Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2), currently in Beta testing, includes significant enhancements to the Internet Connection Firewall (ICF) component, also known as the Windows Firewall. ICF is a stateful firewall that discards unsolicited incoming traffic, providing a level of protection for computers against malicious users or programs. To provide better protection for computers connected to any kind of network (such as the Internet, a home network, or an organization network), Windows XP SP2 enables ICF on all network connections by default. This new behavior can impair some types of communications. This article describes how to deploy the appropriate configuration settings for ICF on an organization network so that it is enabled and providing protection and so that communications are not impaired.