We had NIS on my mom's dell laptop and it caused nothing but problems...alot of the time it would change settings that would cause it to lose internet access. I got tired of changing the same settings every time it was rebooted.

 

Norton on two of them, McAfee on the 3rd. (Firewalls)

Norton Anti-Virus & Internet security.

 

My company and I use Macs exclusively. We gave up on Windoze long ago, and have never regretted it.

 

Out of curiosity how big is the network?

 

Let me put my flame-suit on...

Macs here also.

I work in advertising, and agencies pretty much use Macs exclusively. After being a PC user for years, I had to make the switch about 2 years ago. Free software and general ease-of-use made sense to me.

Our HQ in Dallas have about 600 Mac users, plus another 100 or so at satellite offices throughout the US. All of our buildings have wireless coverage, and most people have laptops so you can go anywhere and use your Mac. Some people need a the bandwidth of being wired to the network, but most use wireless.

At any rate, Apple's airport has a built-in firewall. Seems to work pretty well. Spy-ware and Ad-ware doesn't affect Macs, neither do PC viruses. But I use Virex just in case...

 

I'm also on a Mac...Wife has pc laptop and kids have PC's I run bare naked while browseing normally. But if I am researching unfamilar sites or the occasional looking at adult entertainment. I turn on Norton. I also update and scan everything with Norton once a week. If I'm on a PC I use firefox for a browser and run Norton full time. Everything has Lavasoft "Ad-Aware" too.

 

Changing over to a Mac really isn't an option right now, although it is one I've entertained.

I just wanna make sure everything's squared away. Somehow or another I wound up on a spam list, so I'm trying to straighten that out. I'm gonna set up my router this weekend I think.

 

You can wind up on spam lists from well meaning friends or relatives including your email address on those 'forward to everyone you know' jokes or inspirational poems. Spammers love those things.

 

Exactley....I just switched to earthlink as my IP...ONly becasue tehy are the only ones offering DSL through the phone company in my area right now...Anyway since I have been in an argument all week with them becasue thier server will not accept a message that does not have a name in the To: field. So if I send a joke, movie, or anything to friends and family. If they forward it then one persons address is going to show up on that forward! I can not get them to understand wah ta security risk this is!

They try to justifiy it and say that all ISP's are like that...ummm NO... I worked help desk for 2 years at an ISP plus have never had this with any of the other ISP's I've been with... just Earthlink. So I dont use thier e-mail my web host allows unlimited pop e-mail addresses with my hosting package...total cost $5 a month! I can BCC: everybdy with it so to earthstink!

BTW: Dont click the link to unsubscribe from a spam e-mail in the spam e-mail...That confirms to them that your e-mmail address is real and it will be sold to other spammers!

 

Another classic example of security through obscurity!!!

 

Like a snake in the grass I crawl around invisible to anything that happens to be around me...One day I will run across one of these virus programers or a spammer. I will have to fight the temptation to cut off his/her fingers and make them watch as I transform thier viruses into thier own patch and then send them back out to fix the damage that they have done..Then scorch out his/her eyes so he/she can't make any more ! LOL

 

After I typed my little rant about Earthlink I just got the most malisious idea....

I am going to continue to use thier e-mail service...When I send or forward a joke, poem, video clip, etc. Since they force me to HAVE to put atleast one e-mail address in the (To: or CC: ) line before thier server will accept it in order to send it...Guess who's e-mail address is going in there....yep thats right customerservice@earthlink.net. I believe thats right...I'll have to dig out the papers and double check that. Lets see how they like that!

Edited to add:
Even though Ive always hated most forwards...I may become the king of forwards now just for spite...

 

Exactly.
If everyone used Macs, then the @ssholes who come up with viruses would no doubt have a field day.

At least now, files are 99.99% interchangeable between Macs & PCs, so it's really not a big deal if you use one platform or another.

Most all of our clients are on PCs, and we don't really have any problems with file compatibility with our Macs.

 

zone alarm, adaware, symantec corp virus software and firefox browser.

NIS is no good, causes more problems than it prevents. yes I know that norton is owned by symantec. plain old norton anti virus is fine to use.

 

I also hate Eathlink since they layed off 200 people last year and closed the offices and moved them to India.