Local intranet security settings

I searched this forum but couldn't find anything. Can someone give me some advice about the settings I should use. I have a WIN98SE I.E. 6 SP1 with Zone ALarm, Norton AV 2003. Hooked up by cable, not using a proxy. When I click on the 'sites' choice it lists 3 things.
1. include local intranet sites not in other zones
2. include sites that bypass proxy
3. include network paths (unc)

Should I be leaving checkmarks there? I was especially not sure about #2 since I'm not using a proxy. I think all the sites I go to bypass the proxy!

Thanks,
Alicia

 

Some of the language they use is confusing.

1. include local intranet sites not in other zones
Intranet (as opposed to internet) normally refers to your local network. At home, I have a 2PC intranet. At work, more like a 10,000 PC intranet. But the rules for those need to be different since hopefully there isn't a threat from within. If you have a network at home you need to be concerned with that setting. Otherwise it has no effect on anything for you.

2. include sites that bypass proxy
If you are using a proxy server, you will normally have domains that you set to ignore/bypass the proxy. Intranet domains rather than internet ones. Again, you want different rules for them than for outside sites. Since you don't use a proxy server, the setting has no effect on you regardless of how it is set.

3. include network paths (unc)
As with the others, it simply doesn't apply to you.

The Internet and restricted sites are about all you need work with. With ZA running, you can probably do fine with medium security for internet sites and high security for restricted sites.

 

Thanks for explaining that to me Newt. I have just one computer
at home so the whole 'local intranet' setting issue doesn't apply as you say. I wish they would have come up with another name for it. It wouldn't be so easy to get it mixed up with internet.

Alicia