a computer INSIDE the network is infected or brings in a virus or worm it will find your Windows 98 system whether or not that system has an Internet connection. Any security you get from "properly configuring" your Windows 98 system is false security. -- Richard G. Harper [MVP Shell/User] * PLEASE post all messages and replies in the newsgroups * for the benefit of all. Private mail is usually not replied to. * My website, such as it is ... http://rgharper.mvps.org/ * HELP us help YOU ... http://www.dts-l.org/goodpost.htm wrote in message ups.com... Hello, We have a small-office TCP/IP network consisting of mainly Win2K systems. On the network is a network printer and a DSL router that provides Internet access to all the Win2K systems. We also have a Win98 system that we use to run some older programs. Even though this system does not need to connect to the Internet, nor share resources with the other systems, it does need to print to the network printer. So it is connected to the office network. I would like to know how I can ensure that this system is not "connected" to the Internet, so that I don't have to bother with updating anti-virus and firewall programs on it, nor patching Windows itself. No drive on this system is shared. And I have not configured the gateway in the network settings, nor specified DNS servers. I cannot reach the Internet from it. My question is "Can malware from the Internet reach it?" Is there anything more I can do to isolate it from the Internet? As it is, the router does NAT so there is already some sort of firewalling taking place. TIA, G. Amik |
#4
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Keeping a Win98 system off the Internet
wrote in message ups.com... Hello, We have a small-office TCP/IP network consisting of mainly Win2K systems. On the network is a network printer and a DSL router that provides Internet access to all the Win2K systems. We also have a Win98 system that we use to run some older programs. Even though this system does not need to connect to the Internet, nor share resources with the other systems, it does need to print to the network printer. So it is connected to the office network. I would like to know how I can ensure that this system is not "connected" to the Internet, so that I don't have to bother with updating anti-virus and firewall programs on it, nor patching Windows itself. snip since win98 is not even close to secure... I'd install a firewall and allow access to the printer and nothing else. Once configured, there would not be a need for updating the firewall |
#5
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Keeping a Win98 system off the Internet
wrote in message ups.com... Hello, We have a small-office TCP/IP network consisting of mainly Win2K systems. On the network is a network printer and a DSL router that provides Internet access to all the Win2K systems. We also have a Win98 system that we use to run some older programs. Even though this system does not need to connect to the Internet, nor share resources with the other systems, it does need to print to the network printer. So it is connected to the office network. I would like to know how I can ensure that this system is not "connected" to the Internet, so that I don't have to bother with updating anti-virus and firewall programs on it, nor patching Windows itself. snip since win98 is not even close to secure... I'd install a firewall and allow access to the printer and nothing else. Once configured, there would not be a need for updating the firewall |
#6
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Keeping a Win98 system off the Internet
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#7
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Keeping a Win98 system off the Internet
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#8
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Keeping a Win98 system off the Internet
James Egan wrote:
You will still be advised to keep av definitions up to date, though. This is a different matter entirely. The machine may well get infected by a virus regardless of its proximity to the Internet. and Richard G Harper wrote: If a computer INSIDE the network is infected or brings in a virus or worm it will find your Windows 98 system whether or not that system has an Internet connection. Any security you get from "properly configuring" your Windows 98 system is false security. Would a virus on another system on the network be able to find this system even if this system has no drives shared, nor is part of the network workgroup, i.e., it does not even show up in Network Neighborhood of the other machines? Installing anti-virus software would be easy. Keeping it up to date would be tedious since the system has no connection to the Internet, nor to any of the other local machines. For this reason alone, I would have to include it in the network workgroup -- so that it can update av files from a network computer. Would the benefits of doing this outweigh the disadvantages? Thanks for your input. G. Amik |
#9
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Keeping a Win98 system off the Internet
James Egan wrote:
You will still be advised to keep av definitions up to date, though. This is a different matter entirely. The machine may well get infected by a virus regardless of its proximity to the Internet. and Richard G Harper wrote: If a computer INSIDE the network is infected or brings in a virus or worm it will find your Windows 98 system whether or not that system has an Internet connection. Any security you get from "properly configuring" your Windows 98 system is false security. Would a virus on another system on the network be able to find this system even if this system has no drives shared, nor is part of the network workgroup, i.e., it does not even show up in Network Neighborhood of the other machines? Installing anti-virus software would be easy. Keeping it up to date would be tedious since the system has no connection to the Internet, nor to any of the other local machines. For this reason alone, I would have to include it in the network workgroup -- so that it can update av files from a network computer. Would the benefits of doing this outweigh the disadvantages? Thanks for your input. G. Amik |
#10
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Keeping a Win98 system off the Internet
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