Firewall Problems

Firewalls can be set the wrong way and you could have to many of them. It is possible that you will not have access to your network or the internet in either case.

Software firewalls

This type of firewall comes with almost every security and Anti-Virus software. Mostly it gets installed with the program and you don't have to do anything. You can also purchase a Firewall separately if you wish.

Hardware firewalls

This is a physical product that you can buy. The best ones can't be bought in the average retail store. You either have to buy them online or through a dealer. They provide protection against numerous types of attacks.  This includes Virus and spyware attacks. It checks packets of information for specific criteria. If certain criteria is met it may not allow the information to reach your computer or get through the network. These units act as routers and can be wireless if required.  Although they can be expensive, that may be secondary when it comes to protecting your network. Outgoing traffic is also blocked if certain criteria is met. Many companies will block any email that contains an attachment as an example.

To many firewalls

Some people don't realize that you can install to many firewalls. Windows has it's own firewall. If you install an Anti-Virus program they normally have one also. Most companies have a hardware firewall installed also.  If you install all these firewalls you may not necessarily guarantee that you will be anymore protected than if you only had one or even none. They can conflict with each other.  This could mean that you aren't protected at all or that you can't get into your network or use the Internet.

What should I do?

If you installed an Anti-Virus program you should disable your Windows firewall. This would be enough protection if you are the only computer on the network. If you have a large network of computers you should install a Hardware firewall as well. If you can't get into the internet or do something you need to do you will need to find a way to configure the hardware firewall to let through that traffic.  This is best left to professionals due to the complexity involved.

As a final note. Firewalls can be tricky to set up. If you can't figure it out yourself, find a professional that can help you. Most hardware firewalls can be configure any way you want them to be. Software firewalls may be a different story.