Links:
Some links you may find useful!
Gear Software (Famous CDR software)
A very good inexpensive software firewall. I have had many people tell me that they have had a lot of problems with their professional version, with Windows 2000 and XP.
*(Remember Windows XP comes with a built in firewall)
But if you are a end user or a home user, you can download a full blown copy (not the Zene Alarm Professional) free of charge. The Professional is more entailed and allows you to filter ports and so on.
(GRC) A very good site for information and a free port scan on your system. This guy is awesome and is very knowledgeable about Internet security. He has several freebies on his site too and you can learn a lot.
I like this site, because you can actually run a speed test on your broadband connection and compare to other users in your area. It also has some other neato tools like a detailed port scanner, tweaking tools and so forth. A must for all DSL and cable modem users.