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System Tab

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System options

This tab covers options to do with NetBIOS, ICMP and System Rules, Application Rules are managed on a different tab. It is split into 3 different sections:

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1 - NetBIOS

Checking the check box Allow NetBIOS communication activates the 'Settings...' button in the NetBIOS section. You can now tell Outpost what IP addresses/hosts you want to allow NetBIOS communication to. To do this click on the 'Settings...' button to open the NetBIOS Address window. Enter the IP address or hostname and click on the 'Add' button.

I have a LAN of two computers and I have added the second computers IP address to the NetBIOS Address window, I can now share files and printers with the second computer.

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2 - ICMP

This section allows you to specify what ICMP messages Outpost should allow and which should be blocked. To do this, click on the 'Settings...' button to open the ICMP window. There are to check boxes for each ICMP message, one for 'Inbound' and one for 'Outbound'. A ticked check box means 'Allow It' and an unticked check box means 'Deny It'.

The default settings above allow you to ping other people, but not be pinged yourself, and will also stop people being able to perform traceroute on you. Unless you have a particular need to alter these settings you can pretty much leave these ICMP rules as they are.

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3 - Answer Type

This section contains a setting that you will probably never have a need to alter as it controls how Outpost answers communication to a closed port.

• Stealth. Do not notify source via ICMP message
  This puts Outpost in to 'Stealth mode'. It's normal procedure to notify the source of a communication to a closed port that the port is closed, however you can get Outpost to 'stealth' your computer. Meaning that the source of the communication isn't told that the port is closed in the hope that the source will believe there is no computer at the IP address it just tried to make a connection with, or that any computer that is there hasn't got a connection to the Internet.
• Normal. Send usual 'port closed' ICMP message to the source
  This option doesn't 'stealth' your computer, instead Outpost will send the source of a connection request to a closed port an ICMP message that the port is closed. Unless you have a need for Outpost to do this, always keep Outpost in 'Stealth mode'.

4 - Global Application and System Rules

This section allows you to make rules that apply globally to applications and your PC. These rules are applied after the Application Rules and can be used to allow or deny applications access to a port, host etc. without having to create rules for each application in your Application list. Here you will also find rules necessary to use the Internet, like DHCP rules (for allowing dial-up users to obtain an IP address from their ISP) and DNS lookups for obtaining IP addresses for host names.

To add or modify System Rules, click on the 'Settings...' button to open the Global Application and System Rules window. You make rules here as you create Application Rules, but without having to specify an application that the rule applies to.

System Rules in depth

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This is an unofficial guide, the information expressed here may differ from Agnitum's. There is a support forum (no longer run by Agnitum, but by users) if you need more help this is a good place to start. Where information here conflicts with what Agnitum have told you always go with the information given to you by Agnitum.

Guide/site and images ©Stephen Cox