Firewalls

[chevykanteve]

My firewall is the Windows Firewall. That's always been the case. I use Maxnet at 2 "megs". Would there be any advantage in installing ZoneAlarm or Comodo or Sygate or some other firewall-program? If so, should that program function as a secondary firewall, i.e., in addition to the Windows Firewall, or would it be better to turn off Windows Firewall prior to such an installation? I apologise in advance for the "basicness" of this question, but -- hey-- live and learn!

Any advice on this matter is much appreciated.

[Guest Reimar]

My firewall is the Windows Firewall. That's always been the case. I use Maxnet at 2 "megs". Would there be any advantage in installing ZoneAlarm or Comodo or Sygate or some other firewall-program? If so, should that program function as a secondary firewall, i.e., in addition to the Windows Firewall, or would it be better to turn off Windows Firewall prior to such an installation? I apologise in advance for the "basicness" of this question, but -- hey-- live and learn!

Any advice on this matter is much appreciated.

Just use one firewall only. May you use 3. party one but in this case disable the Windows firewall. Most of the Modem/Router even having an Firewall.

Cheers.

[chevykanteve]

My firewall is the Windows Firewall. That's always been the case. I use Maxnet at 2 "megs". Would there be any advantage in installing ZoneAlarm or Comodo or Sygate or some other firewall-program? If so, should that program function as a secondary firewall, i.e., in addition to the Windows Firewall, or would it be better to turn off Windows Firewall prior to such an installation? I apologise in advance for the "basicness" of this question, but -- hey-- live and learn!

Any advice on this matter is much appreciated.

Just use one firewall only. May you use 3. party one but in this case disable the Windows firewall. Most of the Modem/Router even having an Firewall.

Cheers.

Thanks for the quick response, Reimar! So, I guess that means that all or most firewall programs are basically the same in terms of results?

Edited January 27, 2008 by chevykanteve

[xwteee]

My firewall is the Windows Firewall. That's always been the case. I use Maxnet at 2 "megs". Would there be any advantage in installing ZoneAlarm or Comodo or Sygate or some other firewall-program? If so, should that program function as a secondary firewall, i.e., in addition to the Windows Firewall, or would it be better to turn off Windows Firewall prior to such an installation? I apologise in advance for the "basicness" of this question, but -- hey-- live and learn!

Any advice on this matter is much appreciated.

Just use one firewall only. May you use 3. party one but in this case disable the Windows firewall. Most of the Modem/Router even having an Firewall.

Cheers.

Thanks for the quick response, Reimar! So, I guess that means that all or most firewall programs are basically the same in terms of results?

I've heard good things about PC Tools firewall. 

[crockett]

Depends on your setup. If you are behind a router with its firewall enabled and you use Vista, the Windows firewall

will do the job (if properly configured). I am on XP and recently switched from ZoneAlarm Free to Comodo.

Best switch I have ever made.

Otherwise, as Reimar said, do not use two firewalls at the same time.

[astral]

Any other recommendations?

A friend has installed the complete Zone Alarm Suite and is experiencing conflicts.

Personally I use Zone Alarm Pro and have not had any problems, so far.

[crockett]

Any other recommendations?

A friend has installed the complete Zone Alarm Suite and is experiencing conflicts.

Personally I use Zone Alarm Pro and have not had any problems, so far.

I had Zone Alarm Pro as well, then switched to the free version and now to Comodo.

Since Checkpoint took over Zone Alarm things are getting worse. It installs far too deep into

the system and uses much too much resources. To get really rid of it you must go through the pain

of removing it manually.

For me, I am verry happy with Comodo.

[sensei]

Any other recommendations?

A friend has installed the complete Zone Alarm Suite and is experiencing conflicts.

Personally I use Zone Alarm Pro and have not had any problems, so far.

I had Zone Alarm Pro as well, then switched to the free version and now to Comodo.

Since Checkpoint took over Zone Alarm things are getting worse. It installs far too deep into

the system and uses much too much resources. To get really rid of it you must go through the pain

of removing it manually.

For me, I am verry happy with Comodo.

Comodo works great.

It monitors not only the incoming threats but also the outgoing ones- the bad programs trying to call home.

[JetsetBkk]

Comodo works great.

It monitors not only the incoming threats but also the outgoing ones- the bad programs trying to call home.

I must try Comodo one day, but at the moment I use Zone Alarm Pro - just the Firewall, nothing else. I also use Avast! anti-virus - again, just the anti-virus, not the email scanner, network shield, Outlook shield, P2P shield or any of the other stuff they bundle in with it. I use Peer Guardian 2 as my P2P shield.

BTW, Zone Alarm stops stuff "calling home" too, and it's easy to specify which applications are allowed to do what.

It used to be the case - or so I heard - that the Windows firewall only stopped stuff trying to get in and did not stop stuff trying to get out. I don't know if that is still the case.

[crockett]

It used to be the case - or so I heard - that the Windows firewall only stopped stuff trying to get in and did not stop stuff trying to get out. I don't know if that is still the case.

That applies to the firewall which comes with XP. I believe since Vista it works both ways.

[JetsetBkk]

It used to be the case - or so I heard - that the Windows firewall only stopped stuff trying to get in and did not stop stuff trying to get out. I don't know if that is still the case.

That applies to the firewall which comes with XP. I believe since Vista it works both ways.

I've just uninstalled ZoneAlarm Pro and installed Comodo. The test at the Comodo web site went as they said it would - ZoneAlarm failed, Comodo passed. Maybe it's rigged, but it's enough for me to try Comodo. So far, so good!