XP's Firewall - Good? Bad? Ugly?

[Rain]

Culpeper

Does it have any logging?

It has some basic information, here are three screenshots of its key areas, (with my stuff blanked out)

No application pop-up, as I have nothing to add to it right now, but they are very simple, and easy to understand, though not really layperson.. they show the program path, and ask simple questions like: allow always, block, allow once, block once... no recomendations, but if you ask it to block always or allow always, it will ask you if you are sure about it...

---

Connection Monitoring & Control:



Application Control & Rules



Settings (pretty damn simple)



This is basically just a firewall, and nothing else...

[FreewheelinFrank]

Rather ugly, if you ask me. 

The GUI looks like a Symantec rip-off.

More worryingly, the company website does not give an address, or even a country for HurricaneSoft. They also seem to have a website in an eastern European language (Polish maybe?) Nothing wrong with software from eastern Europe of course, I just wonder why they haven't given an address?

There are also no reviews yet.

I don't think I'll be trying it out just yet. 

[polonus]

Hi FwF,

The firm is either in Praque or Bratislawa for these two  languages are also supported next to English.
Alas there is no documentation for the software there or I missed it,

polonus

[Rain]

FreewheelinFrank

Rather ugly, if you ask me. 

Newp, ain't pretty...

The GUI looks like a Symantec rip-off.

Heh, that too...

More worryingly, the company website does not give an address, or even a country for HurricaneSoft. They also seem to have a website in an eastern European language (Polish maybe?) Nothing wrong with software from eastern Europe of course, I just wonder why they haven't given an address?

They are Slovakian...

http://www.hurricane-soft.com/Contact/

http://www.hurricane-soft.com/Company-Profile/

http://www.hurricane-soft.com/Awards/

There are also no reviews yet.

True, with other things cornering the market, and a tendency to shy away from European things, unless they are Finnish, or British, or German, it is hard for products to become well known... but for me, it is pretty much, viva la difference...

I don't think I'll be trying it out just yet.

Well, I am still testing it, so watch dis space, ju know?

[Rain]

polonus

The firm is either in Praque or Bratislawa for these two  languages are also supported next to English.
Alas there is no documentation for the software there or I missed it,


Yeah it is a little slim on information, but there are plenty of places mentioning it, so I am readingup what I can find... I have the anti spyware av I need... so I am basically looking fo something light and simple... even if it is ugly...

I will keep this thread informed, about security things, that happen, if my system is attached and so on, how it behaves... so this is just a begining...

[dk70]

Hurricane seems to do very little is all I will say. Site and their public face is more or less a big question mark. Try compare with Comodo. Last years Comodo was called Netveda I think http://www.netveda.com/consumer/safetynet.htm - they have gone zzzzz. Not a good sign Hurricane look like they are in that mode already. Buggy software can be fixed and since almost any firewall seems to be in that category support and feedback is important.

Anyway, here are 18 pages of forum chitchat about outbound control/software firewall being important or not IF behind router taking care of inbound http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14627281~days=9999 Im with the guy on page 18 who also think main reason is to keep pirated software private.

Rain, may be you are not attacked so much you can judge Hurricane - not before it is too late. Does it pass some leaktests? http://www.pcflank.com/ there are others. I have tried most of the free firewall, mostly for the extra features (some can even go as adblocker), but eventually Ive uninstalled due to pain the butt factor. Would not mind something simple. Comodo is pretty good though - mainly thanks to supportforum, updates and what seem to be genuine desire to make good product! Yeah, right... They have other goals, products in mind of course. Could be dying already, how it goes with freeware sometimes.

[Rain]

dk70

Hurricane seems to do very little is all I will say. Site and their public face is more or less a big question mark. Try compare with Comodo. Not a good sign Hurricane look like they are in that mode already. Buggy software can be fixed and since almost any firewall seems to be in that category support and feedback is important.

Yeah, I am going to test some of their other firewalls, they have more than one version...and moe than one free version, there is also a 'Pro' edition, that seems to have more features...

[Culpeper]

I'm looking for something with the same type of logging that Sygate has/had:

Security Log
Traffic Log
Packet Log
System Log

The Traffic Log is my favorite. 

[Culpeper]

Hurricane seems to do very little is all I will say. Site and their public face is more or less a big question mark. Try compare with Comodo. Last years Comodo was called Netveda I think http://www.netveda.com/consumer/safetynet.htm - they have gone zzzzz. Not a good sign Hurricane look like they are in that mode already. Buggy software can be fixed and since almost any firewall seems to be in that category support and feedback is important.

Anyway, here are 18 pages of forum chitchat about outbound control/software firewall being important or not IF behind router taking care of inbound http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14627281~days=9999 Im with the guy on page 18 who also think main reason is to keep pirated software private.

