Author Topic: Avast! Home E. ------> Firewall?  (Read 7572 times)

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janos87

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Avast! Home E. ------> Firewall?
« on: September 17, 2007, 11:20:35 PM »
Is avast home edition maybe also a firewall..or no?

thank you for your answers,

Janos

Jahn

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Re: Avast! Home E. ------> Firewall?
« Reply #1 on: September 17, 2007, 11:48:22 PM »
No, it isn't, Janos. Some members here like Comodo Firewall Pro (free). Another good choice is ZoneAlarm Free, if you have sufficient RAM.

Offline Lisandro

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Re: Avast! Home E. ------> Firewall?
« Reply #2 on: September 18, 2007, 12:11:55 AM »
avast is not a suite (fortunately).
You can try, besides the ones that Jahn posted, PCTools (also free). My suggestion? Comodo 8)
Are you using Vista or XP?
The best things in life are free.

janos87

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Re: Avast! Home E. ------> Firewall?
« Reply #3 on: September 20, 2007, 01:17:18 PM »
i'm using xp..wich program is good for xp?


janos

mouniernetwork

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Re: Avast! Home E. ------> Firewall?
« Reply #4 on: September 20, 2007, 01:30:40 PM »
avast is not a suite (fortunately).
You can try, besides the ones that Jahn posted, PCTools (also free). My suggestion? Comodo 8)
Are you using Vista or XP?

Al968

Offline Lisandro

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Re: Avast! Home E. ------> Firewall?
« Reply #5 on: September 20, 2007, 02:13:25 PM »
avast is not a suite (fortunately).
You can try, besides the ones that Jahn posted, PCTools (also free). My suggestion? Comodo 8)
Are you using Vista or XP?

Al968
???

i'm using xp..wich program is good for xp?


janos
Comodo, PcTools, ZoneAlarm, Kerio, Sygate, Outpost (free), in sequencial preference.
The best things in life are free.

the Tester

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Re: Avast! Home E. ------> Firewall?
« Reply #6 on: September 21, 2007, 06:21:51 PM »
I would suggest Comodo 2.4 also.

dewild1

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Re: Avast! Home E. ------> Firewall?
« Reply #7 on: September 21, 2007, 06:44:55 PM »
Whats wrong with the default MS firewall?
Yes, it is not easy to config ranges, (impossible, one port at a time >:(), etc. but it does a good job of keeping things out..

It also blocks some outgoing, but we find that to be a bad thing. A typical user blocks good and bad and allows good and bad, randomly, 50% chance, then we get a call, "my puter aint workin" :-X

Normally, we set up Trend to allow ALL outgoing, even then we got a call once a day from someone who blocked IE because of some windows update.
On top of that, all the above firewalls I have tested, have big problems in a cooperate world with large databases.

The MS one is simple and when I make a switch to Avast, I plan on using it. Free and functional, low mem-CPU.
Unless, you friendly people here can convince me not to.

Remember, our clients are set up differently; not like the typical user environment.
We use CPULOCK, it is kind of like Vista's UAC but better and been around longer.
Even when antivirus and antispyware definitions do not catch something new, CPULOCK blocks them or at least makes it so the malware does not run on the next start up.
So, malware going out, (being blocked from within the computer by a firewall), is not our concern, and we consider it a hassle.

What I want to know of is any real world situations where malware has penetrated the MS firewall and therefore we should not use it.

Thank you.
« Last Edit: September 21, 2007, 06:47:18 PM by dewild1 »

Offline DavidR

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Re: Avast! Home E. ------> Firewall?
« Reply #8 on: September 21, 2007, 08:13:56 PM »
Keeping things out is only half of the problem.

Any malware that manages to get past your defences will have free reign to connect to the internet to either download more of the same, pass your personal data (sensitive or otherwise, user names, passwords, keylogger retrieved data, etc.) or open a backdoor to your computer, so outbound protection I feel is essential. If that means enabling and configuring the outbound protection in the Vista firewall or in the case of XP, installing a third party firewall than that is what you must do.

