How is PC tools firewall rated?

[chris2busy]

Hello wilders :) i recently switched to vista since after SP1 everything is great and cool,usuable LUA and everything but i wanted an outbound firewall so here is the question..how do you rate PC tools personal firewall speaking either from experience or professional opinion(please do not start flaming-its more pros/con subject)..to my experience(in XP setups) its been by far the lightest firewall i've tried and since OA is still having issues i would like to try this one for a while...here goes :)

[Pseudo]

PC Tools Firewall is great. It's light weight, based on Look 'n' Stop (I think it's a pro :)), and works very well without configuration. I haven't tried it in a while, but newer versions seem to be having some problems.

[gery]

it is a light a very friendly firewall. Almost no trubles at all to answer thausand of techs questions as Comodo does and the last but not of importance it is depended upon what you need a firewall for.
have a good luck

[chris2busy]

-{ Quote: "PC Tools Firewall is great. It's light weight, based on Look 'n' Stop (I think it's a pro :)), and works very well without configuration. I haven't tried it in a while, but newer versions seem to be having some problems." }-
lets hope not many problems(*cough*comodo*cough*)..i see they made a huge leap over matousec though..

[bigc73542]

The Vista firewall is an in and out bound firewall and for better protection just activate the advanced protection in the firewall..

[chris2busy]

-{ Quote: "The Vista firewall is an in and out bound firewall and for better protection just activate the advanced protection in the firewall.." }-
i feel very dumb now..but i still cannot see any such option..except if u mean making rule for every single thing that i wanna connect manually..

[RobZee]

Additional firewall settings -
Control Panel - Click on "Administrative Tools"; double-click on "Windows Firewall with Advanced Security". A number of settings there...

Rob

[chris2busy]

-{ Quote: "Additional firewall settings -
Control Panel - Click on "Administrative Tools"; double-click on "Windows Firewall with Advanced Security". A number of settings there...

Rob" }-
fist of all thanks for the reply :) now,how can i make it to prompt me to allow block connections?i only see authenticate types (vista buissiness SP1)

[RobZee]

See if this helps (Vista Home Premium)-
Control Panel
Security
Windows Firewall
Change Settings - here all will be blocked except those
checked as "exceptions".

[majoMo]

-{ Quote: "lets hope not many problems(*cough*comodo*cough*)..i see they made a huge leap over matousec though.." }-

Yes PC Tools Firewall is with "a huge leap over matousec". It seems they want to do a HIPS'based firewall (this is good to rise in Matousec'ranking...). I don't understand why - PC Tools had an behaviour/hips based app. yet: ThreatFire.

Consequences: general slowdown, conflits with others app., annoyances with "Enhanced Security Verification" thing... It isn't anymore a light firewall. But all is ok. They want to be a Matousec firewall based...

It's why I'm using Rising Firewall Free edition now (works well in Vista 32/64 also).

I like to see in a firewall NIPS performance - without HIPS precepts.

[chris2busy]

-{ Quote: "See if this helps (Vista Home Premium)-
Control Panel
Security
Windows Firewall
Change Settings - here all will be blocked except those
checked as "exceptions"." }-
would work but...eh....not what one would be looking for..

[Ed_H]

Have you tried Vista firewall Control (http://www.sphinx-soft.com/Vista/index.html)?

[Saraceno]

I haven't had any problems with the latest firewall by pc tools, no conflicts, slowdowns or anything like that.

You only ever see alerts while installing a new program, or when running specific programs which need to control a system process.

I guess it depends on your setup. As the new one is more like a HIPS program, you'd be better off using it with a more simple AV.

I've used it with Avast! and sandboxie, and there are no problems.

[bigc73542]

-{ Quote: "Have you tried Vista firewall Control (http://www.sphinx-soft.com/Vista/index.html)?" }-


I have used this app before and it works very well.

[jmonge]

-{ Quote: "I have used this app before and it works very well." }-is threatfire included in the pctools firewall download package?one download 1 app with one icon?or 2 different ones?

