New Member seeking help and advice

[juppy]

Hi I am mick and this is my first posting to this forum.

I am new to computer security and would like a little advice if at all possible.
The following refers to home computing
Currently I have a desktop with XP professional. My internet connection is cable broadband. I am wired up to another computer.
Next year I am buying another desk top and setting up a wireless connection to two other desk tops and a lap top.

At present my firewall security is/was
Sygate firewall - I need to get to grips with this as every few seconds it sends pop up boxes asking if I want to allow this or that address to have access. I have not got a clue as to the identity of the addresses. I have managed to stop it from preventing me accessing the Microsoft XP update and Microsoft Outlook. Unfortunately the one thing I did do without knowing was to I block communication from my computer to my sons.
Because the pop ups annoyed the good lady wife my son has disabled the program telling me that the firewall within XP is sufficient.

Is my son right in that the firewall program in XP sufficient or should I persevere with Sygate.
If I persevere should I switch off the XP programs.
Will Sygate be suitable when I connect up to other computers next year or will it conflict with the security system built into the wireless access point and router.
Thank you for any help
Regards
Mick :)

[illukka]

while the xp firewall is better than nothing the sygate firewall is among the best.. check http://www.wilders.org/firewalls.htm for info on firewalls

good free choices:
zone alarm
outpost
sygate( used to give server rights to all apps by default)

payware
zone alarm pro
look'n'stop
outpost pro
tiny personal firewall
sygate pro

i'd recommend zone alarm, coz it's the most newbie friendly: easiest to set up and maintain but still secure, although look'n'stop with advanced ruleset preloaded comes a close second

[gkweb]

XP firewall has no application filtering or any outbound filtering, which means that any malicious application (spyware, trojan, worm) can make their home into your PC and send data outside.

XP firewall is a very minimal firewall.