Hi all

I have two questions in this forum to ask:

1) Whenever I intend to any softwares, some give two executable files, one for Windows 32bit and the other for windows 64 bit. What are these? I am using the Windows XP Home edition [1GB RAM and 120GB HDD] and how should I know which one to install ?

2) I have a broadband internet connection with a bandwidth of 2Mbps. I understand that when connected to internet, my IP address is my identity in the WWW. But recently I came to know that IP can easily misused by some websites and hackers. Therefore it is essential to protect our IP address while surfing from intruders. I also don't wish to mask(proxy)/hide my IP as it is not legal (?). Therefore, my question is, "Are there some open source softwares to protect our IP or is there some technique in windows to play around?"

I am really curious to know about these, please share your knowledge.

Thank you for your replies,

Have a great day,
Regards
Vijay

1. Depends on your machine hardware. One is for 32 bit architechures, the other for 64 bit. Most 64 bit hardware will handle 32 bit software with no problem.

Don't run 64 bit apps on a 64 bit machine with a 32 bit OS. (I think there's a joke here somewhere ... )

2. You IP is handled by your ISP. IP Spoofing is not something that is discussed in reputable forums and I'll not continue on that path. Protecting your IP from the above however is not something you need to concern yourself with. This is the domain of your ISP and even attempting to help could lead you down the wrong path.

Further networking questions should be directed to the correct forum (ie: networking)

J.
j e r u v y a t y a h o o d o t c o m

You are (most likely) running 32Bit XP. Right click on My Computer and choose PROPERTIES. Your version should be listed on the "top" screen. (If it's 64bit, it should say so.) If there's a doubt, post (here) what is listed there and someone can confirm what version you're running.

Your firewall (if it's a decent one (NOT Windows Firewall)) should "protect" your IP.

A very good free firewall is COMODO;

http://www.personalfirewall.comodo....

It's a good day when you learn something

1) If you don't know which version you need, you need the 32-bit version. (There's also a joke in here, but I'm not about to look for it.)

2) The IP is just a 32-bit number. There's no way to "protect" an IP address. Your computer, on the other hand, needs the protection of a firewall. Personally, I just use a generic home router. It's more of a firewall than most software firewalls.

I have my own repair shop and I install comodo on all the computers. Comodo is a great firewall and the good thing is that it is free!

http://www.personalfirewall.comodo....