With the onslaught of computer hackers, scammers, and viruses that are prevalent around the Internet, it is important to know how and why you should install a firewall. This is your first line of defense between your computer and data that is entering it. With one, you can avoid dangerous attacks that can wipe out your data or steal personal information.

You first need to determine what kind of firewall you need for your computer as there are many available including some from major corporations such as Microsoft.

It is likely that your firewall will already be set up and ready to use if your computer came with the Microsoft XP or Vista operating system installed, but may need some tweaking if you are using addons such as broadband telephony on your computer from one of the many Voip companies. However, you do need to make sure that it is turned on and working properly. You need to purchase your own software if you do not have one of these later operating systems. Even with Microsoft XP, you may still want to purchase separate firewall software since the XP version doesn’t get great reviews.

The many products available, include Norton, AVG, and McAfee and can be purchased in store or downloaded from the internet. Depending on the sophistication of the software, prices will vary but there are also plenty of low cost versions available, even from the big name companies.

You need to take a few things into consideration prior to installing your firewall. The program must not stop you using the functions that you need, such as file and printing sharing. Settings can be configured during installation or at a later date using the documentation provided.

Parts of the Internet may be restricted by a firewall. Awareness of how you connect is important as if you use a local area network or a router, this could happen. It is difficult to access secured networks when you have installed a firewall. If you work from home or connect to a company computer, you need to coordinate with the IT department in your company before installing a firewall since they may have specific instructions concerning how to configure its settings so you are still able to connect to them.