How safe is DMZ?

[Filth]

I am currently using DMZ to make my DS available from the internet as I was having difficulty getting the necessary ports to forward correctly. I have a Linksys WRT54G running the DD-WRT firmware. The server computer has nothing but the server software on it and the only other Windows box in the house is my gaming rig which likewise has nothing particularly important on it.

That said, I'd still prefer that they didn't wind up as zombies if one or both were to be breached. I've been reading about the differences between the DMZ that is offered as a part of most home routers and so-called "true-DMZ" which places the DMZ server on a completely separate subnet to secure it away from the rest of the network in the event it is hacked.

I know the DD-WRT firmware offers quite a few advancements over normal home routing, but the DMZ features seem fairly sparse. Does anyone have any thoughts or advice on this subject?

EDIT: Also, does anyone have a screenshot of their working port forward setup?

[Drocona]

I've been trying to get a linksys WRT54G work this weekend at a mates place, we threw it away and got another one.
We tried all firmware without success.. (me being a router hater, throwing it away seemed like the most attractive option)

But.. You really don't have to worry about getting hacked, if they want to hack you they'll hack you anyway even without the DMZ or portforwarding. Just run a decent firewall and make sure the srcds ports are open (Windows firewall is easy and decent, it does the job, if you want something else no problem, just do NOT use SYMANTEC products, EVER!)

[Spartanfrog]

And why is that?

[Drocona]

Why i'm a router hater,
they simply suck and dont do what they're being told... they report it's done but it actually isn't... I prefer my custom built setups.

Why will they hack you anyway,
well a good hacker will break almost anything anyway, there are always security breaches whether you like it or not, if they want to, they'll get into you pc. I have a program for example, totally stealthed, you won't notice it's there, but no matter what firewall or protection you have I can still view your desktop and control your webcam, deelte the windows folder or whatever I want to with your pc. (This is for private hacking countermeasures of course!)

Why no symantec,
Symantec (norton antivirus and firewall) break more than fixing stuff, it's spy/adware like programs. When you try to uninstall it it won't go away, it will always be on your computer till you format it. Also you have to pay to use a crap service that doesn't work anyways.

[Filth]

Good security can go a long way. Windows certainly is not the least vulnerable OS out there, but proper router security and client machine measures can give you reasonable protection.

I highly recommend the DD-WRT firmware if you have never tried it. It basically turns a $60 router into a business class device. A good router with well designed firmware makes all the difference for an advanced user and can make things significantly easier for a beginner.

I do agree in regards to Symantec et al. Their software is horrendous (all such software is - not just Norton). My main reason for avoiding it is the insane use of system resources. If one of my Windows machines were to be compromised I would simply reformat and reinstall. It would take a day and wouldn't necessarily be a great deal of fun, but it's certainly better than having some half-assed protective software consuming 50% of my processor and memory usage.

Hackers are definitely an issue and a determined one can potentially create quite a bit of trouble, but that doesn't mean you should roll over and accept it. There are some very easy means open to Windows users to increase the security of your network significantly. Use a quality hardware firewall. Most modern home routers have this built in now. Use a software router. Typically Windows Firewall is sufficient. ZoneAlarm isn't bad in terms of 3rd party applications, but I have similar complaints when compared to software like Symantec. Password protect everything (Windows Administrator account, router, wireless encryption). Do your Windows updates regularly. Use a quality browser (IE7 has made great strides, but I still recommend FireFox) and never accept 3rd party applications or ActiveX controls unless you know for really, really sure that it is something you want. BE A SMART BROWSER! Stay away from Warez sites and downloads and shady porn dealers. Get Windows Defender (Vista users have it by default) - it's a quality malware scanner and is very light on system resources. Change your passwords regularly (every month is fine - every two weeks is better). STAY AWAY FROM SOFTWARE LIKE KAZAA! Many of these application actually contain spyware. If you use port forwarding for applications disable them when they are not in use.

These strategies can go a long way to keep a Windows box safer. There's no such thing as completely safe unless you unplug it from the Internet and never put a disc in it, but safer is better than nothing. In addition, you can use your Windows machines for nothing but gaming and do anything important on a Mac or Linux box like me. ;-)

As an update, I did get port forwarding for my SRCDS working properly.

[Uri Dead]

Filth Wrote:<snip>
EDIT: Also, does anyone have a screenshot of their working port forward setup?

Well I have a nice shot for you but these stupid forums will not allow .gif, .png, .jpg but it will allow a freekin' BMP (ffs) and that is 900k, and that is over the 500k limit, when the others are 50k. Fuckin retarded.

I keep getting this crap..
"The file upload failed. Please choose a valid file and try again. Error details: There was a problem moving the uploaded file to its destination."

So screw it....

[Filth]

I got it working anyways. Thank you though!

[BR5DY]

Filth Wrote:EDIT: Also, does anyone have a screenshot of their working port forward setup?

I know this is an old post but I'd like to post my screenshot for future reference



I'm running a TF2 server, hence the name of the forward, but it works the same for any game under srcds.exe.

And you'll have a different IP than I do.

[Clan_uBp]

use portforward.com for great tutorials. Dont be a router hater, its a great firewall. There are much better options than DMZ, as thats not the safest way to forward ports.

[Mooga]

uBp, this is an old thread.