Using third party firewall instead of Windows Firewall

Discussion in 'other firewalls' started by Melita, Nov 21, 2020.

  1. bellgamin

    bellgamin Registered Member

    Joined:
    Aug 1, 2002
    Posts:
    8,102
    Location:
    Hawaii
    How about teen-age great-grandchildren who like to **** around on my computer? :eek:
     
  2. Special

    Special Registered Member

    Joined:
    Mar 23, 2016
    Posts:
    454
    Location:
    .
    Then sounds like you should definitely use a password.
     
  3. Rainwalker

    Rainwalker Registered Member

    Joined:
    May 18, 2003
    Posts:
    2,712
    Location:
    USA
    We all where thinking it, but you said it :)
     
  4. Chuck57

    Chuck57 Registered Member

    Joined:
    Sep 2, 2002
    Posts:
    1,770
    Location:
    New Mexico, USA
    We're all old timers. I just got into using computers years before any of them. If I worry about anyone, it's my wife. She's click happy. But she has her own, and her fingerprint won't open my laptop.
     
  5. cruelsister

    cruelsister Registered Member

    Joined:
    Nov 6, 2007
    Posts:
    1,649
    Location:
    Paris
    Having children messing around one's house is indeed a reason for using a password to protect settings, as the Little Vermin can't conceive of the possibility that Cracks could possibly do harm.

    Actually I think I did a video mentioning the utility of using Comodo password protection (and at least Comodo has this option, unlike many others).
     
  6. Chuck57

    Chuck57 Registered Member

    Joined:
    Sep 2, 2002
    Posts:
    1,770
    Location:
    New Mexico, USA
    My rule.......nobody touches my laptop but me. If grandkids want to be online, they'd best have their computers with them. I will permit them to plug into an outlet, and not even bill them for the electricity. My laptop, though, is off limits.
     
  7. Melita

    Melita Registered Member

    Joined:
    Nov 20, 2014
    Posts:
    138
    Location:
    Spain
    I am asking for help with a serious question here. Although I don't post many questions I have been around here for quite some time. What is happening here seems to be quite a common practice in Wilders. Hijacking a thread and making a mess of it by posting corny jokes back and forth :eek:
     
  8. bellgamin

    bellgamin Registered Member

    Joined:
    Aug 1, 2002
    Posts:
    8,102
    Location:
    Hawaii
    We answered your question. You asked about the need for a 3rd party firewall & received "Yes" answers. Then we offered several alternatives as to which firewalls you might consider using. Then we gave you detailed discussions and varying viewpoints concerning the relative pros & cons of those firewalls. We also provided a simplified overview of the Windows Filtering Platform (WFP) that forms the heart of several 3rd party firewalls. I personally spent over one hour researching this topic. At least 2 of the forum members who posted in this thread are professional, working security experts. You have been provided good, solid information.

    If our replies failed to cover your question, please let us know what further information you require.
     
    Last edited: Nov 26, 2020
  9. Melita

    Melita Registered Member

    Joined:
    Nov 20, 2014
    Posts:
    138
    Location:
    Spain
    No sir, your replies certainly covered my question. Thank you very much.

    I am still trying to decide which firewall to go for. In the mean time, my searches unearthed another one:

    https://www.wilderssecurity.com/thr...-by-binisoft-org.347370/page-224#post-2918439

    The first link in this post is outdated. Here is the latest one:

    http://www.sphinx-soft.com/Vista/order.html

    At the bottom of the page, links to all the old versions can also be found including those for Windows XP which I also use, apart from my Windows 7. Although this post says "Its official name is Windows 10 Firewall Control and there's a thread here about it", I have not been able to locate this thread at Wilderssecurity in spite of a long search. I only found some threads about the older versions:

    https://www.wilderssecurity.com/threads/windows-7-firewall-control-v-5-0.322145/
     
    Last edited: Nov 26, 2020
  10. bellgamin

    bellgamin Registered Member

    Joined:
    Aug 1, 2002
    Posts:
    8,102
    Location:
    Hawaii
    If you are looking for Wilders thread concerning Sphinx, it is HERE. Like Simplewall & TinyWall, Sphinx is a front-end for Windows Filtering Platform. It is MUCH more granular than those 2, however, and its GUI is a bit primitive.

    For Windows 7 & later, I suggest you give TinyWall a trial. It has a VERY active support thread here at Wilders, and its developer is a frequent participant.
     
  11. Melita

    Melita Registered Member

    Joined:
    Nov 20, 2014
    Posts:
    138
    Location:
    Spain
    I tried both TinyWall and the Sphinx one. TW is too silent for me. Sphinx is simple to set up and I like it notifying me of what it does. I am using the free version in Windows 7 and XP both.

    Thank you
     
  12. bellgamin

    bellgamin Registered Member

    Joined:
    Aug 1, 2002
    Posts:
    8,102
    Location:
    Hawaii
    Ah ---- two hearts that beat as one. :p I passed on TW for the very same reason as you. And -- a few days ago -- I, too, switched to Sphinx. Wilder's thread on Sphinx is HERE. Sphinx's own forum is THERE. And I wish the best of Canadian luck to you, Melita. :thumb::thumb::thumb:
     
  13. Melita

    Melita Registered Member

    Joined:
    Nov 20, 2014
    Posts:
    138
    Location:
    Spain
    I am using the portable firewall of Sphynx which is easy to switch on and off. So I hope to try out other firewalls too while keeping the Sphinx.

    Thank you for your gracious comments :):):) I too wish you the best of luck in your beautiful country.
     
