Is Firewall Working Correctly?

[Techfox1976]

Critter2:

If you set the WSA firewall to default and ignore it, what negative impact is it having on you or your system?

[Critter2]

Please reread my last post

[PrevxHelp]

Originally Posted by Critter2

I still prefer one that does not need help

The only "help" that WSA receives from the Windows firewall is inbound protection. There is only really one way to write an inbound firewall and the Windows firewall covers it off perfectly fine. No third party firewall is going to be more effective so we instead put our focus in other areas where we could actually make new innovations.

[Techfox1976]

Originally Posted by Critter2

Please reread my last post

Okay...

Originally Posted by Critter2

"Oh, I didn't know your firewall was virus-aware"
FIREWALL!! not AV, two different Programs

"firewalls together without issues or slow downs but alittle over kill"
of course this would be over kill, using more than one program to do
the same job is "bloatware"

I still prefer one that does not need help

and windows firewall doesn't even exist on my XP system at all,
along with 90% of the rest of it that has been removed

What specifically in that answers the question

Originally Posted by Techfox1976

If you set the WSA firewall to default and ignore it, what negative impact is it having on you or your system?

I can interpolate that "Using more than one program to do the same job" is what you believe is the problem. Thankfully if that is the case, you'd be wrong.

The WSA firewall does not do the same job as any other firewall, so it's not two programs doing the same job.

(Also "bloatware" is not two or more programs to do the same job. Bloatware is software trying to perform a function outside its scope with a resulting negative impact. The "negative impact" is the critical part of what changes it from "Feature" into "Bloat". It's AntiVirus. The manner by which it protects against viruses is moot. In this case, it has network awareness to help protect against viruses. While that network awareness can be configured to try to exceed the scope of AntiVirus, this is a user decision that does not need to be made.

So in the default configuration, it's not performing outside its scope, nor having a negative system impact, so it's not bloatware. Nor is it performing the same function as something else. I know no firewall that performs the function of "Make an intelligent, cloud-driven decision on this process's network activity and trigger network cut-offs based on the threat status of the process".)

[Critter2]

I agree with "SOME" of what you say

BUT your thought's on Bloatware are far different than mine

[TonyW]

Bloatware means different things to different people. In your case, you feel you've been short-changed on purchasing an AV-only product to find the upgrade now includes a firewall component. We get that. The thing is the code for the firewall part was already in the "AV-only" version when you bought it and some elements were working even then. It's just now it's more visible. It can be turned off from the GUI. They'll not remove it in this release at least. You have 3 options: either turn it off, learn to accept its usefulness or move on.

[Triple Helix]

Originally Posted by TonyW

Bloatware means different things to different people. In your case, you feel you've been short-changed on purchasing an AV-only product to find the upgrade now includes a firewall component. We get that. The thing is the code for the firewall part was already in the "AV-only" version when you bought it and some elements were working even then. It's just now it's more visible. It can be turned off from the GUI. They'll not remove it. You have 3 options: either turn it off, learn to accept its usefulness or move on.

Also it has Identity Shield which is worth it's money on it's own! And it's true the same download file for all WSA versions 700kb +.

TH

[Critter2]

I'll move on for now and keep a eye on the program
and see what happens

[chabbo]

my WSA firewall is on. windows 7 says i need activate an firewall. why?


i have the lastest WSA secure anywhere

[Triple Helix]

Originally Posted by chabbo

my WSA firewall is on. windows 7 says i need activate an firewall. why?


i have the lastest WSA secure anywhere

WSA Firewall is used in connection with Windows Firewall or with another Firewall of your choice please read this Online Help File: https://detail.webrootanywhere.com/a...g_the_Firewall as it's an Outbound Firewall only and Windows Firewall is inbound.

HTH,

TH

[puff-m-d]

Hello,

Originally Posted by umbrapolaris

I confirm what Pegas observed :

0- set the FW as "warn if any new, untrusted process connects to the internet..."
1- opened the Network Application" tab
2- launched VLC
3- observed the automatic allowance of VLC (no prompt)
4- did an update check of VLC via its GUI, connection authorized.
5- set VLC process to "Block", did an update check of VLC via its GUI, connection blocked.

http://i.imgur.com/dZGgm.jpg

6- deleted the VLC process from the list
7- redone the steps 1 to 5 with "Warn if any process...", same results.

I just upgraded to Win 8 - clean install and now am having this exact same problem. I have always used the bottom firewall setting "Warn if any process connects to the internet unless explicitly allowed.". I always got pop-ups before in Vista HP x64 but now on Win 8 Pro no pop-ups at all. Everything is automatically allowed. If I right click and remove, the process just shows up again in the rule list. I have removed a dozen processes at a time and within a few minutes they all are just auto allowed. I have tried fresh installs of WRSA but always the same. I cannot get a firewall pop-up no matter what I try.

[PrevxHelp]

Originally Posted by puff-m-d

Hello,

I just upgraded to Win 8 - clean install and now am having this exact same problem. I have always used the bottom firewall setting "Warn if any process connects to the internet unless explicitly allowed.". I always got pop-ups before in Vista HP x64 but now on Win 8 Pro no pop-ups at all. Everything is automatically allowed. If I right click and remove, the process just shows up again in the rule list. I have removed a dozen processes at a time and within a few minutes they all are just auto allowed. I have tried fresh installs of WRSA but always the same. I cannot get a firewall pop-up no matter what I try.

This is probably a Windows 8-specific issue because of the kernel mode changes Microsoft has made to the OS. We'll be looking into this shortly but in the meantime, leaving WSA on its default firewall settings should be enough as it will interpret the destinations that applications connect to and block them accordingly if they're found to be malicious.