Home Network safety question

[sethm1]

We have 2 PC's in the house - both running Eset.
Upstairs running Win 7 Home Prem and downstairs (which is connected to the Belkin router) running XP SP3.

Our Son has moved back in and after using a Mac Notebook for many years now has a new HP laptop running Win 7. His machine came with Norton A/V, but because the laptop does not have a built in DVD drive, he has not yet loaded the Norton.

Should I keep him off the home network?
I am concerned that he could bring in a virus and spread it to our 2 PC's.

Should I be concerned with an unprotected PC on my home net work?
Will Eset Smart Security find any viruses 'brought in' by a unprotected PC?
Could a unprotected PC even broadcast across the (home) network?

 

[KB6OJS]

Should I keep him off the home network?
I am concerned that he could bring in a virus and spread it to our 2 PC's.

Should I be concerned with an unprotected PC on my home net work?
Will Eset Smart Security find any viruses 'brought in' by a unprotected PC?
Could a unprotected PC even broadcast across the (home) network?

In order:

• Yes, an unprotected system should not be allowed on your home network.
• You should be concerned.
• I'm not familiar with Eset Smart Security, so I can't answer that question. However, if it's at all worth it's title as a security suite, it should at the very least notify you of any threats.
• Yes, I believe it is possible for an unprotected PC to communicate across your home network and infect other systems, depending on the specific threat.

That said, I suggest very strongly that you get SOME sort of antivirus software installed on his system. Some options:

• I think you can download a copy of Norton Internet Security from the Symantec website (www.symantec.com). Install that, then activate it using the key that should have come with the CD/DVD you already have.
• Download and install Microsoft Security Essentials. Since it can be downloaded, it therefore doesn't require an optical drive to install.
• Another option is to get one of the free security packages from Comodo (www.comodo.com), or perhaps AVG Anti-Virus (www.avg.com). Both are also downloadable.

Whatever you do, I strongly suggest you do not allow his system to communicate in any way, shape or form with any of the other systems on your network until it has been thoroughly scanned and all detected threats have been completely eradicated. Do not allow any memory cards or external drives to be connected to your other systems if they have been connected to his computer, until that computer has been secured and all such devices have also been thoroughly scanned and "disinfected."

For whatever it's worth, this is what I would do, given the same circumstances.

//Steve//

 

[sethm1]

thanks for confirming my suspicion.

 

[Elmer BeFuddled]

To add (?) to KB's advice. As things stand at the moment, I would firmly suggest not to install either Norton** or AVG on a Windows 7 system as they are known BSOD causers. This is due to 7's heightened inbuilt (read UAC) security. Note, this is not on all Windows 7 systems, just enough to be wary.

Instead download and install the free, and BSOD friendly, MSE. Also download the free Malwarebytes'. Do full scans with both (updated database) programs. You could then let him join the home group once it's confirmed that he's "clean".

Finally treat him to his own copy of (my opinion) the excellent Eset Nod32 AV as a minimum.

**Ever wondered why Norton is given away with new systems? It's not the quality, it's the PC's builders "kickback".

 

[sethm1]

Thanks - and I just realized I have a 3 user (only used 2) of ESET Smart Sec.

I too use Eset & Malware Bytes.
& on occasion Super Antispyware

 

[KB6OJS]

To add (?) to KB's advice. As things stand at the moment, I would firmly suggest not to install either Norton** or AVG on a Windows 7 system as they are known BSOD causers. This is due to 7's heightened inbuilt (read UAC) security. Note, this is not on all Windows 7 systems, just enough to be wary.

Instead download and install the free, and BSOD friendly, MSE. Also download the free Malwarebytes'. Do full scans with both (updated database) programs. You could then let him join the home group once it's confirmed that he's "clean".

Finally treat him to his own copy of (my opinion) the excellent Eset Nod32 AV as a minimum.

**Ever wondered why Norton is given away with new systems? It's not the quality, it's the PC's builders "kickback".

Personally, I've never had a problem with Norton, but as they say, "Your mileage may vary" and so forth.

The "kickback" issue varies from system to system. In Norton's case, they pay the manufacturer a small amount to have a limited-time version of the software installed, the goal being to have the purchaser pony up for the full license.

//Steve//

 

[TrainableMan]

I have Norton myself but I won't recommend it & won't be renewing. It has never caused a bad interaction with my machine nor let a virus on board so that is not my issue with it. My biggest issue is they don't offer 64-bit which means I can't use the 64-bit browsers safely. Also I have a password recovery program that I know is not a virus but Norton must be turned off any time I need to use it because it says it is a virus and their danged "exclusion list" isn't always checked before their scanner starts deleting (in fact there are like 3 places you can store exclusions and it still disregards them at times). So I have issues w/ Norton but I have never seen it fail to work as designed; I just hate the design.

But anyway, Anti-Norton sentiments aside, ...
If you have the machines networked then you should be able to allocate a DVD drive on another machine as SHARED and then he can put the DVD in that machine and go back to his computer and install.

Once protected your worries would then be moot.

 

[catilley1092]

We have 2 PC's in the house - both running Eset.
Upstairs running Win 7 Home Prem and downstairs (which is connected to the Belkin router) running XP SP3.

Our Son has moved back in and after using a Mac Notebook for many years now has a new HP laptop running Win 7. His machine came with Norton A/V, but because the laptop does not have a built in DVD drive, he has not yet loaded the Norton.

Should I keep him off the home network?
I am concerned that he could bring in a virus and spread it to our 2 PC's.

Should I be concerned with an unprotected PC on my home net work?
Will Eset Smart Security find any viruses 'brought in' by a unprotected PC?
Could a unprotected PC even broadcast across the (home) network?

Never, ever allow anyone who doesn't have an AV of some sort to connect to your home network. Even Macs and Linux OS's aren't "virus-free" as some contends. In Linux, it's just that the virus or malware cannot get to the protected OS files, unless the user is logged in as "root" (the equivalent of running as Administrator in Windows).

However, viruses can spread when using Linux, through the browser. KlamAV should be installed when using Linux, there are other solutions too. Avast has a free AV for some, but not all, Linux 32 bit OS's.

As far as Macs goes, I don't know what does and doesn't run on those systems. But ESET should intercept any viruses or malware that attempts to spread to your computers, regardless of the source of infection. Macs have been recently been exposed as not being as secure as the owners were led to believe.

If you're running ESET, you should be safe, but at the same time, it would be reckless to allow anyone w/no AV/IS suite to connect to your router. Kinda like allowing one who has just finished a 12 pack of beer to use your car to go get another, a very risky chance to take.

Cat

 

[Nibiru2012]

There are several good FREE AV and IS programs available for download on the web.

Comodo makes a very good IS application and Avira Free AV is excellent too. If you want a very good IS for not much money you can get G DATA IS for $39.95 per year. It's very solid and stable and an excellent program, rated amongst the top 3 or 4 at: www.av-comparatives.org

 

[DallasDad]

Personally, I've never had a problem with Norton, but as they say, "Your mileage may vary" and so forth.

The "kickback" issue varies from system to system. In Norton's case, they pay the manufacturer a small amount to have a limited-time version of the software installed, the goal being to have the purchaser pony up for the full license.

//Steve//

Same here. I've had Norton on 2 different W7 computers with no problems of any sort, and never a BSOD for anything, let alone caused by Norton.