Member Avatar for PRAKHAR

I Have Norton Internet Security 2004 With Me. I Came To Know That One Should Not Have Both Firewalls Working At The Same Time . Iam On Win Xp-sp2 .

Which Firewall Should I Go For Or Should I Use Both.

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— useful points from and . Below are concrete, low-risk steps to confirm a third‑party firewall is protecting your XP SP2 machine, to silence nagging Security Center messages, and to troubleshoot if programs stop working after switching firewalls.

  • Quick checklist (do these first):

    1. Open Norton and confirm the firewall/personal‑firewall or “Network Protection” component shows as enabled.
    2. Turn off the Windows Firewall from Control Panel → Security Center → Windows Firewall → General → Off (XP SP2). (sony.co.th)
    3. In Security Center pick “I have a firewall solution that I’ll monitor myself” or turn off the firewall notification so you stop repeated alerts. (winxptutor.com)

  • Advanced verification / repair (use an Administrator command prompt): 

sc query sharedaccess
sc query ipnat
netsh firewall show state
netsh firewall reset

These commands check the Windows Firewall/ICS service and the firewall driver, show the netsh firewall state, and reset rules to defaults if the driver/service are running but behavior is wrong. Use them when the UI doesn’t reflect expected status. (manualzilla.com)

  • If a program breaks after you switch firewalls: enable the Windows firewall log (pfirewall.log) and look for “dropped packets” to see what’s being blocked; add a program/port exception or use netsh to add precise rules rather than switching everything off. The SP2 firewall supports per‑program exceptions, logging, and command‑line config described in Microsoft’s SP2 firewall guidance. (manualzilla.com)

  • Notes and cautions: running more than one software firewall can create compatibility problems (services or ports blocked, odd performance). If you installed a Norton product that does not include a firewall (for example, Norton SystemWorks vs Norton Internet Security), re‑enable the OS firewall unless you have an active third‑party firewall. If an earlier firewall was removed but traces remain, use the vendor’s removal tool or clean the leftover drivers before relying on a single firewall. (flylib.com)

If the above doesn’t settle things, report the exact symptom (what program fails, any Security Center text, and the output of sc query sharedaccess) so the next troubleshooting steps can be precise.

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Member Avatar for TallCool1

I Have Norton Internet Security 2004 With Me. I Came To Know That One Should Not Have Both Firewalls Working At The Same Time.

You absolutely should only run one firewall at a time--in your case, use the Norton firewall only. Though it is better than nothing, the Windows firewall is still deliberately crippled and nearly useless compared to anything else. It should only be used if nothing else is installed; even then, the free Kerio, ZoneAlarm, or firewalls are each far better and one should be downloaded immediately if a retail program is not available.

Member Avatar for DMR

You absolutely should only run one firewall at a time--in your case, use the Norton firewall only. Though it is better than nothing, the Windows firewall is still deliberately crippled and nearly useless compared to anything else. It should only be used if nothing else is installed; even then, the free Kerio, ZoneAlarm, or firewalls are each far better and one should be downloaded immediately if a retail program is not available.

Absolutely. The firewalling and "Internet security" features built into Windows are severly limited compared to the third-party products TC1 mentioned. Since you've already purchased the Norton product, use it.

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