Vista Compatible Firewalls

[Piecan]

Hi guys Please could you tell me which firewalls you are using with Vista? I had a look at Online Amour but that isn't compatible. I can't do firewall rules so want something application based. Thanks.

[koliko]

Hi.
Comodo Firewall Pro 3.0 is my choice. :)

However, you should check other products and decide for yourself. Here's the list:

Agnitum Outpost (http://www.agnitum.com/) (paid)
Comodo Firewall Pro 3.0 (http://www.personalfirewall.comodo.com/download_firewall.html) (32and 64 bits) - free
Jetico Personal Firewall v.2 (http://www.jetico.com/) (32and 64 bits) - paid
Look 'n' Stop Firewall 2.06 (http://www.looknstop.com/En/index2.htm) - paid
PC Tools Firewall Plus 2.0 (http://www.pctools.com/firewall/) (32 bits only) - free
Webroot Desktop Firewall (http://www.webroot.com/consumer/products/desktopfirewall/) - free
ZoneAlarm 7 (http://www.zonealarm.com/) (32-bit only) - free

Useful link - matousec (http://www.matousec.com/projects/windows-personal-firewall-analysis/leak-tests-results.php)

Cheers :)
koliko

[Newby]

Hi,

I run Vista64 with the simple VistaFirewallControl (64 version 1.1) for some light outbound traffic initiation control.

It controls the Vista internal firewall for outbound application control. I have it running without Vista's Firewall (disabled it because I use a D-link routrer with build in Firewall with NAT/SPI at header level).

I do not have sensitive data on this gaming box, so I am not paranoid with leaktests (performance with balanced protection is more my aim), so I could not tell you how effective this is when you are obsessed with leaktest.

On Vista64 Comodo is the alternative (I did not even try, because Kees1958 did report the D+ as being very chatty, when he can't get it quiet I don't even start). He posted a link in a Comodo thread, see http://www.wilderssecurity.com/showpost.php?p=1127991&postcount=26
Nobody reacted, so this was either a remark so stupid Comodo fans did not bother to react on it, or it is true. For the time being seeing what trouble Coolio (a fanatic Comodo fan) took to let Comodo pass this test and the ease with which this simple VistaFireWall control ap passed this test, I am inclined to believe Kees1958 statement.


Greetings Newby

[Espresso]

-{ Quote: "Hi,

I run Vista64 with the simple VistaFirewallControl (64 version 1.1) for some light outbound traffic initiation control.

It controls the Vista internal firewall for outbound application control. I have it running without Vista's Firewall (disabled it because I use a D-link routrer with build in Firewall with NAT/SPI at header level)." }-

Kind of useless if it controls Vista's internal firewall but you have it turned off, no? :wacko: Actually, it has no control over Vista's firewall at all - they're completely separate.

[Newby]

-{ Quote: "Kind of useless if it controls Vista's internal firewall but you have it turned off, no? :wacko: Actually, it has no control over Vista's firewall at all - they're completely separate." }-

Thanks for the explanation.

That is what I intended to explain, works without the build in Vista firewall, although PC World, mentions this as the first sentence "If you want true outbound firewall protection for your 32-bit Vista PC, use this to help manage Vista's built-in firewall".

I would not agree: it is usefull: although I do not bother I tried the leaktester tests. It failed on PC Flanktester, DSNtester, Ghost and Wallbreaker, passed on others. I did not perform onbe test, because it asked to be installed (you can not expect software to correct user mistakes).

[Diver]

Actually the built in firewall in Vista is pretty decent. The Vista OS is hardened compared to XP. A lot of well known bloggers (Long Zheng, Silverman)are running free AV's like AVG that omit some spyware detections, leaving Windows defender and UAC on, and they are not having problems. It seems to be enough for today with the Vista market share low. Of course, living with Vista is another story completely and your spiffy Core 2 will run Vista like a P4 with the same clock speed runs XP.

[Newby]

some more test results, others did not work in vista64/gave errors (like mbtest)

[Diver]

By the way, there are several suites with decent firewalls available. Kaspersky and Zone Alarm come to mind, also Symantec Endpoint 11 has the Sygate firewall in it, if this one is available to you.

[Newby]

-{ Quote: " your spiffy Core 2 will run Vista like a P4 with the same clock speed runs XP." }-

Sadly but true :-\ Vista64 does not provide the promised 20% performance increase in regard to 32 bit OS. Vista64 with double the CPU power is the same as an old P4, only with Directx10

[Newby]

-{ Quote: "By the way, there are several suites with decent firewalls available. Kaspersky and Zone Alarm come to mind, also Symantec Endpoint 11 has the Sygate firewall in it, if this one is available to you." }-

Agree,

With UAC, Defender, Avira (only write) free, Vista Frewall Control free, HautSecure (beta) and PRSC, I have a light working setup for only 35 euros (renewals only 19)

[Coolio10]

Sorry for making it look hard newby :D.

