What Is The Best Free Firewall Today?

[Lusher]

Lusher,
It sounds like your hacking this thread to death.

Yes yes it is always my fault...

We've already determined that the best firewall is the one the user is comfortable with.

But we have not determined that comodo firewall is good for novices...

The last i checked, people here fancy themselves as "malware fighters", so they are hardly novices.... So them saying they like comodo doesn't give one confidence that the firewall will be good for novices..

[pjo123]

Comodo firewall 3 is by no stretch "quite simple".... Unless you install without defense+ in which case it is still quite complicated but possibly manageable depending on your skill level and your stomach for answering lots of prompts...

I totally agree. I have no worries with it as I know what I'm doing, but I would NEVER install it on an average users PC, they would either

a) get completely lost and be permanently on the phone to me
b) Disable it
c) Simply get into the habit of accepting any request it comes up with.

My son and daughter run the latest 2.x (cant remember exact version no) on their PC's and I wouldn't dream of upgrading them to 3

[greyowl]

I'm thinking of using Comodo 2x because i am a novice and also running W2K.  But i am wondering if it will continue to be updated as needed.  Any idea?

[justin1278]

I'm thinking of using Comodo 2x because i am a novice and also running W2K.  But i am wondering if it will continue to be updated as needed.  Any idea?

I don't think Comodo will release any more updates for the 2.X versions. So eventually it will need to be replaced by a newer firewall as new ways to compromise a PC are created and discovered, but the current version of Comodo Firewall 2.4 is still very good.

[lee16]

Well i suppose discusion is the best way to learn new things right along with a "do it yourself" trial.

But in the end people have opposing opinions, no matter what the situation i do feel people can learn to use "more complicated" firewalls, and even is comodo defence+ scare some people off, they can just disable it and still have an very good firewall IMO

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

--lee

[gdiloren]

Reading this thread. I'm on Vista and I was happily with PC Tools Firewall Plus. Then I read about onlinearmor and it's champion of the leak tests. Then I realized that onlinearmor is ONLY for XP. I went back to Comodo 3 Firewall Pro (it's free!) without Defense+. It installed the same though . Alright, I disabled it because I only want the Firewall. I guess it already had the remnants of the old installation I had 4 months ago because I have no pop-ups except some white stuff in the tray. One thing I hate now is that I'm sure PCTools firewall plus is no more (as AVG AS) but my Windows Security Center keeps detecting them either as active or outdated. In the end, I'm messing up my computer

[Lisandro]

I went back to Comodo 3 Firewall Pro (it's free!) without Defense+.

Hmmm... without Defense+, Comodo firewall even test parental applications (one executable that uses another to connect...), it's very weak imho. They've embedded some firewall features into Defense+... it's a pity.

I'm sure PCTools firewall plus is no more (as AVG AS) but my Windows Security Center keeps detecting them either as active or outdated.

Uninstallation process of PCTools could left a lot of things behind...

[rdmaloyjr]

Reading this thread. I'm on Vista and I was happily with PC Tools Firewall Plus. Then I read about onlinearmor and it's champion of the leak tests. Then I realized that onlinearmor is ONLY for XP. I went back to Comodo 3 Firewall Pro (it's free!) without Defense+. It installed the same though . Alright, I disabled it because I only want the Firewall. I guess it already had the remnants of the old installation I had 4 months ago because I have no pop-ups except some white stuff in the tray. One thing I hate now is that I'm sure PCTools firewall plus is no more (as AVG AS) but my Windows Security Center keeps detecting them either as active or outdated. In the end, I'm messing up my computer

Remove the Vista documents & settings file for PCTools fw+.  If that doesn't take it out of Vista Security Center, use the search function in Vista & remove all PC Tools fw+ files.

I had to do that when I switched back to ZA in XP.

[gdiloren]

I'm pretty embarrassed!!! I remember Tech warning us about uninstallation issues on PC Tools Firewall Plus last autumn but you easily forget when the only two main free Firewalls on the Vista platform are today Pc Tools & Comodo 3. I mean not much choice!!! I wanted to ask if my security center says that both Comodo 3 and Pc Tools are activated but the latest is gone at at most 95% if not better (I used the REVO UNINSTALLER feature advanced 4 (thorough uninstal)) is it simply an inscription or is it really activated and interfering with Comodo 3 Firewall Pro??? I mean taking out all the remnants of PC Tools Firewall is no easy job and I checked thoroughly in my Regedit and PC and I can't find any traces of it. I have PcTools Threatfire though installed on my PC. One way of solving the problem is to uninstall cleanly Comodo 3 and reinstall and use PC Tools Firewall Plus after all but I feel I was fooled in some way!

[Lisandro]

I can't find any traces of it.

We must discover the .sys file into C:\Windows\System or ...\Drivers

Does this help?
http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=23457.msg193534#msg193534

[gdiloren]

I can't find any traces of it.

We must discover the .sys file into C:\Windows\System or ...\Drivers

Does this help?
http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=23457.msg193534#msg193534

Thanks Tech for the link. I already tried twice to delete the Repository subfolder but the Security Center still detects 3 firewalls of which two are activated whereas only Comodo 3 is! I can't think of PC Tools Firewall Plus being still active on my PC since no folders or files. I can't access my Document and settings folder even if I unmask it on VISTA SP1. 

[Lisandro]

I can't think of PC Tools Firewall Plus being still active on my PC since no folders or files.

If you open network settings, try to install a new service and look up for a file (to install), won't PC Tools Firewall driver be shown there?

Driver is here on Vista C:\users\...\appdata\local\temp\pctfirewall

I've uninstalled PC Tools 6 months ago... it's still listed there 

[Lusher]

Well i suppose discusion is the best way to learn new things right along with a "do it yourself" trial.

But in the end people have opposing opinions, no matter what the situation i do feel people can learn to use "more complicated" firewalls, and even is comodo defence+ scare some people off, they can just disable it and still have an very good firewall IMO

I have no problems with discussions and different opinions.. In fact what is needed here is people with a diversity of opinions not three or four guys who always agree with each other, and try to run off other people who have different opinions....

Well i can understand that people here generally cannot discuss AVAST! with any degree of objectivity this is a AVAST! forum after all , it's very surprising to find that the same holds for certain others like NoScript, Comodo firewall etc...


A couple of fans(boys), seem to have gotten hold of this forum and insist that these are the holy grails of security, and anyone who thinks they are not always suitable is just crazy/foolish or trolling....

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

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

[Lisandro]

What is needed here is people with a diversity of opinions not three or four guys who always agree with each other, and try to run off other people who have different opinions...

Thanks for showing us the light, troll.
What would be of us without your wisdom?

Well i can understand that people here generally cannot discuss AVAST! with any degree of objectivity this is a AVAST! forum after all , it's very surprising to find that the same holds for certain others like NoScript, Comodo firewall etc...

Objectivity...
Why are you here?

A couple of fans(boys), seem to have gotten hold of this forum and insist that these are the holy grails of security, and anyone who thinks they are not always suitable is just crazy/foolish or trolling...

Who's the fanboy of Lusher except himself?

[drhayden1]

Why are you here?

i'm here because of all the help and advice most of you have given me over the last couple of years and i thank you for it...don't you think this thread has gone on long enough
have a nice one avast!world