Text 11921, 63 rader
Skriven 2005-10-22 09:23:02 av Jeff Guerdat (1:106/2000.0)
     Kommentar till en text av Gerald Miller
Ärende: Doc's Place
===================
On 10-21-05, Gerald Miller said to JEFF GUERDAT:

JG> I have only the default loopback address in my hosts file.  I've set
JG> it to be locked for writing by Zone Alarm (other programs will do
JG> this, also)...

GM>Of course I have the default loopback address (it's the FIRST address
GM>specified), but could you tell me why I should not include the addresses
GM>of the other computers that I have on my network?  And, why not include my
GM>uplink address (totally trustworthy fellow and I connect with his system
GM>almost daily...)?

You *should* be able to browse the network using only machine names locally.
It gets a bit more complicated when mixing in any Win9x machines which
sometimes have problems with this resolution using only TCP/IP.  The usual
"fix" is to also use NETBEUI as a secondary protocol to help these machines
out.  Of course, this is an extra step and XP has to be coerced into using
NETBEUI since it's not supplied with the install CD.  Once a reliable
connection has been installed, you shouldn't need to use hosts entries at all
since MS networking will broadcast and locate the machine based on machine
name only.  Works fine here.  This will also overcome the fact that the
default DHCP configuration allows the IP address to move around.  I force it
to be stationary (I use DHCP to supply only one address for a given machine)
but that's because I'm a geek.  Addresses entered into a hosts file without
use of static IP addresses in the first place is a problem, obviously.

GM>Yes, SpywareBlaster did put a ReadOnly attribute on the Hosts file, but
GM>you're entirely correct about other programs also having the ability to
GM>change and apply attributes to this file.

It can't be just a read-only attribute since any program worth its salt would
be able to change that.  It needs to be locked for writing via the OS, just as
Word locks an open document so another user can't also access it for writing.
Without the much more stringent locking, the attempt is useless.  Try changing
the attribute, see if you can modify the file and successfully save it.  If
you can, you need to find something else to protect it.  Since ZA is always
running, it's a likely candidate to be used for this locking.

GM>I forget exactly where I read about putting "Blocked" sites into the Hosts
GM>file, but I now know that a bloated Hosts file will bring a Web browser to
GM>its knees.  Is there a more specific purpose for the Hosts file (other
GM>than a place for the default loopback address)?

That's a tough one but you simply wouldn't be able to keep up with all the bad
sites that would need to be blocked or the good sites to ensure you get the
right location.  There's no one solution but hosts file locking, spyware
scanning, common sense, looking at the address a link points to before
clicking on the link as well as other utilities all need to be used
consistently.  Since I use Firefox for a web browser, I've recently started
using Fraud Eliminator (www.fraudeliminator.com) as an extension.  It also
works with IE and perhaps other browsers.  There's a free version and an
inexpensive ($20 per year) subscription.  It alerts you as to risky addresses
as well as potentially risky countries where excessive fraud is known to be
based out of.  No one of these are perfect and can't be relied upon by itself
but there are many ways of protecting yourself without trying to manage a
single file that can be grossly out of date...


___
*Durango b211 * DurangoMail for Windows NT/9x

--- Maximus/2 3.01
 * Origin: COMM Port OS/2 juge.com 204.89.247.1 (281) 980-9671 (1:106/2000)