Avast WEBforum
Other => General Topics => Topic started by: Eminem on February 11, 2009, 11:52:51 PM
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What is your favorite free firewall and why?
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Really depends a lot on how you use your system and how much you want to learn about firewalls.
Many still swear by the Windows firewall or a NAT router only, which give excellent protection against inbound threats, generally with no/little configuration and maintenance. The Vista firewall even has outbound protection which can configured simply using a program called "Sphinx".
In terms of the software firewalls, this is where you start getting into the more advanced outbound protection and tailored inbound protection.
Zone Alarm Free is generally considered the simplest to use, gives adequate protection. I have used it, my wife uses it now.
PC Tools Firewall Plus is also highly rated, but I haven't used it
Online Armor Personal Firewall is what I use now, gives excellent protection and is not too intrusive. Has some specific features valuable for wifi users that got me to invest in the paid version.
Comodo Internet Security I have used in the past, and it is a bit more complicated to use and maintain, but also gives excellent protection. May teach you more about TCP/IP and firewall maintenance than you want to know, but new releases tout improved usability. Now a free suite, but you can install just the firewall and the HIPS (Called D+).
And I have also used a bunch of others that generally were OK too, some overly complicated, some with free versions with too much missing from the paid version, some I just didn't like as well as another.
Sites like http://www.matousec.com/projects/firewall-challenge/results.php rate firewalls for what is known as "leak protection", or ability to block outbound malware that gets past the AV. Because of time delays between discovery and protection, there may be a period of vulnerability if you are unlucky and get hit by a virus no one has seen before. Leak Protection, usually provided by a HIPS (Host Intrusion Prevention System) looks for malware by monitoring programs and alerting you if they take actions that might indicate they are malicious. Unfortunately, a host of your usual programs may also take those actions, so they basically give you an alert and let you worry about whether the program is malicious or just doing what you told it to do, like install or modify something. So firewalls usually contain a HIPS these days, some more effective than others. If you do things like P2P or visit porn sites and warez sites, you are a high risk user and really need to worry more than the normal user, but a good HIPS should protect you along with your AV.
So tell us a little about your internet usage and maybe someone can be more specific. But any on the list above (and others may have different preferences too) would be a good choice as a free firewall. And it is important for you to try a firewall out and see if you are comfortable with it anyway-all have some learning curve.
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thanks, still want more opinions please.
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http://www.besttechie.net/2008/08/20/malwarebytes-developer-interview <== at about 8 minutes into the video
I choose not to run a software firewall but prefer other protection like Windows Defender and WinPatrol.
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thinking of switching from zone alarm to online armor. Is it any good?
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Give it a try at http://support.tallemu.com/vbforum/showthread.php?t=6706 to install the latest public beta 3.1.0.24 at the bottom of the page. Very stable and about ready to release, and has a whole lot of improvements since the initial release. ZAF main concern is lack of HIPS, but not an issue with everyone. If you decide you like ZAF better, or want to try something else, OA removes pretty cleanly.
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can i just install the version from their homepage instead of forums?
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Home page version is the last release, which is a few months old because of the way they do beta cycles. But still should be OK, just misses a lot of updates since the initial version to fix minor bugs, add a few features. Their betas are pretty stable, but up to you.
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well i like a lot Zone Alarm, but Zone Alarm Disable its Antivirus, and Avast! disables! something that i cannot remember now!
i use Zone Alarm Internet Security 8.0, and i tried to attack my computer, it´s almost impossible to pass the firewall, well, at least i couldn´t.
if you want a good! firewall use ZA, (the full version, not the free one)
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Hi, I use Comodo Internet security only firewall with Defense + It's works fine with avast, bullet proof.
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i tried online armor it messed up my computer it would barely start. I now am using Comodo and it seems to be working well.
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Sorry OA didn't work for you; keep on using Comodo if you are happy with it. There is supposed to be a new release out shortly with many new features.
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You can try asking at the Online Armor forum for help with your problem-there are sometimes some conflicts with all of the firewalls, but usually they can help get things working by diagnosing your issues. That's how they stay in business. You can just post your configuration and the symptoms of your problem (with any of the firewall vendors) and will usually get help from volunteers and sometimes the developers as necessary. The other one would be the PC Tools Plus firewall, which seems to have a lot of fans-I have just never used it, but maybe someone else will speak up. If you just plain don't like Comodo, you can ask there but that one is harder to fix. :)
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is the ashampoo free firewall any good?
