Do I even need a firewall with SSM?

[PhoenixWeb]

I have a wireless router (with a built in firewall), so with SSM monitoring outgoing network access, do I actually need a software firewall?

I have done Shields Up, and every port was stealthed with this set up.

Would it be worth turning on the windows firewall or would this not provide an additional protection?

All thoughts appreciated!

[farmerlee]

Turning on the windows firewall would probably be pointless imo. However if you are networked with other computers it can help to prevent malware spreading from an infected system to yours.

A standalone firewall gives you more specific network control however for some this may not be a preference.

[herbalist]

While SSM does control whether an application is or is not allowed to connect to the net, it doesn't control where an app connects or the ports and protocols the allowed application can use. A separate firewall will give you better control over outgoing traffic, especially from windows components. With apps that need to accept incoming traffic to work, a separate firewall will also allow you to limit the incoming traffic to the specific IPs it needs. The better the control of internet traffic in both directions, the more secure your system will be.
Rick