How to Determine If Your Computer Has a Firewall

Windows firewall is a useful feature on windows that protect your computer from any security risks. To determine if your computer has a firewall, you may take these steps:

Click Start - Control Panel - Double click Windows Firewall.

Click the General tab, and make sure that On (recommended) is selected. This is the setting you should normally use.

Select the Don't allow exceptions check box if you need enhanced security. This setting prevents all inbound connections to your computer, and is useful if you are connecting to a public network, such as that at an airport or hotel.

To determine if your computer has a hardware firewall installed, check the manuals of your home networking devices, such as wireless access points or broadband routers.

To determine if your computer has a software firewall installed, click Start, and then point to All Programs (or point to Programs if you're using the classic Start menu). Look for a firewall program name. Some common brand names for software firewalls include BlackICE, McAfee, Norton, Tiny Personal Firewall, and ZoneAlarm.

Notes
By default, Windows Firewall is enabled on all Internet and network connections