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what do OA do to your machine? just having probs i thought were with an update...but could have been OA
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I have tried more firewalls than I can count, ZoneAlarm (http://www.filehippo.com/download_zonealarm_free/) is the best for me! The only other firewall I will try is the upcoming avast! Personal Firewall. I've tried Comodo four times, several versions of PC Tools Firewall Plus, etc. The point is I don't give up easily on a firewall. The fw I liked best next to ZA is Jetico v1, OA was the biggest disaster that ever happened to my computer & Comodo is the is the one I disliked the most.
No matter how good a fw maybe, if it is complicated and/or hard to use, it can do you more harm then good. ZA is easy to use & gives great protection.
The extra program control in ZA Pro is in reality hips. avast! is an excellent antispyware so I don't need the as in ZA Pro. SAS Free (http://www.filehippo.com/download_superantispyware/) & WinPatrol (http://www.filehippo.com/download_winpatrol/) are excellent additions to avast! & ZA (http://www.filehippo.com/download_zonealarm_free/). ;)
Regardless of what anyone else says, Opera (http://www.filehippo.com/download_opera/) is the fastest & most secure browser. :)
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I like ZAP too; just think that the free one really leaves too much out unless you want to add something, a little extra antimalware as you pointed out. Too bad he missed the free birthday ZAP giveaway. :) But I think the OP was asking for a free alternative. Jetico 1 was pretty good, and I liked the Kerio 2.1.5 and 4 too, but they are a bit more demanding of the user to set up. Comodo is OK if you want a learning experience, but the maintenance can be challenging. And there are always many things waiting to be done. OA has made quantum leaps since I started beta testing the Vista version last June (never used v2, but presume it was close to the original v3 beta) but may not be suitable for everyone either. I do a lot of open wifi, and it has some very good tools for that as well as the general firewall/HIPS capabilities. If you do a lot of P2P or have some other special need, you may prefer something else. Current public beta is very close to the next release, but apparently he had some kind of problem with it. Haven't heard from the OP lately, so ??? BTW, all of these firewalls ran just fine alongside Avast! :) .
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My personal choice would be PC Tools Firewall Plus because its light on system resources, easy to use, gives enough protection and best of all its free :)
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I just run the built in firewall in Windows and Mac OS X, but I also have a hardware firewall in my router (Running DD-WRT)
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i have now been trying pc tools firewall plus and it seems pretty good and i like the threat fire program it comes with. =D
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I've used the FREE version of Online Armor since about Nov. of 2007 and it seems to do a very nice job. It seems to work very nicely with FREE Avast!
No problems that I can recall. I love it. Once it learns your programs, it only asks for permissions when you make software changes.
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Another reason why I won't be installing Comodo:
http://hphosts.blogspot.com/2009/02/comodo-dont-like-users-saying-no.html
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Another reason why I won't be installing Comodo:
http://hphosts.blogspot.com/2009/02/comodo-dont-like-users-saying-no.html
It's always nice when a supposed "Security Company" rams "Spy Ware and/or "Crapware"
like the ASK Toolbar down your throat.
I'm sure it will turn some of their fanboys against them. ;D
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-= I've been seeing good comments about Comodo Firewall..
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Right now, on Vista, just the Windows Firewall... I was tired of Comodo and PCTools and OnlineArmor... I'm not that much worried on outbound protection (but I use the Advanced Configurations of the Vista Firewall to block what I need). Waiting for avast firewall...
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I use Vista Firewall with Vista Firewall Control which block outbound connections.Its easy to use and configure and best of all its totally free.Vista Firewall Control is made by sphinx software. ;D.
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well... to bad that the old good Sygate was destroyed by symantec but yes, this was one of the best long time ago...
Now, i think Comodo is one of the best if you look something for free, if you want to pay then Outpost and online Amor is good choices. ZoneAlarm is usable also for most home users
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@cod head: yeah, I've not ever tried "sphinx software", but I've heared about that and usually all users like it :)
@Eminem:Comodo is an annoying firewall with good protection!! it offer good protection, but it's not very user friendly. in some reports I've seen PC Tools firewall offer good (not excellent) protection too. OA is good one if you want free (also it would not ever protect you like paid version). ZoneAlarm follow your computer to be unstable and get hang or give you BlueScreen and also ZoneAlarm Free don't offer you anything more than windows built-in...
Eminem, one advice by me: Security is not cheap and it's almost most important thing when you use your computer connect to Internet/network/external source of data... (use of paid version securty software, pay or... ) ;)