Question about Zonealarm

[Walter:-)]

I have just installed Zonalarm. I have never dealt with firewalls before, so I have no clue about how they are suppose to act. I'm getting a little pop up thing in the lower right corner of my screen, telling me that: "The firewall has blocked internet access to your computer....." Why am I getting this pop up all the time? Is it bad? Should I do something about it? Is there other basic things I should know about Zonealarm or firewalls?
Thank a lot, it really appreciated!

[shep]

You will get a popup everytime a program tries to access the internet you can tell ZA to let it or not. you can also disable the popup feature, I think it is under configuration. You will get alerts when somebody or some program is trying to access you pc.

[Pinky]

If it's a program, like Internet Explorer, that will be using the internet all he time, you may also want to check the box "remember this each time..." when you get your next popup. Be careful what you give access to, this is Zonealarms defense for you. If you say yes to a worm/virus, you just scr*wed yourself; I say no sometimes and then go into zone alarm and check the program out (see if it's listed, etc) and enable it there if need be.

[cloasters]

You can set ZA so that it does the blocking, but won't announce it every time. Just go to "Alerts," then un-check the "Show the alert popup window" box.

Not all alerts indicate that skullduggery is happening. Your own box may be trying to access the Web for legit reasons, and Web sites may be trying to access your box for innocent reasons.

The only secure box is not connected to any network and locked in a safe that only you have the combination of!

Even then, some nosey shack*ss may have bugged your box via a radio transmitter planted out of site.
When "they" can monitor our brains---then it'll be 1984 Forevermore, instead of only 1984, Plus! the deluxe edition.

[burn'em]

Originally posted by Walter:-)
I have just installed Zonalarm. I have never dealt with firewalls before, so I have no clue about how they are suppose to act. I'm getting a little pop up thing in the lower right corner of my screen, telling me that: "The firewall has blocked internet access to your computer....." Why am I getting this pop up all the time? Is it bad? Should I do something about it? Is there other basic things I should know about Zonealarm or firewalls?
Thank a lot, it really appreciated!

If it blocked internet access to your machine it's something from the outside. If it stop a program from accessing the Internet it from your computer. If you have a lan and win2k on one of your machines it (win2k) pings the net work all the time and that would show up as "firewall has blocked access from...... " ZA should show an address from witch the intrusion came. It could also be your ISP pinging you.
Just to check up on you and insert evil software that will hypnotize you and make you buy a Yugo!

[Walter:-)]

Now I have been running with Zonealarm for about 24 hours and I'm almost not getting the pop up's anymore.
Yhanks for your reply's!