Mrq5
The Fab Four
join:1999-08-21
Warren, MI
| reply to bigyeah
Re: What Firewall to get?
I'm at Network Admin by trade and still use Win XP/SP2 Firewall for my home. Granted, I have a router/hardware firewall as well:)
If using a router, which has so many benefits at such a cheap price, just start off with XP/SP2 built-in Firewall. Determine if thats enough, which it should be for 99% of home users. As mentioned XP's Firewall assumes a clean system so doesnt monitor what goes out. It is best used when starting on a clean system, or when confident system is clean by using every spyware/virus scanner under the sun. It does do a good job monitoring/blocking what REALLy counts, INBOUND traffic!
With my Router and XP/SP Firewall I pass every Port scan 100% stealthed:) |
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bigyeah
Premium
join:2004-06-25
clubs:
2 edits | reply to bigyeah
wrong thread, sorry. |
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antiserious
The Future ain't what it used to be
Premium
join:2001-12-12
Scranton, PA
| reply to bigyeah
... used to use ZoneAlarm, now I use Outpost, I'm much happier - and I don't know many people that would consider ZA easy to remove completely ... either/any software firewall should be used in addition to a router/firewall (which have gotten pretty cheap) not instead of - even for a stand-alone box ... IMHO ...
... f w i w ...
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... "Nobody's perfect - well, there was this one guy, but we killed Him" ... Christopher Moore, 'Lamb' ... |
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HA Nut
Premium
join:2004-05-13
USA
| reply to bigyeah
Would you recomend the EZ firewall offered by Optonline over the standard ZA free? I haven't personally tested the latest free ZA or ran the EZ firewall version at all. (I run free ZA 4.5 on my older 98SE PC.) Truthfully, I'm not sure it would make much of a difference. If memory serves (and maybe someone else can verify this), the version that EZ uses is usually a version or so behind regular ZA. So if the latest and greatest is a goal, then ZA might be the best way to go.
One thing is that if Optimum supports EZ directly, then that might be a feather in it's cap. If you have "issues" (not that I would expect any), they might be good at supporting it... |
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bigyeah
Premium
join:2004-06-25
clubs:
| reply to HA Nut
said by HA Nut  :IMO, application based firewalls are the easiest for most of us to use. You simply allow or deny a program to have access to your network or the internet. All other traffic is blocked. My 2 free favorites are ZoneAlarm and Sygate. Each has it's pluses and minuses. ZoneAlarm has a simpler user interface but Sygate offers better activity logging to let you really know what's going on. I run a copy of each on my PC's and I like both. FWIW, the EZ firewall is a version of the ZoneAlarm firewall. ZoneAlarm and Computer Associates each cross market their respective products with each other (EZ Antivirus is ZoneAlarms's AV.) Would you recomend the EZ firewall offered by Optonline over the standard ZA free? |
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ano356
@edu.au | reply to HA Nut
Go and get visual zone for zone alarm, free and powerful logging for zone alarm.
Stop complaining about the faults and try and get a fix for them or create one. |
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HA Nut
Premium
join:2004-05-13
USA
| reply to bigyeah
IMO, application based firewalls are the easiest for most of us to use. You simply allow or deny a program to have access to your network or the internet. All other traffic is blocked.
My 2 free favorites are ZoneAlarm and Sygate. Each has it's pluses and minuses. ZoneAlarm has a simpler user interface but Sygate offers better activity logging to let you really know what's going on. I run a copy of each on my PC's and I like both.
FWIW, the EZ firewall is a version of the ZoneAlarm firewall. ZoneAlarm and Computer Associates each cross market their respective products with each other (EZ Antivirus is ZoneAlarms's AV.) |
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email scope
join:2005-03-06
Canada | reply to expert1
said by expert1:
ZoneAlarm. Best and easiest firewall for a beginner.
True. 
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Heal |
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email scope
join:2005-03-06
Canada
| reply to bigyeah
One of these »www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a···3&depa=0
And this. »www.zonelabs.com/store/content/c···load.jsp
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Heal |
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paranoidxe
Premium
join:2002-03-29
Ogden, UT | reply to bigyeah
When I last uninstalled ZoneAlarm it screwed up my internet connection..haven't bothered with it since. But this was one of the version 3 releases..which was like in 99.
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- paranoidxe (txtfiles.org) |
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bigyeah
Premium
join:2004-06-25
clubs:
| reply to ZZZZZZZ
said by ZZZZZZZ :said by bigyeah :Does Zone alarm have any un-install issues like Norton, or is it un-install friendly? -------------------  Huh? |
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ZZZZZZZ
Premium
join:2001-05-27
PARADISE
|  reply to bigyeah
said by bigyeah :Does Zone alarm have any un-install issues like Norton, or is it un-install friendly? -------------------
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TO BE A CANADIAN IS A BLESSING! |
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Kayrac
Premium
join:2001-09-29
Kingston, NH | reply to bigyeah
i wanna say it doesn't, but i don't know for sure, i know it was improved greatly, and it does well, but cannot give you a def answer there, but i've had it on every computer and uninstalled and not had problems |
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bigyeah
Premium
join:2004-06-25
clubs: | reply to bigyeah
Does Zone alarm have any un-install issues like Norton, or is it un-install friendly? |
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trickyrick
join:2005-03-31
UK
 ·Eclipse.Net
1 edit | reply to wvengineer
said by wvengineer:
As of SP2 doesn't the XP firewall also monitor outbound traffic?
No. It still only controls inbound traffic.
You can add application control with something like the b-Wall app, but on its own it does nothing to control outbound traffic. |
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wvengineer
@wv.frontiern | reply to t277
As of SP2 doesn't the XP firewall also monitor outbound traffic? |
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t277
| reply to rdhw
The problem with the Windows firewall is it doesn't block outgoing traffic, like Zonealarm, so if someone had spyware, trojans or keyloggers on their computer they would be easily able to connect out through the lame Windows firewall, and how many beginners know if they have this kind of malware on their system.
I wouldn't even waste my time with the Windows firewall it's next to worthless when it comes to protecting you against malware calling home. Better to learn about a good firewall like Zonealarm IMO. |
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Kayrac
Premium
join:2001-09-29
Kingston, NH
| reply to bigyeah
i suggest as a starter you look at zonealarm firewall......................it's free and offers every feature you need in a firewall, especially as a beginner, it also has a pay version, but for home uses the free one is FAR more than is needed in most cases, and therefor does nicely
www.zonealarm.com
ps thats what i started learning security with |
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rdhw
join:2002-09-21
Cambridge UK
| reply to bigyeah
said by bigyeah :I am looking into a good firewall either free or purchased. I have never used a firewall before so i am looking to get familiar with one. I read a tutorial on how the basic functions work on any type of firewall and it looks like it is a good idea to get one. If you are runing Windows XP SP2, then you should first familiarise yourself with Windows Firewall, as built-in to Windows XP. Only when you have identified the need for something different should you look for a third-party firewall.
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Robin Walker »homepage.ntlworld.com/robin.d.h.walker/ for broadband troubleshooting tips |
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expert1
@wuschelpuschel.org | reply to bigyeah
ZoneAlarm. Best and easiest firewall for a beginner. |
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