Recomend Firewall to compliment Avast

[agent86ian]

I hope this is not to off topic.

I am trying to find a nice simple setup to cover security on Desktop computers for friends and families.

I have found AVAST Professional the easiest set and forget, the home version seemed to have little ability and I could not be confident it was checking Thunderbird email correctly.

I have Tinyfirwall www.tinysoftware.com which is deceiving as it is a full blown firewall :-) I am quite computer literate but it is so noisy that it becomes useless for the normal person to manage.

I see we have Websheild and script blocking and we catch the viruses coming in hopefully.

Windows XP Firewall is inbound only but is that good enough in a non mission critical computer with Avast Professional?

I have 3 schenarios to cover.

1.   Windows XP SP2 via NAT router
2.   Windows 98 via NAT router
3.   Windows 98 via modem.

Some use Outlook (full version) and Internet Explorer
Others use FireFox and Thunderbird.

If the system is too complex or interferes with use then they just switch it off.

[romeonation]

Hi there,

Tiny firewall is also Kerio Personal Firewall 2.1.5 I guess. I have been using KPF 2.1.5 ever since Blaster days and it is the best I can get.  Stick to Tiny, if you dont mind configuring the ruleset initially.

Santosh
India

[DavidR]

There are a number of threads on the forums that have covered this point.