Firewall

ok, read the sticky post and various firewalls mentioned there none of which are 'free'

I have in the past tried zonealarm and comodo, both of which gave me more hassle than its worth. SO having a router and windows firewall switched on, is this sufficient, or should i really be looking to have a software firewall installed.

If the advice is that a software firewall is recommended, above and beyond using the windows firewall then what firewall should i be looking at to use.

I play online games, and dont want anything that hogs the system and it should run sliently in thebackground with little or no need to tweak settings .....

thanks

Edited by frogzuk (Sun 12-Apr-09 13:39:51)

That sticky is a bit outdated Try sunbelt personal firewall, its the best (imho), and free, choose advanced during installation then you have added control, its very easy to setup and won't mess you about when you are in full screen apps etc (unlike zonealarm in my experience).

http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Home-Home-Office/Sunb...

ok downloaded the sunbelt .. and not stopped clicking on the outgoing stuff ... every move i make i need to click lol .... damn this better get better over time or i'll go mad heheh

As long as you are ticking the "remember this" box it will stop after a day or two, then you will only get popups when you install a new program, or when something malicious is trying to connect of course.

Disable all the web filtering, application behaviour blocker, and HIPS (intrusions and web tab in the config)

thanks for this, after a couple days of using it has gotten better.

i agree with the point you made about the lack of front screen popup, which is a problem with zonealarm and comodo, with sunbelt the allow button comes to the front making connections easier.

first impressions are that this fire wall seems to do what is says on the tin, i must confess to the configuration boxes being a little daunting .... but i will hopefully 'learn' this bits and bots as i go along.

the product is on a 30 day thing, when this finishes do i have to pay or will it just revert to a basic format which is sufficient ?

froggy

it will revert to basic which is plenty sufficient, lack of the paid for features will compromise your security.

if you need any help just ask, the GUI is slightly old fashioned but once you get used to it its very very easy to configure. You can also add programs in advance easily and also set complex rules in the "packet filter" button on the network security tab

In reply to a post by frogzuk:

first impressions are that this fire wall seems to do what is says on the tin, i must confess to the configuration boxes being a little daunting .... but i will hopefully 'learn' this bits and bots as i go along.

A firewall is only as effective as the person who configures it.

but there are some default NDIS rules which can provide good protection (i.e., blocking of non-trusted area IPs trying to establish a remote desktop connection)

Hi, I find nothing wrong with ZoneAlarm it is the best software firewall for me with Windows XP,
never had any problems whatsoever and I prefer the interface to the Comodo software firewall.

http://www.snapfiles.com/reviews/ZoneAlarm/zonealarm...

http://www.zonealarm.com/security/en-us/zonealarm-pc...

http://www.snapfiles.com/reviews/comodo-firewall/com...

http://personalfirewall.comodo.com/download_firewall...

Edited by deleted (Wed 15-Apr-09 23:03:39)

In reply to a post by frogzuk:

I have in the past tried zonealarm and comodo, both of which gave me more hassle than its worth. SO having a router and windows firewall switched on, is this sufficient, or should i really be looking to have a software firewall installed.

Both a Router's firewall and Windows Firewall only guard against incoming attacks; rogue programs, once they get installed, can still transmit out.

So, yes, you need a software firewall. You will then usually be prompted to Allow or Deny each new program as it it tries to talk out. However, once you have configured all your usual programs, it will settle down and not be too onerous.

I, too, have found free ZoneAlarm ideal and does not interrupt full-screen programs.

PC tools is highly recommended as well - works on my wife's Vista laptop - unlike Comodo & Sunbelt.

In reply to a post by Pipexer:

it will revert to basic which is plenty sufficient, lack of the paid for features will compromise your security.

Sorry, I meant will NOT compromise your security.

Too many glitches with zonealarm for my liking, if you have set SPF to do something, it does it, unlike ZA which can be blocking things without your knowledge.

Edited by Pipexer (Thu 16-Apr-09 23:17:56)

I have *never* had ZA block anything without my full knowledge and consent. More of a problem is it not blocking things without telling me.