Zone Alarm ----> Overview ----> Prefs---> Options -----> Proxy Configuration

[nightshade]

I see there is an option for a Proxy Configuration in Zone Alarm, and wondered if I should enter localhost and 12080 in the port area?

Thanks

[sded]

Is this Zone Alarm entry for an http proxy or just in case you are accessing the internet via a proxy?  You shouldn't need to enter anything since avast! transparently intercepts and scans http traffic on port 80 (and other ports you might add) when you use the Web Shield.

[DavidR]

I see there is an option for a Proxy Configuration in Zone Alarm, and wondered if I should enter localhost and 12080 in the port area?

As sded said no you shouldn't need to do anything, but why would you think you had to unless something wasn't working

[Snagglegrain]

but why would you think you had to unless something wasn't working

Because if it ain't broke, you haven't tweaked it enough?    

[DavidR]

Yep, if you haven't tweaked it to within an inch of its life you haven't lived and you will only know that when it goes bang, to back it off an inch

[nightshade]

but why would you think you had to unless something wasn't working

Because with it being a Firewall I wouldn't liked to have thought it was letting information out when perhaps I could have done something about it.

[nightshade]

Is this Zone Alarm entry for an http proxy

Yes.

To enable proxy server, proxy server and port.

[DavidR]

but why would you think you had to unless something wasn't working

Because with it being a Firewall I wouldn't liked to have thought it was letting information out when perhaps I could have done something about it.

I would look to something a little stronger than ZA if that is a concern, though with win98 you are going to have difficulty in that quest finding a good firewall to work with win98.

Though LocalHost as its name implies is a local host on your system that doesn't access the internet.

[sded]

avast! is already acting as a proxy for http, by redirecting connections and intercepting responses for port 80 (and other ports you add) via localhost port 12080, virus scanning them, and passing them to your browser transparently.  A general internet proxy server might accept all internet requests (mail, ftp, https, ...) and deal with the connections to the internet for you, but avast! doesn't do that.  This would usually be done in an environment where things like the virus scanners, blacklists and whitelists, user permissions, etc. for a network are located in a single server for an enterprise.  And a firewall like Zone Alarm needs to know about it.  Your browser should also allow you to set up proxies for the various protocols if you have somthing to service them, but avast! has already taken care of http for you.

[nightshade]

Thanks for the info folks.

 

[Snagglegrain]

Thanks for the info folks.

 

[nightshade]

 

And thanks to you too.