Will a router get rid of pop-up ads?

[Com807877]

Hi all,

Right now I am on a direct cable modem to NIC connection.

I am wondering, if I put a router with a firewall between the cable modem and NIC will this do anything to get rid of pop-up ads sent by marketers through the internet? (by pop-up ads I mean the windows messenging ads i.e. net send <user> <message> style)

Thanks for any info!

 

[22Admub]

you can just disble that. control panal->admin tools->services. Then disable the "messenger" service. I'm pretty sure that disabling that has no effect on anything else

 

[Need4Speed]

firewalls that can block activex and java/javascript can

 

[JackMDS]

Since the Router Firewall is a one way Firewall, you probably will need additional Software firewall.

Get a suit like Norton Internet Security that filters Ads, and other "Junk".

More here.

Link: Basic Protection for Broadband Internet Installation.

 

[lobadobadingdong]

Originally posted by: 22Admub
you can just disble that. control panal->admin tools->services. Then disable the "messenger" service. I'm pretty sure that disabling that has no effect on anything else

I think that is more what Com was looking for.

 

[dexter333]

Originally posted by: Need4Speed
firewalls that can block activex and java/javascript can

What?

 

[Bilo86]

A router will not block windows/ie ads. And what 22admub said about disabling windows messaging...I am almost positive this does not work as I have tried it. So what do you do? Download Pop-Up Stopper or any other third party software that blocks ads. I highly recommend Pop-Up Stopper, its free, does an excellent job, and takes up very few resources. I have Norton Security 2003, and it seems to work well on the windows ads as well. I mainly use it for security issues though. Hope it helped.

 

[Need4Speed]

Originally posted by: dexter333

Originally posted by: Need4Speed
firewalls that can block activex and java/javascript can

What?

there are firewalls that have the ability to block activex and java/javascript....they will be able to block popups

 

[JackMDS]

Originally posted by: Need4Speed

Originally posted by: dexter333

Originally posted by: Need4Speed
firewalls that can block activex and java/javascript can

What?

There are firewalls that have the ability to block activex and java/javascript....they will be able to block popups

Yeah NIS blocks all of it.

Actually AT-Guard, one of the first Software Firewalls (3-4 years ago), blocks all of it.

Symantec bought AT Gaurd added 40Mb/sec. of who knows what code and sells it as Norton Internet Security.

 

[ShyGuy91284]

Heh. If I were you, I'd just use Netscape/Mozilla (open source rulez....), and use ad-aware to make sure you have no adware on your system. Gettin a lil off topic, but in short, routers aren't generally made to do that, and if you can get one to block certain types of scripts, it'd prolly be really hard to get it to just block pop-ups.

 

[Need4Speed]

Originally posted by: ShyGuy91284
but in short, routers aren't generally made to do that, and if you can get one to block certain types of scripts, it'd prolly be really hard to get it to just block pop-ups.

no, but a decent firewall should....a router does nothing more than route trafffic. not all routers have firewalls, and not all firewalls are routers.
a more appropriate title might have been "Will a firewall get rid of pop-up ads?" ... but that's being nit picky since we all knew what he meant

 

[JackMDS]

Quote: "not all routers have firewalls"

Nah, not So.

The NAT function of all the Entry Level Cable/DSl Routers is the center of the Firewall.

No NAT No Firewall.

No Firewall No NAT.

 

[Garion]

Originally posted by: JackMDS
Quote: "not all routers have firewalls"

Nah, not So.

The NAT function of all the Entry Level Cable/DSl Routers is the center of the Firewall.

No NAT No Firewall.

No Firewall No NAT.

This is true, but VERY loosely. The generic term "Firewall" is simply a border security device for your network to restrict access based on a pre-set list of rules. If you're using "firewall" in this sense, then yes. A SOHO router is a firewall. A Cisco 2501 running NAT only would also be a firewall, however.

To most people in "the industry", a firewall is far more - Stateful packet inspection, deeper protocol diving to look for potential attack signatures, application proxies, etc. This isn't usually provided by the SOHO routers.

It's important to understand that there *is* a difference between something like a Cisco PIX 501 and a Linksys gateway. You get what you pay for!

- G

 

[Need4Speed]

The NAT function of all the Entry Level Cable/DSl Routers is the center of the Firewall.

NAT is not firewalling

 

[JackMDS]

I guess that putting the statement "Entry Level Cable/DSL Routers" is not apparent, so how about this.

The NAT function of all the :Q Entry Level Cable/DSl Routers is the center of the Firewall.:wine:

 

[Need4Speed]

no....it was apparent. but that still doesn's make NAT a firewall. Most entry level routers from a couple years back didnt have firewalls. They were only used for sharing a connection between a bunch of PC's. a software firewall was still needed in most cases. Most newer entry level routers nowdays have SPI firewalls.

NAT only rewrites the packets to allow for inbound/outbound trafffic between a private and public network, it does not inspect them to ensure they are valid.

However, I'm sure you already know all this and we are arguing over semantics....

 

[LANMAN]

I just saw this in the DC forum.... give it a go and see if it helps....

Section #16

--LANMAN

 

[Regs]

I thought NAT was just something that lets an entire LAN use one registered IP (from the router itself) to communicate to the global Internet address's. I would not consider that a firewall.

 

[JackMDS]

Originally posted by: Regs
I thought NAT was just something that lets an entire LAN use one registered IP (from the router itself) to communicate to the global Internet address's. I would not consider that a firewall.

Concerning Home, and SOHO Network Users.

The word Firewall is a generic term like the word Car.

Anything from a Yugo to an El-Ninio can be called a Car.

When you use few computers to share one Internet connection, the information that comes from the Internet needs to know to which computer it belongs. The main function of Cable/DSL Router is to Route the Internet signal to the requesting computer. This function is called Network Address Translation (NAT).

As result information that comes from the Internet and was not requested by a computer on your LAN does not know where to go, and it is blocked, hence NAT Firewall.

However any communication initiated from any of your LAN?s computers will go out to the Internet, and will be answered. As a result programs calling home, spywares, ?zombies? etc. can communicate freely in lieu of the NAT Firewall. You will not be aware of these activities unless you monitor the communication locally.

When you are connected to a Website or downloading files, a lot of junk can get to your Hard Drive. Since you requested the pages for the site the NAT Firewall will not block what comes in from this page. If the ?Site Keeper? loaded the page with ?Junk? it will get to your computer.

Most decent software Firewalls will alert you to existence of this communication, and will allow controlling it in various ways.

In addition using programs like Ad-ware, and Trojan Blocker, will further secure the Network.

If you just want to block WindowsXP uncontrolled Internet interaction this program is an excellent tool. Link: XP-Antispy.

So, for small Home Network the NAT Firewall is the first step to build secured system.

P.S. I just saw a Cable/DSL Router with ?NAT FIREWALL? for $7.99 after rebate.