Is there a firewall like this ? with these features

I tested quite a few but so far nothing. Instead I've found only annoying features like for example a firewall would ask me every minute for the same program if I would allow him access - even though I chose yes and don't ask me again.

Since there are a tons of firewalls, I'm hoping I can find one with the following features :

- (optional feature) - it would be nice to have a graphic screen where you could see at a glance the incoming and outgoing speed and the general activity

http://img266.imageshack.us/img266/4364/fwscreen.png

- on the same front window - a list with the active programs which currently have a connection to the internet. No point to have in your face a huge list with all the programs which have internet rules. That list should be hidden in preferences.


http://img138.imageshack.us/img138/1567/blockb21106915897735.gif

- advanced rules - here you can easily create rules with allow / deny traffic for a certain selected programs or all programs - for certain ip or ports and so on.

- everything should be easy and with descriptions and naming so that a person shouldn't have to read a manual in order to use the firewall and it's rules.

- if an exe is modified (because you update it, or because it was infected by a virus) the firewall should warn you and ask you if you wish to allow that executable

- of course it should ask you when a program tries to access the internet and you could respond with yes no and remember my answer. A bonus would be extended info in the dialog where you could see the external ip or webpage (like sygate does)

- no "smart" or "learning" features for beginners like the firewall knows what's best for you and decide on its own the rules and what programs should have access.
The firewall should ask you and permit or deny only based on your answers

- no mysterious and unclear presets like "game mode" or "auto mode" or "high filtering" " low filtering" " medium filtering"

these sound so stupid. Like with medium filtering = ok, we'll filter some of the malware and only let half of those connect to the internet.


My old Sygate firewall has some problems with my new modem Asus RT-N56U, and it only works with win xp.

So I'm trying to find a replacement.

 

You will probably not find as good as a replacement as the
sygate firewall is, been looking for a long time myself, it is
ashame they had to kill this

The best I have found is to run a router for fire-walled incoming
and Look'n Stop for outgoing connections, I just disable the
internet filtering "incoming" because the router takes care of that

Wish I could find a outgoing firewall only
anyone know of one?

 

In case you don't know, your old Sygate firewall somehow got rebranded and made compatible with win7 in Fort Knox Firewall:

http://www.fortknox-firewall.com/

It's payware though. Although i think that if you don't buy it keeps running with reduced functionality, but i am not sure. It's over a year since the last time i tried it.

 

Look'n stop is probably one of your best bets. It's still updated I think. It's a very basic firewall but can be configured to your liking.

 

Look'n'stop is no longer updated and its author has been MIA for a few years now. I think its safe to consider it abandoned.

 

"""""Look'n'stop is no longer updated and its author has been MIA for a few years now. I think its safe to consider it abandoned."""""

You update this one yourself by writing your own rules,
or you can buy updated rules here

http://www.mntolympus.org/

Fort Knox Firewall is nowhere near what sygate used to be "in my opinion"

 

Thank you for answers.

So this means if I have a modem like this - I no longer need a firewall for incoming connections ? I heard this before but it's still not clear.

I tried the Fort Knox Firewall one year ago in a virtual machine (thank god for those) and something was off and it was much worse than Sygate. I don't remember exactly what - but it was less polished and things didn't function properly. It was using more resources. It was like it had a completely different engine under the hood (worse) but had a Sygate skin on the surface.


What's so good about Look'n'stop ? Does it have at least some of the features I wrote in the first post ? From their website you can't see much. So weird these developers who can't seem to be bothered to at least put some screenshots on their website. In this regard at least Online Armor have a complete and detailed nicely wrote online user manual.

 

That looks like a good one but does it have Stateful Packet Inspection
along with NATS protection?

