Hi Friends:
I am so excited. I actually got the Vista Firewall with Advanced Security working. My only real issue was getting it to block all outgoing except the things I wanted to allow. It seemed like doing so would be a simple matter. I tried it on my laptop and could never get it to allow the outbound I wanted to allow unless the site used encryption. Go figure. Anyway, I got bored and decided to try the same setup I tried on my laptop on my desktop, and it is working--although the firewall either has not yet blocked anything or has not given me the notification that it is supposed to if it does block something. Time will tell. But, hey, maybe my quest is over, at least on my desktop, for a Vista-ready outgoing blocking firewall (other than OneCare--which i don't want). Yeeehaaaa!
And, as soon as I set the firewall up and restarted, a "miracle" occurred. As of late, I have been feeling like I am using dial-up. It had gotten so bad that a Cox Cable tech is scheduled for in the morning. But, as soon as I restarted with the new firewall setup, my problem went away. We'll see if it stays gone. I am not counting my chickens yet, but, of course, I have restarted many times previously in trying to deal with my internet slow down. Hmmmm?