How to Find My Firewall

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A firewall is a piece of software or hardware that sits between a private network and a public network. As the name suggests, a firewall acts as a wall to keep worms, viruses and hackers from accessing your computer. Many operating systems, including Windows and Mac, come with a built-in firewall. A firewall can also be purchased from a third-party software company or even built yourself. Finding your firewall will depend on what type of firewall you have.

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Windows Vista or Windows XP Service Pack 2

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Step 1

Click "Start," then "Control Panel."

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Step 2

Click "Security Center."

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Step 3

Click "Windows Firewall."

Windows XP

Step 1

Click "Start," then "Control Panel."

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Step 2

Click "Network and Internet Connections," then "Network Connections."

Step 3

Click the icon of the connection you wish to protect, such as Dial-Up or LAN or High Speed Internet.

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Step 4

On the left, under "Network Tasks," click "Change settings of this connection"

Step 5

Select "Internet Connection Firewall."

Mac Operating System

Step 1

Click the Apple icon, then "System Preferences."

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Step 2

Select "View," then "Sharing," then "Firewall."

Step 3

Select "Security" if you have Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard), then click the "Firewall" tab.

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Third Party Software

Step 1

Click "Start," then click "All Programs."

Step 2

Search for the firewall program. Some common brand names of third-party firewall programs include McAfee, Symantec and Tiny Personal Firewall.

Step 3

Find the third party software program also by selecting the program icon in the bottom right-hand corner of your computer screen.

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