As I mentioned previously, the firewall in Vista is a significant improvement over past attempts by Microsoft. However, there are two distinctly different ways of configuring the firewall(actually, there are more than two, but I’ll show you two).

The first, and perhaps of most interest to the average user, is accessible through the security center area of the control panel. Get to the control panel from the start menu, then simply follow the screens below.





This will lead you to the basic configuration screen show in the last screen shot. You can access more information on what this does from the link located near the bottom of that screen.

The second means of configuring the firewall is located in the more administrative area within the Control Panel. It also allows a far more sophisticated level of control, and complexity. Simply follow the screens to find it.




From this area of firewall administration, you can configure rules based on user account, configure logging, and a host of other options. It is definitely for the more advanced administrator or the person who is willing to learn and employ a more sophisticated set of firewall rules. I intend to be spending some time here, and will share my knowledge on this blog.