Rain, may be you are not attacked so much you can judge Hurricane - not before it is too late. Does it pass some leaktests? http://www.pcflank.com/ there are others. I have tried most of the free firewall, mostly for the extra features (some can even go as adblocker), but eventually Ive uninstalled due to pain the butt factor. Would not mind something simple. Comodo is pretty good though - mainly thanks to supportforum, updates and what seem to be genuine desire to make good product! Yeah, right... They have other goals, products in mind of course. Could be dying already, how it goes with freeware sometimes.

I don't see a problem with operating behind just a router firewall.  However, it is "well advised" that you augment it with a software firewall.  But I don't consider it a prerequisite.   Nevertheless, in some cases the hardware firewall is so good that installing a software firewall alongside it may cause conflicts.   Once again, if what ever you are using is passing the various online firewall tests than what is the big deal?  Some people only have locks on their doors and some people take the next step and get an alarm system.    Personally, I have a junk yard dog for when I'm not home and a junk yard dog as well as a couple of Ithaca shotguns for when I am home. 

Now, because Windows is such a bad neighborhood to begin with I take the extra step and install a software firewall with good logging capabilities along with the router firewall.  But on the remote wireless Linux box I don't have a software firewall.  I only rely on the router's.  Why?  Because Linux is already a gated community with its own security guards built in.    In fact, on that machine I only have a command line virus scanner that is updated daily merely to scan incoming email.  On Linux about the only thing you have to worry about is an inside job.  And not even my wife knows my root password.

[Rain]

Culpeper

I'm looking for something with the same type of logging that Sygate has/had:

Security Log
Traffic Log
Packet Log
System Log

The Traffic Log is my favorite. 


They gace a Pro 'Free Firewall'...

http://www.hurricane-soft.com/Security-Software/Hurricanesoft-Personal-Firewall-Pro-Free-Edition-EN-1.1.0/

You can see the screenshot there if you click on it, (the enlargment)

[Rain]

Culpeper

I don't see a problem with operating behind just a router firewall.  However, it is "well advised" that you augment it with a software firewall.  But I don't consider it a prerequisite.   Nevertheless, in some cases the hardware firewall is so good that installing a software firewall alongside it may cause conflicts.   Once again, if what ever you are using is passing the various online firewall tests than what is the big deal?  Some people only have locks on their doors and some people take the next step and get an alarm system.    Personally, I have a junk yard dog for when I'm not home and a junk yard dog as well as a couple of Ithaca shotguns for when I am home. 

I consider avast! Pro and Prevx Pro to be my Junk Yard Dogs, though I might be switching from Prevx one of these days, it depends on what happens when it comes time to renew...

So far, aside from the issue of needing to manually switch off the hurricanesoft firewall, I have had no issues with it at all... but I am still playing with it, and probably will end up testing the pro-free version as well...

[timcan]

@Rain, can you show some screenshots of  leaktests with this firewall?

[Rain]

timcan

@Rain, can you show some screenshots of  leaktests with this firewall?


Well, I already conducted the leaktest, so my firewall is configured to stop the program from accessing the internet... I do not care to 'undo' the settings, to repeat the test, but I ran the test again, and took a screenshot of the results...

During the innitial test, my firewall came up with a pop-up, (as security software does) and asked me if I wanted to block or allow the program, of course I said no, as instructed, and there were no more pop-ups, so whatever happened next, my firewall was not fooled into thinking a different and/or legitimate program was asking, rather it identified all of the attempts as coming from the same place...

I think only the interface on this firewall is simple, not the actual program itself... (And the Free 'Pro' version is much less simple...)

The 'Leak Test'I used, was this one: http://www.grc.com/lt/leaktest.htm



The other thing I tested was auditmypc's simple firewall test, as the more complex one makes my anti-spyware stuff to go apepoopie...

http://www.auditmypc.com/freescan/scanoptions.asp

I know it is not ideal, but as I said, I do not care to deal with my anti spyware having a hissy fit and locking down my computer...

[Doffy90]

I thought Avast included a firewall in its antivirus. 

[Rain]

Doffy90

I thought Avast included a firewall in its antivirus. 

Not in the stadard sense of the word, what avast! has is what are called, 'Shields' which scan network/internet/computer activity, and take action if something ontoward happens, or is noticed, or occurs... for some, this is enough protection, and much more than they might already have, especially if coupled with say, the OS Firewall, but for others, well more control is wanted and needed... so sought... control being more inbound and outbound control, and also things like anti spyware software, like AntiHook, or Prevx1, or Process Guard, or whatever things like that...

It all really depends on what you need, what you want, and what your computer can run...