About once a year, Microsoft releases an update to Windows XP. These updates contain all the fixes and enhancements which have been made available in the previous year. The updates (called Service Packs) provide convenient, all-in-one access to the most up-to-date drivers, tools, security updates, patches, and customer-requested product changes.
The latest Service Pack for Windows XP—Service Pack 2 (SP2)—is all about security, and it’s one of the most important service packs ever released. It provides better protection against viruses, hackers, and worms, and includes Windows Firewall, Pop-up Blocker for Internet Explorer, and the new WindowsSecurityCenter.
Main Features
New Windows Firewall: Windows XP SP2 includes the new Windows Firewall, which replaces the Internet Connection Firewall (ICF) provided with Windows XP with Service Pack 1 (SP1) and Windows XP with no service packs installed.
Windows Firewall: is a stateful firewall that drops unsolicited incoming traffic that does not correspond to either traffic sent in response to a request of the computer (solicited traffic) or unsolicited traffic that has been specified as allowed (excepted traffic).
Wireless Provisioning Services: Wireless Provisioning Services (WPS) are enhancements included in Windows XP SP2 and being considered for inclusion in Windows Server™ 2003 Service Pack 1 (SP1).
Windows Peer-to-Peer Networking: Peer-to-peer networking is the utilization of the relatively powerful personal computers (PCs) that exist at the edge of the Internet for more than just client-based computing tasks. The modern PC has a very fast processor, vast memory, and a large hard disk, none of which are being fully utilized when performing common client/server computing tasks such as e-mail and Web browsing. The modern PC can easily act as both a client and server (a peer) for many types of applications.
Updates to IPv6: Windows XP SP2 includes the following updates to IPv6 that are included in the Advanced Networking Pack for Windows XP: IPv6 ICF in the Advanced Networking Pack for Windows XP is a stateful firewall for IPv6 traffic that drops all unsolicited incoming IPv6 traffic, providing a level of protection from malicious users and programs that rely on unsolicited incoming traffic to attack computers. Teredo, also known as IPv6 NAT traversal, is an IPv6/IPv4 transition technology that provides unicast IPv6 connectivity across the IPv4 Internet when the communicating peers are separated by one or more NATs.
Netstat –b Option: The Netstat tool displays a variety of information about active TCP connections, ports on which the computer is listening, Ethernet statistics, the IP routing table, and IPv4 and IPv6 statistics. In Windows XP SP2, the Netstat tool supports a new –b option that displays the set of components that are listening on each open TCP and UDP port.
System Requirements
Hard Disk 1.5 GB available hard-disk space.
Memory 128 MB RAM or higher recommended.
Processor 233 MHz processor*; 300 MHz or higher recommended.