Vista Firewall Control, check out this topic for some user friendly help for the Vista Firewall, Outbound protection, http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=30234.0

I appreciate that it is difficult to give a single setup for multiple users with differing levels of experience and trying to have a default option that a balance on protection against complexity.
Windows 10 Home 64bit/ Acer Aspire F15/ Intel Core i5 7200U 2.5GHz, 8GB DDR4 memory, 256GB SSD, 1TB HDD/ avast! free 24.2.6105 (build 24.2.8918.824) UI 1.0.799/ Firefox, uBlock Origin, uMatrix/ MailWasher Pro/ Avast! Mobile Security

dewild1

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Re: Avast! Home E. ------> Firewall?
« Reply #9 on: September 22, 2007, 01:36:07 AM »
While I understand your point, technically, and agree, with thousands of people that we have helped over the last few years, WE are the ones who get the call, (usually after the poor person has spent 5 hours on the phone to some script reading bonehead stationed overseas)...
So, when we get the call and, even though we have opened every TCP-IP, port, outbound, in Trend Firewall, (basically making it a one way firewall), and yet still somehow the user got a "pop up", that they usually deny ever seeing, asking if IE 7 should allow or deny.... >:( >:( and you know what one they choose. ::) :P
Well, their "computer stops working" IE, the Internet Explorer stooped working.. :o

Given the fact that with my CPULOCK, (the main, if not ONLY, thing that makes Vista more secure than XP is UAC), we have only had 9 people who WERE fully infected and without reinstalling their OS, we fixed it, did all the voodoo that we do, then locked it down with CPULOCK, and out of thousands of them, only 9.. I think that is like 99.5% 8)
So given the many hours we have spent unblocking stupid things caused by user error, and we do not want them to call until next year, I hope you understand, we are willing to take that risk. We have had the Trend firewall configured to allow all outbound for years.

smokethapimp

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Re: Avast! Home E. ------> Firewall?
« Reply #10 on: September 23, 2007, 07:09:00 AM »
I am currently using Avast on my dad's XP box with Comodo Free Firewall. It is working very well for him, and seems pretty much transparent wrt internet speed.

I have had a bit of a struggle finding a suitable Avast/Firewall combo for my Vista Basic Home computer, but I think after a bit of testing I have something that is working well. As I am a RR customer I have access to their free Internet Security Suite which includes a Free Version of a Firewall (based on Tiny Personal Firewall technology). After a lot of install/uninstall drama I have found that Avast Free Home integrates well with the RR/CA Security suite. I install everything except the CA Antivirus which was DRASTICALLY slowing down my internet connection. to be more clear I have the following parts of the CA Internet Security Package installed alongside Avast Free Home Antivirus:

1:CA Personal Firewall with the integrated Cookie Control and Ad PopUp Blocker on medium settings
2:CA Anti-Spyware - Real-Time Protection is turned On.
3:CA Anti-Spam - On

This combination is pretty much transparent wrt internet speed and webpage loading, and I feel very well protected. For any who have a Vista OS Computer and RoadRunner for Internet Connection I think you will be well pleased with this combination.

If you decide to do this, the installer package for the CA Suite will tell you it is "incompatible with Avast". Ignore this and X out that popup. Do a "Custom Install" of the CA Security Suite. Check all Checkboxes for install EXCEPT the CA Antivirus. I assure you, the parts I listed above function perfectly with Avast.

Thank you again ALWIL/Avast, for all you do!!

« Last Edit: September 23, 2007, 07:14:01 AM by smokethapimp »

dewild1

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Re: Avast! Home E. ------> Firewall?
« Reply #11 on: September 23, 2007, 10:38:34 AM »
just curious, do you have UAC turned on? A lot of Vista people turn it off.

smokethapimp

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Re: Avast! Home E. ------> Firewall?
« Reply #12 on: September 23, 2007, 07:22:22 PM »
just curious, do you have UAC turned on? A lot of Vista people turn it off.

If you are asking me, I have user account control turned on.