I didn't read it all but didn't see anything about Stateful Packet Inspection
make sure it has both

Look'n'stop you write your own rules for but don't worry it comes with
some predetermined rules and will even write them for you "well somewhat"
if something is blocked you can just tell it to write a rule to allow it

but if you are going to use it for outgoing only and let the router take care
of incoming, you do not even need a rule-set

just uncheck the internet filtering and only check the Application filtering
and every-time anything wants to connect you will be asked
simply say yes or no, there are advance setting, you will need to
read the manual to understand it all but it is not to difficult

 

Ill vote for this as well. Doesnt need to be updated, its a rule based firewall. You create the rules.

 

So in that respect is the free outpost firewall still a viable option considering it is not updated very often.

 

Online Armor has all the features you asked, but you will have a mendatory 2 minutes "training mode" at the first launch.

http://i.imgur.com/TimVG.png

 

The best firewall setup I have had in years:

Windows 7 firewall with WFN (Windows Firewall Notifier)

http://wokhan.online.fr/progs.php?sec=WFN

WFN uses next to no memory/cpu (it only runs when queried) but gives me fine grained control.

It takes some time to learn and get used to how it works, but one of the best pieces of software around.

 

I don't known, i can't see myself trusting such obscure and unknown security software

 

It's only a simple front-end (146KB in size) for the Windows 7 firewall.
It just reads the firewall log and notifies when outbound requests are blocked. Then you just either allow or keep them blocked.

Never had any issues with it.

 

Doubt it. Last time I used Outpost there was much more to it than simple TCP/IP rules.

 

Hey, that picture you posted looks exactly what I asked. Thank you. I will test that firewall.

That sounds good, but it is very unclear for me how can I use that modem router as a firewall for incoming. It has a firewall in the menu - but again it's not clear how to use it - it has a on/off and URL filter but I don't think it will ask me or alert me if someone from outside will want to connect to my computer.
---
The firewalls using the internal windows firewall also seem like a good option. The only problem compared to a firewall like Sygate - they are not as clear and straightforward.

What the difference between Windows7FirewallControl and Windows Firewall Notifier ?

 

You can also consider Jetico Firewall. It is a payware though.

http://www.softpedia.com/progScreenshots/Jetico-Personal-Firewall-Screenshot-11505.html

 

They basically perform the same function, you will have to try them out and see which one suits you best.

 

I tested a few firewalls recommended here and
Windows 7 Firewall Control (sphinx-soft) is probably by far the only one with some semblance of intuitiveness and normality.

Online Armor
- the graphic screen for internet speed didn't work properly
- if you place it in manual mode - you get tons of pop-up questions. And this is with a lot of firewalls. I don't get why is this ?

Online Armor, Jetico Personal Firewall, PRIVATE FIREWALL and others :

You are being asked if you allow Google Chrome access to internet - you answer yes and you check permanently, or check "create rule", check "trust this program" , or ""add application to web browsers group" and still asks you 10 times for the same Chrome program if you allow access. Why ?
I think all these firewalls are made for beginners and are meant to be kept in "automatic mode" in which the firewall takes decisions for you.

Online Armor, Windows 7 firewall with WFN (wokhan), Comodo Free Firewall

seem to be very complicated and unintuitive for manual rule creation.

Sygate Firewall is truly the king here because it allows you to create sophisticated rules without reading a user manual. It allowed me the create rules when I knew almost nothing about firewalls.
It is still better than Windows 7 Firewall Control (sphinx-soft) because it has a much better and clear UI. So the search for a replacement is still open.

 

There won't be anything like the good old Sygate...

 

loook and stop is totally different sygate
i guess an older version of outpost!

look and stop it's a nightmare , even to configure firefox!

in short it's very hard to find a good firewall light and simple to create rules
in short like the firewall of smart security v4 or v5

i'm looking for a firewall too but i did not find a good program

never unstood how can i create rules with look and stop , i used outpost , comodo , O armor , i was always capable to create rules but never with look and stop!

i know this is not look and stop

but i was never able to create a rule for utorrent (i don't want be filtered by look and stop)
the only solution i found disable look and stop
it's was a nightmare create rules for skype or miranda , even for firefox

it's a bip bip parade