With the demise of Windows XP as a "supported" system. I would like to scrub the machines clean with a new copy of XP and allow these old machines to be used exclusively for Boinc number crunching. Is there an easy way to use these machines and have them access the Internet through a host computer that has firewall/antivirus protection? In other words, I don't want to pay to have virus protection if I can place the system behind one of my newer computers and use the newer computer as a host to be able to send data back and forth. Anyone have any experience setting up machines like this?

Your help and advice is greatly appreciated.

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So long as you're not doing any active web browsing, I'd say your risk is pretty low to just let them connect to the Internet on their own. You could always use AVG, Avast or similar free antivirus as a backup, "just in case". I've also been using Microsoft Security Essentials, which is available for free if you have "Genuine" software; I can't speak towards its integrity versus competitors, but I've been using it for some time and haven't had any problems. I would classify myself as a "low risk user", however. One advantage of it coming from Microsoft, is that it has a pretty low overhead, which would be desirable for a machine dedicated to BOINC.

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My Detailed BOINC Stats

Thanks for the information. I intend to wipe the machines clean with a program my friend's recommended that overwrites the hard drive completely with 1's and 0's alternately. I was intending to use the protection of my current Trend Micro on my newer computers by keeping the old XP machines behind their firewall. I just figure there has to be a lot of computing power still left in these old XP machines to do some number crunching for someone. Just want to do it in the safest manner without allowing someone to come along and enslave my PC to do their bidding.

I'll look into the Microsoft Security Essentials. I think I saw somewhere that this program will also not protect XP anymore, but not sure why it wouldn't continue to protect.

Thanks again for your response.

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I run all of my machines (mostly XP) without any sort of protection at all, other than being behind the SPI firewall in the router. Never had any sort of virus on any of them. The only machine that gets infected around here is the one operated by an idiot user (the wife, bless her!). I just image that regularly and restore it if needs be. Never, ever, had any infection on any of my headless BOINC farm (more of a flowerpot than a farm to be fair).

Cheers,

Al.