Best Zone Alarm version

Never had any problems back in the days with ver 2,3, or 4 in regards to running it with an adsl router. It also ran flawlessly with my old PCI adsl modem (it was pretty much the only firewall that did). As in my previous post i prefered 3.7 and 4.5 the most, so i'd recommend you try one of those, you can still download a few of the old ones from the zonelabs website i believe.

 

Hey, anyone using 6.1.744.001? From what I have read it installs fine, is light on system resources, passes more tests on firewallleakteat site than older version listed there now, and uninstalls without any problems if need be. If so, sounds much better than the latest "fixed" version. Anyone care to comment?

 

I am using the 6.1.744 version of ZA on my desktop (Windows 98 system) and all of the versions have never crashed my machine. The program does sometimes load slowly when I boot up, but I think that is due to a conflict with the McAfee Virusscan program when my PC attempts to load all of the drivers. I don't have an opinion of version 6.5 because that version will not load on systems older than Windows 2000. But I have heard that people have reported problems with that version and they must have added extra features to the program since it got bigger.

 

go for 5.5.062! this is the most stable range of zonealarm products.

 

Thanks to both of you. I have read that 5.5.062 was stable, but I also read that 6.1.744 offered more outbound protection. It passed PC Audit, which is a test on firewallleaktest, that older versions didn't. I am using older version of Kerio now, 4.2.2. I like it, and it is low on memory, but my wife also uses the computer, and I am afraid to leave on the Application Behavior Blocking feature it has. Although this feature offers a greater extent of outbound protection, it is still user based. That's why I have been looking into ZA Free, but was put off by some of the scary reports posted in their Forum. Which brings me back to ZA Free 6.1.744. This may be what I am looking for, since I have read it is easier to use than Kerio, and yet offers enough outbound protection for my uses as well. Plus it is said to be a very stable version, and recommended by ZA Tech's themselves. My only two questions that remain are. Does 6.1.744 slow down your CPU due to any high resource usage? (I would imagine it doesn't if you are using it on a Winows 98 System) And. Did you ever uninstall it temporarily for what ever reason, and have any of the troubles posted in the ZA forums with the newer versions? I only ask just in case for some reason of my own I decide to uninstall it down the road. Thanks again ccsito I am looking forward to hearing from you, and to Legendkiller I will still look up ZA Free 5.5.062 to check it out. Take care guys.

 

"Does 6.1.744 slow down your CPU due to any high resource usage?"

No it shouldn't. In fact CPU usage is one of ZL's top priorities. In fact every beta, the moment someone reported high CPU usage, ZL would imediately flagged it as a bug.

 

Thanks Unhappy_viewer. If there would be a reason to uninstall ZA Free 6.1.744, do you know if there would be any of the problems others have had with uninstalling newer versions? i want to use ZA Free, and am waiting for a new release with bug fixes. That is why I have been asking about 6.1.744.

 

agree, I think ZA v5.5.094 is very good, much better than v6

 

There would not be any reason to uninstall ZA (free) 6.1 at the moment. But I would not recommend using a version for more than one year since it was was released. Vulnerbilities get found in a firewall engine and fixed in newer versions. Most of these gets fixed quietly to prevent hackers form finding them in the first place. A vulnerbility not found by a security researcher or mentioned in the change log does not mean that nothing has changed in the engine.

 

Duke1959,
You are welcome. I have used Zone Alarm since 2000 and heard of it from a local tech business article discussing antivirus and firewall software (I think at that time only Zone Alarm and Outpost had a free firewall program and another program (paid version) called Black Ice Defender was reviewed). I haven't noticed any large increase in CPU usage by the program, but I haven't monitored it closely as of late. Actually, I think that the McAfee VirusScan and antispyware programs affect my computer's performance more. When my PC locks up (the hour glass is frozen), it invariably is caused by McAfee. I added Spyware Blaster to my computer recently and I noticed that my webpage download seems to be a bit slower. I have not attempted to uninstall ZA since I haven't had any program problems directly related to the program. When I first installed it, I started to get a lot of pop up alerts as I surfed. I then selected the option to stop the alerts and the program sort of is unnoticeable when I use the computer since that time. The only time that I get pop up alerts is when I run a new program or task (I selected the prompt option for any program or task). I have read that some people said when they tried to uninstall the program, that there would be remnants of it still on their PC. I think some people provided some tips on trying to remove all of the program on some forums. You will note in the summary of updates for version 6.5.700 that a change was made that fixed a problem in deleting the program's files in safe mode. So, apparently there was an issue in deleting the program from a PC. As for version 6.1.744 providing better outbound protection, no mention of it was made on the upgrade summary. The only thing regarding improved protection that I can see is listed in version 3.1.291. I haven't used any other firewall except for Zone Alarm on my Windows 98 machine (seven years running) and I think the fact that it was originally offered for free is what allowed for its use to be so widespread. I used the Netscape browser back in the mid-1990's when it was free. When AOL took it over and started to charge for it, the number of users dropped drastically and the browser has never recovered. If Zone Alarm does the same thing, I think a flood of users will drop the program like last week's milk and find other non-paying options. But unlike a browser, a firewall program tends to install itself deep inside a PC so getting rid of it may not be so simple.

Here is what I found with regards to the ZA versions:
2.0 - First time a firewall was added to program
2.6.357 - Windows XP support added
3.1.291 - Multilayer protection added
5.0.590 - Antivirus program monitoring (this options shuts off after 1 year on the free version)
5.1.011 - Support for Windows Security Center added
6.5.700 - Fixes deletion of Zone Alarm files in Safe Mode. Antispyware capabilities added.
I think I also read that version 6.5 is the first version to recognize the Windows XP ICS firewall so that it will shut down that firewall automatically and be replaced by Zone Alarm.

