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First Look At Windows XP Service Pack 2: Page 4 of 7

Windows Firewall's Network Connections Tab

The feature we like best is Windows Firewall's properties new Network Connections tab that automatically detects network connections that you can opt to disable firewall protection for--an excellent feature for LANs and wireless networking. Most software firewalls, including ZoneAlarm, offer some semblance of this feature. Without it, Internet Connection Firewall was nearly impossible to use in more complex networking environments. It's still not ideal in an enterprise setting, but in our tests its default configuration stayed out of the way for the most part. And that's a good thing because Microsoft currently intends to turn Windows Firewall on by default.

As will likely be the case with Automatic Updates, some IT managers are bound to be concerned that a software firewall will be turned on by default in Windows XP SP2. While it's easy to turn off, and presumably turning it off by default using enterprise Windows installation tools will be a very simple thing, it could be a mixed blessing. Although this requires Windows servers, Microsoft has said that central administration of Windows Firewall will be available through Active Directory Group Policy.

Not-Ready Wireless Networking?

Microsoft has added a new unified wireless local area network client whose main focus appears to be providing standard client services for third-party wireless hotspots without having to install proprietary software. The new Choose A Wireless Network dialog replaces the functionality of property sheets in the original Windows XP. But when we tested it, we found that the scanning feature didn't work, which made it hard to work with. A test with one wireless network doesn't mean the beta won't work everywhere.