Firewall settings for adhoc wireless network

[ozrica]

I have two PC's networked together using two D-Link DWL-120+ Enhanced 2.4GHz Wireless adaptors in ad-hoc mode.

The PC's are both running Windows XP Home SP2.

I'm ignoring the wireless control in XP (because it picks up 2 other unsecure wireless networks in the area) and using the latest D-Link software.

With Zonealarm (free edition) disabled they talk to each other perfectly for sharing files and internet.

With the firewall enabled they don't. I know you have to set the firewall with trusted IP's (easy for wired networks) etc but I can't work out the settings.

When I run IPCONFIG from the command console I get the following information:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix
: mshome.net
IP Address 192.168.0.11
Subnet Mask 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway 192.168.0.1

Whatever configuration I use in 'Zones' whether it be Host/Site, IP Address, IP Range or Subnet I just can't get it to work.

Can anyone tell me what I may be doing wrong or recommend a firewall that works?

Thanks a lot in advance.

[NooNoo]

Are you saying both the internet and filesharing is not possible when ZA is enabled? Or filesharing is enabled, but the internet isn't?

Found this tutorial site

For all versions you will probably need to enter your DHCP server into the trusted zone.
If you are running the free version then you will need to add your DNS servers, and mailservers into the trusted zone.

[ozrica]

Thanks for the reply NooNoo.

Neither file sharing or internet access work with Zonealarm running/installed. This is even if I set the Internet Zone/Trusted Zone security to medium or low.

[NooNoo]

I wonder if the xp firewall is getting in the way? Are you using a router or ics to access the net?

[ozrica]

The main PC is connected to Telewest Broadband via a network connection and I have disabled the XP firewall on both machines.

[NooNoo]

so you are using internet sharing? You have exactly what setup on the "main pc" ?

[dfritz]

Ozrica, you will have great difficulty with free ZA and ICS. Spend $30 to solve your problem! ZA pro works fine with ICS but ZA does not.

[ozrica]

Thanks dfritz. I have just payed and downloaded it. I'll post a reply as soon as I get to the machines and try it.

[confus-ed]

Ozrica, you will have great difficulty with free ZA and ICS. Spend $30 to solve your problem! ZA pro works fine with ICS but ZA does not.

How about spend nothing ? - Kerio home works just fine for this Though admittedly you have to use 'ask mode' or have a degree in networking to figure out just how exactly it should work

OR spend your $30 on a cheapie router & forget all about 'evil' ICS ? (using a device as a first line firewall is much better than it running in windows, there's a load of techo babble why, which I won't bother with unless someone asks)

[dfritz]

How about spend nothing ? - Kerio home works just fine for this Though admittedly you have to use 'ask mode' or have a degree in networking to figure out just how exactly it should work

OR spend your $30 on a cheapie router & forget all about 'evil' ICS ? (using a device as a first line firewall is much better than it running in windows, there's a load of techo babble why, which I won't bother with unless someone asks)

Ed, you make a couple of great points. You are, of course abolutely correct, the main reason for this particular response is Ozrica's familiarity with Zone Alarm. He/she will have no trouble understanding how to answer the questions that Zone Alarm Pro will ask. This will be a simple upgrade and that's it.

[confus-ed]

.. This will be a simple upgrade and that's it.

He-he-he .. not if I was doing it it wouldn't be !

ICS is just plain stupid in use of resources terms, & not so smart in actual practical usage terms either, so it seems to me that the money is much better spent on a device to sort out the practical physical arrangements to something more sensible ! (& your customer can keep the free version of ZA as you are committing them to $30 each time ZA Pro wants some more dosh for next years subscription !)- sure I'd like to send all my net traffic through a machine that it was never intended for, keep a machine on 'for no good reason' & generally complicate my operating systems handling of things to support another quite independently capable machine & pay $30 a year to do that .. sure !

Personally I think ICS is one of those things that seemed like a good idea at the time (the time it was envisaged {introduced in 98se} being when home routers & extra network cards cost lots ... & now they don't !) - you can't use VPN's with it, there's no logging,even Netmeeting {a very cheap way of getting voice & video over IP for many} won't work with it - ICS imho is only now for rare situations or as a stopgap, you do yourself & the customer a favour really if you disuade them from using it ..