Here is the link to Zone Alarm's version history.
http://download.zonelabs.com/bin/free/information/znalm/zaReleaseHistory.html

 

Thanks ccsito and unhappy_viewer. All of your help has been appreciated. I'm fairly certain I read that 6.1.744 passes a few more leak teasts than previous versions. PC Audit being one. I do like the idea of less RAM being used with 5.5.094, but in the same token I would want my firewall to be more secure than using less memory. I just read the ZA Forum that another release will soon be out. I assume this fixes things with both ZA Pro and Free. I'm not sure how bad 6.5.733.000 was, but apparently it isn't as stable as 6.1.744. Thanks again and l will keep in touch guys.

 

After reading this thread I have given ZA Pro 4.5.594 a try and I am very surprised (pleasantly) how lean it seems to run and start up definitely seems quicker than the newer versions.

VSMON and ZCLIENT combined are using just over 10MB memory (V6 onwards uses between 24-30MB on my PC). I also tried it running P2P (eMule) and after running emule for a few hours (uploads and downloads) it was only using about 7MB memory! CPU loads seemed quite low also.

I'm going to keep this running a bit longer but so far I really like it.

 

That's the same one I used to use. And it was the one that stayed on my system the longest. Twas fast too.

Cheers

Dina

 

Hey Folks. I have a few questions. q1aqza, since you are trying ZA Pro 4.5.594 version, is this still a Trial that needs to be paid for eventually? I know older versions of Kerio work that way. And have you tested it on firewallleaktest website to see how it does? My next question is for Dina. What do yo think of ZA Free 6.1.744.001, and what are you using now? Some others have told me to go ahead and install the newest ZA Free version without worries, as all the problems with 6.5 are from upgrades. I am close now to finally quit bugging everyone and installing ZA Free, but awaiting a few more answers on some things. The Kerio Firewall I'm using is nice, but there is something about ZA that intrigues me to try it. I just want to be sure I won't have any regrets switching to it. Thanks

 

4.5.594.000 Pro is a paid version of ZA and will not pass the latest leak tests. It's the GOLD STANDARD for ZA FW.

 

Thanks furballi. What about 6.1.744? This version should pass Leak Test 1.2, and PC Audit if I'm not mistaken. It is also recommened by many to use this version until fixes come out for 6.5.731. That's why I believe it may be the best version over all.

 

Furballi has answered the questions but I personally have lost a lot of interest in leak tests (but not outgoing app control). I have tried the latest versions of ZA, Kerio, Outpost etc. and I have become fed up with all the prompts that become a by-product of a HIPS FW that is good on leak tests. I’m behind a router but I still use a software FW for outbound application protection/notification and for local PC protection should any one ‘hack’ into my home wireless LAN. ZA v4.5.594 appears to do this job great. I think you will find that a version 6 license key will still activate an older version. I have a v5 license key which activated it fine also.

I’ve also played with SSM Free and realised that if I was willing to have numerous warnings then SSM is probably the better option than having HIPS built in to your firewall, just my opinion. However I’m now looking at (and evaluating) far less obtrusive HIPS products, namely DefenseWall and GesWall. I believe either of these two combined with a strong AT (I use BOClean) and a strong AV give me excellent protection with minimal interaction. And not forgetting a decent software FW to warn of any new apps trying to call out.

 

I favor speed and stability. That's why I'm running ZA Pro 4.5.594.000. Leak tests are often used by FW vendors to up-sell their products. The goal is not to download junks into your PC in the 1st place. Outbound protection is VERY low on my security list.

If you PC is in true STEALTH mode, then the hackers will seek easier preys.

 

Thanks to both of you. Do you then think that the free versions of 4.5.594 and 5.5.062 would be better than using Windows XP Firewall, by providing enough outbound protection? I use Kerio free 4.2.3 now, and although it only runs around 8 to 12 MB on my PC, I'm looking at ZA Free for something simple, but just as effective. That's why I thought I may need at least version 6.1.744, or even 6.5.714. Take care.

 

ZA Pro 4.5.594.000 has other features not found in WXP FW. That said, the WXP FW is perfectly adequate if you require speed and stability.

 

I think 4.5 is the Best Zone Alarm version.I tried a lot of software only bitcomet can't work ,but I use uTorrent.And za4.5 also work well in windows2003.It's as fast as kerio 2.1.5,so it is a good firewall to me.

 

I really like Kerio free 4.2.3 but it does run heavier on my system than on yours - approx 25-30MB on mine. I would stick with using it rather than the latest versions of ZA free.

If you wish to experiment then give ZA 4.5.594 a try. You can always uninstall it and go back to Kerio. If you do uninstall ZA then it's best to add /clean to the command line in the uninstall shortcut (be sure to put a space before the forward slash)

 

Thanks to both of you. As said I too like Kerio 4.2.3 q1aqza, and I'm starting to think I would miss the Application Behavior Blocking feature the Free Version has. I believe there is something like this feature in ZA Pro as well though, and if so, is it better than Kerio's? Also do you feel this feature is important? Take care.

 

Yes I believe Kerio free has stronger outgoing protection than ZA free because of the application behaviour module but again, I have begun to find all the pop-ups from such features annoying. I don't mind alerts for new apps calling out but not all these program 'x' wants to launch program 'y' alerts.

I'm pretty confident that my AV and/or BOClean will pick up most of the nasties and I'm now looking at Defensewall or GesWall to fill the gap for any day zero exploits that slip through.

 

Hey q1aqza. I don't disagree about the pop ups, and you know what? I'm not all that sure I really need this feature either because of my Antivir Antivirus, and Winpatrol 10 Free. I just like things like this to use for awhile, but will probably get bored eventually. I believe this boredom is what started my ZA Free interest. Thanks again for ALL your help, and take it easy.