[Zeena]

Hi chris2busy :)


On My Desktop Computer...
I use PC Tools Firewall Plus - & - AVG 8 ... With No Problems or Slow Downs :D

However!
There have been some problems with the latest version of PC tools Firewall Plus : v4
All to do with the - Enhanced Security Verification

The problem at the moment with - Enhanced Security Verification ....
High CPU usage .... My Core 2 Quad CPU would constantly spike at 100%
Over active Hard Drive .... My Normally silent Hard Drive started to sound like a hairdryer
Programs slower to open and close
And for some people.... Computer / Program - Freezes

The Good News!
If you do decide to Install - PC tools Firewall Plus.
My advice would be...
As soon as you've finished installing it... Turn - Enhanced Security Verification - OFF

I've had to switch Enhanced Security Verification - OFF ;)
This isn't too much of a problem ... As Enhanced Security Verification is New to v4 anyway.
v3 did Not have Enhanced Security Verification.

Enhanced Security Verification is kind of like an extra security feature ... To prevent Code Injection.
I'm not a firewall expert ... But I think Enhanced Security Verification is HIPS
V3 did have a Code Injection setting... But it wasn't turned on by default, like Enhanced Security Verification - is!

When they finally get it working right...
You can have Enhanced Security Verification set to Normal Mode or Quiet Mode.

Enhanced Security Verification - Normal Mode .... A lot of pop Ups!
Enhanced Security Verification - Quiet Mode .... Not as many pop Ups!
Enhanced Security Verification - OFF .... Hardly any Pop ups!

I'll be really pleased when they've fixed Enhanced Security Verification.
But For Now...
With Enhanced Security Verification turned OFF .... PC Tools Firewall Plus is working perfectly fine for me :D

[chris2busy]

yea i installed it and i noticed that disabling esv made thing a whole lot smoother...although i noticed that if i make sas update it will silently allow it and give me no prompts even though i have disabled the option for it to auto handle known apps.hmmmm

[Zeena]

Hi chris2busy :)

-{ Quote: "yea i installed it and i noticed that disabling esv made thing a whole lot smoother...although i noticed that if i make sas update it will silently allow it and give me no prompts even though i have disabled the option for it to auto handle known apps.hmmmm" }-


It didn't ask you even once? ???

I'm Quite Positive...
The first time I installed SAS and Updated it... PC Tools Firewall Plus Asked Me - Allow or Block
However...
It doesn't ask me every time I update - SAS

I've just updated MBAM to the newest version : 1.29
PC Tools Firewall Plus ... Asked Me - Allow or Block ... Twice!

I'm really thick when it comes to Firewalls and their Rules :-[
So unless something is causing problems...
I just tend to leave things at their Default.

However!
You Could - Try This...
Open - PC Tools Firewall Plus
Click On - Application Blocking
Then try setting SAS to - Prompt

Or Should I Say...
Try setting - PC Tools Firewall Plus ... To prompt you for - SAS


Otherwise!
Someone here that knows more than me... Might come along and - Help! ;)

[Zeena]

Chris..

I know this might sound daft :-[

But knowing that SAS can't update ... Unless You Click - Update

Is it really important that PC Tools Firewall Plus asks you - Allow or Block ?

When They Finally Fix - Enhanced Security Verification ... You'll Probably Need To click - Allow x 10 to Update SAS ;D

[chris2busy]

yes that worked..something must went wrong the first time..no for SAS it ain't important just the unknown things that want to connect are important :)
thanks for the effort Zeena ! so far everything runs well with ESV off and furthermore its as light as i remembered it to be back in version 2.x :P

[Zeena]

Hi chris2busy :)

You're Welcome!

Glad You're All Sorted ;)

[tipstir]

Now guys PC Tools Firewall Plus works great on Server OS and Client OS. The current version well still up in the air. I use 3.14 is stable and runs with it's code ejection feature. 4.0.0.0.45 comes in at 85% 10+ is slow to me and doesn't load right at startup. 3.14 gets updated when you install it. Still OA doesn't work with P2P it slows it down and firewall it's unlike PC Tools FWPS downloads are fast and the speed is not blocked like it is under OA. OA is good on client systems that don't do P2P which I run it on. Still testing it out though, so far it's okay. FWPS works on Server OS I don't think OA does?