Using Direct Internet Connections on a LAN
Is the local network connection to your computer physically separate from your Internet connection? Is the Internet connection yours and yours alone? If the answer to both of these questions is yes, your security challenge is simple: Make sure that data packets from outside can't reach your computer (and your network) unless you specifically request them. To be sure your two connections remain separate, you need to disable file sharing and install a firewall on the Internet connection.

Configuring a Dial-Up Connection
By default, both Windows 2000 and Windows XP disable the File And Printer Sharing service when you create a new dial-up connection. To confirm that your existing dial-up connection is secure, follow these steps:

Open the folder that contains your dial-up connections. In Windows 2000, click Start, Settings, Network And Dial-Up Connections. In Windows XP, double-click the Network Connections icon in Control Panel (if you use Category View, look under Network And Internet Connections).
Right-click the icon for your dial-up connection and choose Properties.
On the Networking tab, ensure that the File And Printer Sharing For Microsoft Networks box is not selected. Figure 15-1 shows this dialog box as it appears in Windows 2000; the Windows XP version is nearly identical.

Figure 15-1. Make certain that file and printer sharing is disabled on any dial-up connections.

Libellés : Connections, Direct, Internet, LAN, Using