What Is The Best Free Firewall Today?

[bob3160]

Unfortunately when you sell your soul for a buck, you'll end up without a soul.
It also doesn't say much for your integrity.  :'(

[Boz-G]

When my OS was Win 2000 Pro I tried to use the free version of Zone Alarm, but it was not compatible with Avast.  Comodo was recommended to me and it worked well up until last night.

My new windows machine (running Win XP Pro) was occasionally giving me "Bad_Pool_Header" errors and I thought it might be Comodo.  I upgraded the application but when I re-booted Comodo stopped connections with my wireless modem (Belkin brand).  Even shutting down Comodo would not solve the problem, so I uninstalled Comodo. 

I'm back on the net again and running the built-in Win firewall.  But I still need a firewall that can block (administer) both in-coming and out-going traffic.  I found Comodo too complicated to use and too intrusive.  Can anyone suggest a robust but easy to use firewall alternative to the native Win app?  Will the newer free version Zone Alarm work with my set-up (I really liked the simplicity of Zone Alarm)?

 

[greyowl]

You might want to consider Online Armor which seems to come out at the top of the list for security and it is not too heavy on the system.

[Boz-G]

Thanks for the tip.  I looked at the web site for Online Armor and it looks as simple as Zone Alarm.  However, is it compatible with Avast?  I also read that it could not be removed from systems (leaves bits of trash all over the place).

Has anyone heard of and used Glary Utilities?

[DavidR]

There are occasions when OA blocks avast processes after a program update (as by its nature changes processes), now that is generally not a problem. What is that OA does it and doesn't say a sodding word that it has done it, so the user isn't aware of OA's interaction, just that avast or elements of it aren't working.

Most 'good' firewalls wilt notice the changed processes, etc. and pops-up a notice it has changed, you know you have recently done an avast program update, so you 'allow' it and no problem.

With OA I don't know if there is a setting that you can change to have these notifications or if this is part of its simplicity by taking decisions for the user not troubling the user with notifications, not my idea of user friendly.

Other than that there doesn't appear to be any other issues, just remember OA could do this, etc after a program update.

[greyowl]

Thanks for the tip.  I looked at the web site for Online Armor and it looks as simple as Zone Alarm.  However, is it compatible with Avast?  I also read that it could not be removed from systems (leaves bits of trash all over the place).

Has anyone heard of and used Glary Utilities?

You could use Zsoft Uninstaller, then if you want to remove it later, you could get all the pieces.  Zsoft monitors the installation, then removes everything that was installed.  There is a new version in the works but the old version does the job.

[Boz-G]

Thanks for all the help ... I used to use Zone Alarm (free version) and liked it a lot.  It was simple to use and appeared to be effective.  But that was a few years ago.  What's your take on the current version of Zone Alarm (free) and Avast (assuming both running within Win XP Pro SP2 OS)?

[greyowl]

I have never used Zone Alarm so can't help.

[DavidR]

The current version of Zone Alarm really has become very bloated, not to mention its protection in the free version is limited (in the hope you will buy the Pro version) and you have to watch out as it normally comes with a trial of the pro/suite functionality.

When installing if you decide to go with it, watch out for options, e.g. only install the free version, decline other options.

[rdmaloyjr]

ZoneAlarm Free is a smaller download now.  It's the best free fw in my opinion.

[ladygaga345]

Try to right click on my network pace and choose properties, then choose local area connection right click and choose properties again. Look for 'PC Tools Firewall driver' in the list and if found, remove it.

If the above method doesn't work gdiloren, then you can get some info on uninstalling pctools firewall from pctools forum.

If above doesn't work (please do try the above first), then you could also try looking in "Network Adapters" in Device Manager to see if any device there has a yellow flag on it (and disable it if it does).

If this not help and your comfortable with editing your registry you could also try "Go to Start-> Run-> Type regedit-> HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE-> Software-> PC Tools-> Firewall-> Delete." but not forget to backup your registry first if your not confident/sure you can do this without causing harm xD

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Going off-topic a bit:

@ Lusher,

I'm glad we agree on letting other people have there own opinions, i really feel allowing other people opinions online and in real life is important for improving ones perspective on subjects.

However i feel i must mention that calling people "fanboys" will only proceed to help take more objectiveness from a post imo (however i am not blaming any of the disagreements of this posts on you just because of that one word)

As i said before, Ignorance is no excuse for stupidity.

I must admit I don't even know what this means.

Well trying to make the statement viable for that discusion it basically it means being uneducated in a subject is no need to do stupid things without first finding out about what your doing.

After I read WOT's reputation score on pctools. there are some negative ratings on the user their
im just wondering if all of those are true

[bob3160]

I personally trust very little from WOT since it's mostly user based information and not actual scanning. 

[OrangeCrate]

Try to right click on my network pace and choose properties, then choose local area connection right click and choose properties again. Look for 'PC Tools Firewall driver' in the list and if found, remove it.

If the above method doesn't work gdiloren, then you can get some info on uninstalling pctools firewall from pctools forum.

If above doesn't work (please do try the above first), then you could also try looking in "Network Adapters" in Device Manager to see if any device there has a yellow flag on it (and disable it if it does).

If this not help and your comfortable with editing your registry you could also try "Go to Start-> Run-> Type regedit-> HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE-> Software-> PC Tools-> Firewall-> Delete." but not forget to backup your registry first if your not confident/sure you can do this without causing harm xD

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Going off-topic a bit:

@ Lusher,

I'm glad we agree on letting other people have there own opinions, i really feel allowing other people opinions online and in real life is important for improving ones perspective on subjects.

However i feel i must mention that calling people "fanboys" will only proceed to help take more objectiveness from a post imo (however i am not blaming any of the disagreements of this posts on you just because of that one word)

As i said before, Ignorance is no excuse for stupidity.

I must admit I don't even know what this means.

Well trying to make the statement viable for that discusion it basically it means being uneducated in a subject is no need to do stupid things without first finding out about what your doing.

After I read WOT's reputation score on pctools. there are some negative ratings on the user their
im just wondering if all of those are true

Though your comments might still be valid, you do realize that you're dancing with the dead, right?

(The post you quoted was from 21 March 2008.)

If you have comments regarding various products, to keep the material fresh, sometimes it's best, to just start a new thread.

[Lisandro]

I personally trust very little from WOT since it's mostly user based information and not actual scanning. 

+1

[CharleyO]

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I personally trust very little from WOT since it's mostly user based information and not actual scanning. 

+1

+ 2 ... not to mention that since anyone can rate sites on WOT, that anyone can and most likely does include malware distributors.


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