Defence+ is not needed to be on.

http://screencast.com/t/VkZsahfK

[Piecan]

Thanks very much guys for taking the trouble to share that information. :) xx

I tried Comodo firewall a little while ago on my xp machine but it confused me no end so went back to Zonealarm! Haven't tried Zonealarm on this machine as I've heard from someone else with the same machine (Aldi) that it caused BSODs, maybe a conflict with his AVG antivirus.

Maybe I should decide which antivirus I'll stick with before chosing a firewall, as from what you've said the Vista firewall isn't too bad..so could use that if I can't get my antivirus to work with it. Right now off to investigate the antivirus section!

[Victek123]

-{ Quote: "
Maybe I should decide which antivirus I'll stick with before chosing a firewall, as from what you've said the Vista firewall isn't too bad..so could use that if I can't get my antivirus to work with it. Right now off to investigate the antivirus section!" }-

PC Tools Firewall Plus v3 has not been mentioned. I'm running it on 32bit Vista and it works fine. I also use AVG, Spyware Terminator and Winpatrol - they all get along.

[koliko]

-{ Quote: "PC Tools Firewall Plus v3 has not been mentioned." }-
I did mention it, but only as v2. I'm sorry for the mistake I made. Nevertheless, the link I provided leads to the version 3. 8)
Cheers

[kurchatovium]

I heard the Zonealarm firewalls are difficult to uninstall. Is this true?

[Victek123]

-{ Quote: "I did mention it, but only as v2. I'm sorry for the mistake I made. Nevertheless, the link I provided leads to the version 3. 8)
Cheers" }-

Quite right - an oversight on my part. I should have said no one seems to be talking about it :) The current version is 3.0.0.52 and it has been working flawlessly for me on 32 bit Vista Business. I had problems with an earlier build, but this one is fine.

[koliko]

-{ Quote: "The current version is 3.0.0.52 and it has been working flawlessly for me on 32 bit Vista Business. I had problems with an earlier build, but this one is fine." }-
I haven't used it myself, but I hear people are quite content with it.
I am very pleased to see that the number of amazingly good free firewalls is rising. :thumb:

[pepoluan]

Hi everyone, this is my first post here. Used to be just a visitor, now I want to contribute back to this community :)

-{ Quote: "I heard the Zonealarm firewalls are difficult to uninstall. Is this true?" }-

I believe so. Comodo's forums ( forums.comodo.com ) has its share of horror stories related to ZA.

BTW, I'm also on Comodo's forums under the same username.

[AKAJohnDoe]

ZA is not difficult to uninstall. Use Add/Remove Programs and uninstall it. Reboot. Delete the \Program Files\ entries and the \Windows\ZoneAlarm\ entries. Reboot. Delete the registry entries. Reboot.

Easier to remove than Norton or PC Tools or Comodo.

[AKAJohnDoe]

I have tried a number of firewalls for Vista. My experiences and opinions:
PC Tools Firewall Plus V2 was OK
PC Tools Firewall Plus V3 was awful
Comodo V3 was awful
ZoneAlarm Security Suite has too many missing pieces on the Vista Version when compared to the XP version
ZoneAlarm Firewall Free is too minimal
ZoneAlarm AntiVirus is what I'm currently running (trying it out in trial mode)

[kurchatovium]

-{ Quote: "ZA is not difficult to uninstall. Use Add/Remove Programs and uninstall it. Reboot. Delete the \Program Files\ entries and the \Windows\ZoneAlarm\ entries. Reboot. Delete the registry entries. Reboot.

Easier to remove than Norton or PC Tools or Comodo." }-

I suppose its depends on how one defines difficult. To me any software that requires me to edit my registry is difficult to remove.

[AKAJohnDoe]

-{ Quote: "I suppose its depends on how one defines difficult. To me any software that requires me to edit my registry is difficult to remove." }-
I have yet to find any software that does not leave something in the registry. I suppose it depends upon how interested one is in removing all traces.

[kurchatovium]

-{ Quote: "I have yet to find any software that does not leave something in the registry. I suppose it depends upon how interested one is in removing all traces." }-

Yea that is an interesting point. One I never thought of. Perhaps most programs do not uninstall truely cleanly. The only software I uninstalled which required registry editing was Mcafee and it is now one I do not use anymore.

[BG]

I'm running ZA free with Symantec Endpoint Protection 11.0. I uninstalled the FW portion of SEP because I like to be asked. I tried Webroot & Pctools with SEP but they didn't like each other. Running really sweet.