I want to ask what is a good set up for internet security which will also allow downloads without too many hassles as Zone Alarm and AVG which I have used for years seem to be screwing up my 64 bit Vista Home Premium and freezing my PC, also freezing downloads.

I got Norton with the new PC but it seems to have erased itself (not sure how). Isn't there now for sure !

Anyway, what about Avast ? AVG ? using Windows as a firewall ? Zone Alarm seems screwed but I still get the occasional freeze when I turn it off or uninstall it.

Is it the 64 bit thing ?

Is it Vista - this is my first time with Vista ?

I've got port forwarding sorted out through utorrent but I cannot run this when it keeps freezing so often and I cannot leave the system open to the net unguarded.

Any help much appreciated.

If you use the windows firewall and then something like the free avira AV and pratice safe surfing your as protected as any windows box can get.  Just look at links before clicking and make sure they arn't .exe and your 99% there.

Norton is complete cr------p It would crash my xp monthly.  I do mean blue screen and reinstall.  It also slowed the system down and I still got virus so if it is gone your lucky. 

Comodo Firewall and avast Antivirus is a good combination.

here we go again. the last time I said Norton was crap I was jumped on form on high by all and sundry.

Apparently the folk at Norton had a transformation on the road to Damascus, and they now make the best anti virus software since sliced bread.

I don't doubt it, but I hate the bastrds and will never use their stuff.

I use Avira freeware, Spybot and Adaware, and between them they protect all my downloads. Never have any problems.

If you use Cnet, or the company producing the software, for your software downloads, it should be safe. Cnet is used by most major software companies as the main source to download their products.

I also download a fair amount of video and music through Limewire. Many of these contain viruses, but Avira finds them all and deals with them.

Norton Removal Tool

Thanks for the Avira plug. I had that on the other PC.

I've heard about Comodo but just in the last couple of days doing research. Is Windoze firewall so crap that you need another one ? Or will, Comodo or others run in parallel as there seems to be some concern about having more than one firewall.

IMHO  open is open, closed is closed, stealth is stealth, does not matter to me what the name is.  Windows firewall on windows is easy to use.   Check your online profile at shieldup and get a report.  I have not had an issue with a windows firewall and it forwards things nice and easy.  Just check time and time and see what you have open like remote if your not using it close etc.  AV is free using it and scanning often and keeping other peoples flash and drives off your PC. 

I have a couple of Internet security questions - I have a low-medium amount of computer experience. I am using WinXP/SP2 + various patches, and Win. firewall. I connect thru CAT on my apt. house LAN. I run AVG & SpyBot, manually updated & scanning when I choose.

Q. # 1. - I "logon" - 4 or 5 times/day - thru Win./Control Panel/Network Connections by "enable" my LAN connection (rtclk on ntw icon) to go on-line & "disable" the LAN connection when I want to go off-line. This means there is no access to my computer from the Internet when I am not online. However - am I risking corrupting Windows (or some other software) by using this method?

Q. # 2. - On the right side of the Win. Desktop/TaskBar, near the clock, is the Windows network conn.s icon when I go online (as above). The icon sometimes shows activity (one or both icon "monitors" light up) when there is no reason that I understand - I am not waiting for a page to download or otherwise activating the network. I understand that my machine may be randomly "polling" the ntw occasionally but sometimes there is prolonged activity indicated (such as, my computer sending data?), long after a WwW page has finished loading. This also occurs on page w/ no fancy ads/banners/etc. that might be updated - it might occur on a plain text page, while I am just reading. When I scan my computer, I don't find keyloggers, etc., but I do get tracking cookies, which I delete. I surf mostly w/ Firefox 3.0.5 (I use Inet Xploder 7 when a WwW site requires it for decent display - maybe twice a week?), updated occasionally & I always delete "Personal Data", including cookies, whenever I close Firefox.

So, I am looking for a small (RAM "footprint"), freeware program to monitor my network connection when I am online. I don't need complex data or traffic speeds or a lot of other data - all I want is to check what computer is on the other end of these transactions when they occur. Does anyone have any suggestions for this kind of software?

Thanx!

I want to ask what is a good set up for internet security which will also allow downloads without too many hassles as Zone Alarm and AVG which I have used for years seem to be screwing up my 64 bit Vista Home Premium and freezing my PC, also freezing downloads.

I got Norton with the new PC but it seems to have erased itself (not sure how). Isn't there now for sure !

Anyway, what about Avast ? AVG ? using Windows as a firewall ? Zone Alarm seems screwed but I still get the occasional freeze when I turn it off or uninstall it.

Is it the 64 bit thing ?

Is it Vista - this is my first time with Vista ?

I've got port forwarding sorted out through utorrent but I cannot run this when it keeps freezing so often and I cannot leave the system open to the net unguarded.

Any help much appreciated.

Its my first post chaps, so here goes!!!

Online armor firewall and AVG works well give it a try. Avast antivirus is very good too but dont use it with Zone alarm as it gives hel_l with yahoo email, conflict errors im afraid

Also try spyware blaster for those nasty active X's.

Personally i use Avast antivirus and Comodo firewall its a bit difficult to get used to at first cos of the firewall popups, but works really well. Remember with Comodo if you are using another antivirus product not to activate the firewalls own as you can well do without conflict errors between the antiviruses. Same can be said using 2 firewalls its a no no so turn one of them off.

Nova - make sure you uninstall Norton & Zone completely & reboot.

M$ Virus, as we call it, is a pig, but use it, dont do any Tuesday patch nonsense, ever.

Run AVG 8.5 - its still free - update that daily. It should never be necessary to run scans on your machine

unless ya live next door to a porn or script kiddie site.

Once you are sick of Virus, install XP SP2 or 3/AVG + Linux and kiss all your worries goodbye.

64bit is supposed to be backwards compatible with all 32bit - but who knows. It is simply a bust, of no use.

Bubba

AVAST free + Online Armor free is a very good combination

The latter is less bloated than Comodo FW and IMHO also one of the best (maybe the best)

Firewall you can find. Unfortunately Online Armor does not support 64bit yet.

Windows firewall, providing you are updated is more than enough, especially when behind a router. Make sure your Windows updates are all up to date and run a good antivirus like Avira (free), NOD 32 ($39), or Kaspersky ($49).

Stay away from AVG free or paid, I've removed too many infections from machines running that piece of crap. Don't get distracted by that "free" word, it's garbage.

Most important is to follow what Nikster said and use your brain. That's the best defense.

Edited July 20, 200916 yr by cdnvic

Windows firewall, providing you are updated is more than enough, especially when behind a router. Make sure your Windows updates are all up to date and run a good antivirus like Avira (free), NOD 32 ($39), or Kaspersky ($49).

Stay away from AVG free or paid, I've removed too many infections from machines running that piece of crap. Don't get distracted by that "free" word, it's garbage.

Most important is to follow what Nikster said and use your brain. That's the best defense.

Windows firewall, providing you are updated is more than enough, especially when behind a router

I can not entirely agree with it. Keep into consideration many people are behind a router but have to disable the router firewall because some port forwarding does not allow it!

They only work if the router firewall is disabled!

BTW I cant find the posting from 'Nikster' you refer to?

Edited July 20, 200916 yr by webfact

BTW I cant find the posting from 'Nikster' you refer to?

oops... it was RKASA