What Firewalls Have You Tried

Hi Nebulus...

To be honest, the router is just so much easier than any software solution. It's always there protecting you inbound, no matter what you do on the PC. With a software firewall you always had to be concerned if it was running, often (more likely than not) there were bugs and issues, which is the main reason why I could never find one that satisfied me. With a router, all you do is plug it in, configure a few things, then you're done, forever more or less....

I don't concern myself with outbound either, I have done well for years without it. No real need here...

 

But isn't there some added security by using a router firewall in conjunction with a software firewall that also has HIPS protection? Online Armor, ZoneAlarm Pro, and Comodo Pro 3.0 are all examples of these kinds of software firewalls, and all three have ran very light on my PC with no problems. ( It was actually ZoneAlarm Anti-spyware ) I mean if you can have the extra security that the HIPS part may give you, plus the outbound protection of the firewall, then what the heck you may as well use one right?

 

well I think that depends upon a number of factors:

what is a persons experience of attacks viruses malware ?

Take 2 users "A" and "B" bother has been attacked or contaminated for years.
"A" is a manic user of protection progams and assumes that he is free of issues because he ran so many layers of AV, AS HIP, HOP, Anti this, Anti that. Perhaps it might be time to take a time out and consider why "B" has also been issue free ?

I think listers often get confused between the possible and the probable. A program may well stop large numbers of nasties but if the user never sees these nasties how much use is the program ? The world may be generating new problems on an hourly basis - but why do some seem to suffer more than others ?

Installing multiple layers of security is not the answer. A user needs to know why they are installing a program and to have some realistic expectation that benefits are being derived. A HIPS program or a software firewall that just sits there ? Not on my machines

 

True very true. A good firewall and a good virus scanner is about all you need in real time protection.

 

But what about ThreatFire Vettetech? Just kidding. LOL. I do agree with you Long View and you too Vettetech. I feel my router firewall and Avast or even AVG would honestly be enough protection. However, I like using other security programs and something like ZAAS with it's Smart Defense and other features is just fun to have on board. I did draw the line with with Comodo Pro though. Although I liked it a lot, there's just so much going on that it kind of took the fun out of having it installed. I like Online Armor Free as well and it ran a lot quiter than CPF, but IMO it's design isn't quite as nice as that of CPF or ZAAS. Still I don't anyone can go wrong with Comodo Pro or Online Armor Free, and in all honesty, if not for the 1 year sub to ZAAS, I would be using one of them myself.

 

I feel pretty much fine with just the router and a good AV, however, if I want a little extra, which I do from time to time, then I'll go as far as adding Threatfire also. But for me that's about the limit. Router + AV + TF...

 

same for me. i just use a hardware firewall, an av and a hips. it works best for me and is simple and light. its funny, the more i know about security the more i want simplicity and lightness.

 

I agree. I have a 2Wire DSL Gateway modem with a hardware firewall built in. I also use NOD32 and Zone Alarm. No need for complicated software that bugs you ever min you open something(Comodo for example,LOL).

 

Zone Alarm Pro, Zone Alarm Free, OutPost Pro, Sygate Free, McAfee FW, Norton FW, Comodo, Kerio 2.15, NetVida (spelling?) and System Suite 4 an old version of Sygate. That's all I can remember.

 

Trying ZAAS again and I have to say I forgot how much I liked it. Informative alerts and if in doubt the Smart Adviser feature is very informative of what you are about to allow or deny. So is the GUI with the vast information you can find throughout it about the various things ZAAS does and has logged.

 

So true. Just open up ZAAS and go into the porgram tab and there are all your programs and ways to change them. Very easy to navigate.

 

I know this is going to come to some of you like a broken record from me, but my longest staying and really only second-ever firewall is the famous obsolete KERIO 2.15! The darn thing performs and protects my XP Pro just as it did on Windows 98SE! before!

The only alternative, and i've already been around the full circle of all others including a brief stint with COMODO early on, is OnlineArmor. It's just plumb good plus includes some HIPS for extra bonus security.

 

Yeah, Kerio 2.1.5 is a classic. One of my favorites too, if not THE favorite..

 

I must have tried them all, but I always came back to the good old Kerio 2.1.5, together with SSM.

 

my long term favorite ( & still using it in 2 of my rigs) - TinyFW (the last two versions prior to its name-replacement.