  14. kronckew

    kronckew Registered Member

    Joined:
    Aug 27, 2006
    Posts:
    455
    Location:
    CSA Consulate, Glos., UK
    Just a reminder that binisoft sold WFC to Malwarebytes a while back. The developer still work on it occasionally tho. I used WFC for a good while, it has a few irritants tho, so i'm trying the Comodo free Internet security fireall, so far so good. I am a tad more knowledgeable than most users tho. Sadly Agnitum's firewall doesn't work with windows 10 x64 or I'd stay with it.
     
  15. bellgamin

    bellgamin Registered Member

    Joined:
    Aug 1, 2002
    Posts:
    8,102
    Location:
    Hawaii
    Yes, I miss Outpost, too. I'm now using Win10 Firewall Control Plus -- a.k.a. Sphinx FW. It's not free, however.

    I hope Comodo FW works out for you. You might find THIS MT thread helpful.
     
  16. Melita

    Melita Registered Member

    Joined:
    Nov 20, 2014
    Posts:
    138
    Location:
    Spain
    Can it still still be used safely in windows versions other than 10?
     
  17. bellgamin

    bellgamin Registered Member

    Joined:
    Aug 1, 2002
    Posts:
    8,102
    Location:
    Hawaii
    As to whether it can "still be used": Yes. As to "safely": Maybe.

    As to the ability of firewalls to allow or block connections based on user decisions -- that ability does NOT require frequent updates. From that standpoint, many of the "golden oldies" (e.g., Outpost, Private FW, Look'n'Stop, etc) are still very very effective, and they run smoothly on pre-Win10 versions of Windows.

    However, as time passes, the "bad guys" develop new exploits and tactics to shut-down or subvert firewalls. So firewalls do need occasional updates to increase their self-protection and deal with newer exploits. From that standpoint, the good/older firewalls MIGHT not be as effective as the good/current ones.
     
  18. kronckew

    kronckew Registered Member

    Joined:
    Aug 27, 2006
    Posts:
    455
    Location:
    CSA Consulate, Glos., UK
    I see sphinx has a free option. might look at that next. :)

    outpost sadly doesn't use the modern firewall API of win10, may run on older versions of windows, with the caveats mentioned by bellgamin above. still, if I was running win7/XP I suspect I might still be running outpost.
     
  19. bellgamin

    bellgamin Registered Member

    Joined:
    Aug 1, 2002
    Posts:
    8,102
    Location:
    Hawaii
    I'm using Sphinx Plus version (not free) and really like it. I started with the free version and had decided to use it but -- I became curious about what (if anything) made the Plus version worth paying for, versus the free version. So I took the Plus version for a trial run -- it's free to do so for a couple of weeks. I enjoyed the trial, even though they do have it set to pop-up "buy me" nag screens every so often.

    The main thing I like about the Plus version is that it offers a lot more zones than the freebie. A LOT more! And Sphinx's developers invested a great deal of effort into carefully and thoroughly designing each zone so that it has a full set of specific rules to keep the "occupants" of that zone free to connect when (but ONLY when) it is correct & safe for them to do so. Users are free to modify the zones or to develop their own but, so far, I haven't found it necessary to do so.

    Bottom line: the Plus's many well-designed zones eliminate 95% of the work of creating a very very air-tight firewall. Plus -- this firewall has the most detailed and thorough Users Manual I have ever before seen.

    Shown below are screenshots of the list of zones in Plus version.

    ScreenHunter_01 Dec. 04 10.53.gif ScreenHunter_02 Dec. 04 10.54.gif
     
  20. wat0114

    wat0114 Registered Member

    Joined:
    Aug 5, 2012
    Posts:
    4,064
    Location:
    Canada
    The Zones feature of Sphinx is really nice. You can add and customize rules within them too. If I remember correctly, and important to know, the rules within the zones are processed from the bottom-up.
     
  21. bellgamin

    bellgamin Registered Member

    Joined:
    Aug 1, 2002
    Posts:
    8,102
    Location:
    Hawaii
    Good memory. U R 2 2 correct! I wish you would resume use of Sphinx -- new users (like me) could really use your comments & guidance in the Wilders Sphinx thread.
     
  22. Brummelchen

    Brummelchen Registered Member

    Joined:
    Jan 3, 2009
    Posts:
    5,868
    You can safely delete the "(prev)" (previous) zones, they are not used. That's a (bad) matter of updates if you define new rules in such zones they definitely are no longer used. Reason why I use a copy of such important zones and after each update I compare such rules. This firewall is not perfect in that point.
     
  23. IRONY

    IRONY Registered Member

    Joined:
    May 29, 2013
    Posts:
    43
    Comodo is *********, like the ******** on the farm on the bottom of my boots. I used it and apps pass through.

    How do you like Win10 Fiewall Control? I use a free version of it on a virtual box, but I've never gotten to the point to move over from WFC. I really wish Outpost were still around... caught everything and could even block dll's.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 4, 2021
  24. bellgamin

    bellgamin Registered Member

    Joined:
    Aug 1, 2002
    Posts:
    8,102
    Location:
    Hawaii
    I like it to the nth degree!!! The paid version's many pre-defined/pre-configured zones make it a cinch to have tight control even without a technical knowledge of firewalls, ports, etc.
     
  25. n8chavez

    n8chavez Registered Member

    Joined:
    Jul 19, 2003
    Posts:
    3,336
    Location:
    Location Unknown
    The only thing that keeps me from using it is the inability to restrict apps to a local proxy address; I like my browser, IM client, email client to connect through a local VPN proxy. With Windows Firewall Control, not W10FC, I can simply set a rule to not allow anything that's not on a private network, thereby forcing what I want. Can the same be done with this?
     
  1. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
    By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.