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Which home computers need antivirus (and/or firewall) software?Hits: 2912 Rating: (3.54) votes 1530
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Answer:
A good rule of thumb for home networks is that you should run antivirus software on each computer. Some computer viruses spread through files copied from floppies rather than through the network. Maintaining an antivirus program on each computer increases the likelihood of preventing this.
When using Microsoft ICS or a proxy server, it is also possible for a person to download files from the Internet directly to any client computer on the home LAN. Even though the file's contents pass through the server's network interface, these downloads generally won't trigger the server's antivirus program because the data appears in the form of network data packets, not actual files that can be scanned. With antivirus software on each client, these downloads can be monitored. Now consider firewall software. By definition, a firewall guards the boundary between a local area network and the "outside" world. Therefore, firewalls need only be installed on the home computer(s) that have direct access to the Internet connection (the phone line, cable line or satellite link, for example). Today's broadband routers contain built-in firewall support as part of the hardware package. It's common for home networkers to wonder whether they need personal firewall software in addition to router hardware. Unless quality problems exist with the router, additional software is generally unnecessary. However, some networkers prefer to install a software firewall on each computer anyway. If having multiple firewalls increases a person's confidence in the security of their home network, that's reason enough to have them. Note, though, that installing more than one software firewall on the same computer is generally not recommended; some of these programs do not interoperate with each other.
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