Is Windows Firewall really necessary?

Should Windows Firewall be enabled?

I am trying to run a game in the Windows 7 and I am getting an error from Steam.

It seems it cannot open TCP port 30000.

Quote: Cannot open tcp port 30000. Windows Firewall may be interfering.

This is the error that is shown, and I know that it's Windows Firewall that it talking about. I'm trying to figure out if I need to turn off Windows Firewall to play this game, or is there another way? Thanks. Zakari-Tekken : Hello and good afternoon. First things first: Are you sure you have the latest version of the game? Second, are you running it as Administrator? Third, are you running the game at full screen, with full resolution (if using a desktop monitor)? And fourth, do you have any other programs running at the same time as your game? I'd say, give these questions some thought. What you have said sounds like a very specific problem. It's unlikely that anyone here can simply walk you through it without a lot of trial and error on your part.

Good luck! Don't get into a fight with a mad man, he'll just drag you down to his level and beat you with experience. Are you sure you have the latest version of the game? Third, are you running the game at full screen, with full resolution (if using a desktop monitor)?

Is Windows Firewall really necessary?

In this article we will find out if Windows Firewall really need to be on in all scenarios.

The answer is Well, maybe not necessary but is definitely useful. For example, you want to protect your network from bad internet connections or you need to protect your server against a certain malware. Or you might even use it just for fun. The list of scenarios goes on and on so there are plenty of reasons why you might need it and some that you might not. Let's explore it!
So, I have mentioned at the beginning that Windows Firewall is basically an interface between your computer and the Internet. It acts as an information filter and decides whether a connection should be allowed to pass. It is very easy to install, but that is not its only feature. Here are some other advantages of using Windows Firewall:

It can be installed by default on all Windows operating systems so you don't need to do anything extra if you get a new computer. You just need to enter the password of the administrator account when you are prompted.

You don't need to worry about having it running and keeping it up to date. It is updated automatically through Windows Update It gives you additional control over what internet traffic should be allowed or denied. It protects your computer against viruses and other malware. It offers protection against Ransomware. We could go on and on, but this article is not about discussing it's pros and cons. I am sure that you could come up with several more advantages of using it.

But, of course, if you don't want to use it, it is also possible to disable it. It can be done from the Start Menu or from the command line. To find out how to do it, you can check here.

Is Windows Firewall really needed? Let's explore a few situations where you might want to disable Windows Firewall or you might need to make it available but not running in all scenarios. So, the first situation is: You are traveling in foreign countries and you do not trust the internet connection that they are providing. You are traveling and you are unable to bring your own equipment so you need to use theirs.

Should Windows Firewall be on or off?

(or is there a good alternative?)

Hi all! I am looking for your opinion on this. I have Windows 7 x64 and I have the following setup: Internet - on (on some computers it is off, on others it is on). Local Area Connection - on (on some computers it is off, on others it is on). LAN - off (all computers have LAN off, with the exception of one computer which has LAN on). I have an ADSL connection and I am using a modem/router which uses PPPOE and NAT to allow internet access (which works fine). My question is: ? Is it recommended that I turn it off, or does it do more harm than good? I am a novice to networking and such things, so any insight would be appreciated. "Off" is probably the easiest route, but I do not think that it is any less secure than on. I would assume that it only opens up your system to known services.

What I do is leave everything "on" on my Windows 7 system and set my wireless network (WAP) as "public". That way I am open to any connection, but I do not get "alerts" or whatever Windows is saying that it is open to the internet.

The downside to that is that you could be in a public place and get connected to the internet, but I think that is a better option than turning on the firewall and never getting connected in the first place. Thanks for the answers! I read over the manual in full now and I am now able to discern how to make it work. I really like the idea of leaving it "on" with the wireless and public settings, but since I use an ADSL connection I will likely need to keep the firewall on at least until I am certain that the ADSL is working without problems. So I will likely leave it on. I will try out your suggestions when I get home.

I think that I will also leave the firewall off, as well as the router. I have the router in the DMZ and also it is already assigned to the DMZ. I will see if that makes any difference.

On a related note, I have also noticed that my system now uses less RAM than it did previously.