which one is the best firewall?

Discussion in 'other firewalls' started by zorrozorrito, Nov 23, 2003.

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  1. zorrozorrito

    zorrozorrito Guest

    I would like to know which one is the best firewall and why.
    thanks for answering :D
     
  2. LowWaterMark

    LowWaterMark Administrator

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    Sorry zorrozorrito, we can't really answer that question...

    First, there is not really any absolute "best" in any type of product. The best firewall for me, given my system and it's configuration may not work for you at all. There's a lot to consider. What system type is being used? What type of network is it on? What features are most important to the user? What knowledge level does the user have in terms of being able to configure the firewall properly? How much resources does the system have available and can it take a heavier hit to those resources in order to get more features?

    So, what criteria are most important to you as far as firewalls go? What system and network setup do you have? And do you want a firewall that is application or rules based? And these questions are just the beginning. ;)
     
  3. Detox

    Detox Retired Moderator

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    Yup; you're gonna get lots of different answers on a question like this; especially if you leave it sucha broad question as this. Here you will find a poll which has lots of firewall discussion in it ;) Hope it can help some!

    http://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=13403
     
  4. zorrozorrito

    zorrozorrito Guest

    I use windows xp, 256 mb ram, I would like a rules based firewall, I have used outpost free firewall(does it makes invisible my system in internet?)
     
  5. Chuck57

    Chuck57 Registered Member

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    I'm running a 1.2G Athlon, Win XP home, 512 RAM, and the new Opera browser. I like both LooknStop firewall and I'm becoming quite fond of the EZ firewall that I downloaded recently. It's ZoneAlarm Pro, which I've always thought was a good firewall but I never liked the GUI. Since loading it and fooling around with it, I'm becoming very impressed.

    It's passed all the tests I've thrown at it, and not only blocks all types of cookies but web bugs, javascript, vbscripts, referrers, and more. So, I guess today EZ firewall is my favorite. Used with the new version of Opera, I'm very happy.
     
  6. optigrab

    optigrab Registered Member

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    If you want to know if you are stealthed with Outpost, or any other firewall, you should check using an online security scan like:

    Shields Up!!!
    https://www.grc.com/x/ne.dll?bh0bkyd2

    PCFlank
    http://www.pcflank.com/

    Sygate Online Services (sos)
    http://scan.sygate.com/

    If you configure a good sw firewall properly, you can achieve stealth, but if you don't configure it properly, you won't be stealthed. It's really up to you to settle on a firewall you're comfortable with, and then spend the time to configure it. Many good firewalls have user forums to help you.

    I get very good results with Outpost, and there is a web-tutorial and forum to help you learn, Outpost may or may not be best for you - I only mention it again because you wrote that you have already installed it.
     
  7. Chuck57

    Chuck57 Registered Member

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    Good points, optigrab. I've tried the Outpost free a couple of times. Both times, it blocked me from going anywhere online. I never was able to configure it. I don't know if it's because the free version isn't xp compatible or not. Almost every post I see is favorable to Outpost, so it isn't a problem with the firewall. More likely, it's that I just never hit the right combination of things, or never found that one thing I needed to make it work.
     
  8. zorrozorrito

    zorrozorrito Guest

    I went to prove outpost free and it said port 135 was open, but, how can I close it in this free edition? and it is probable that more ports are opened? when I used recovery system last time, and connected to internet blaster came in by port 135!!! of course then I aplyed the microsfot patch. but I don't know how to close that port in this outpost free edition? anybody knows how to do it?thanks for answering!!!
     
  9. optigrab

    optigrab Registered Member

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    Hi Chuck57: Thanks for your post. Sorry you didn't have luck with Outpost. I like it a lot, though I concede it is not perfect (no firewall is). I had a similar experience with Sygate and Kerio. They are top notch, reliable firewalls - perfect for a many other users - but I found them too tough or burdensome for me. I would like to try Look n Stop and ZAP (a.k.a. EZ) some time.

    Hi zorrozorrito: My suggestion would be to search the Outpost forum for port 135 suggestions. If you don't see anything that immediately helps, you can post your question, but be sure to provide as much information as possible about your setup and Outpost configuration.

    Outpost forum:
    http://www.outpostfirewall.com/forum/

    Outpost tutorial:
    The Web Hikers guide to Outpost Firewall
    http://outpostfirewall.com/guide/index.htm

    Best regards
    Optigrab
     
  10. CrazyM

    CrazyM Firewall Expert

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    BC, Canada
    You might want to check all your rules to make sure you do not have one allowing inbound to port 135. Most firewalls will block unsolicited packets unless there is a rule allowing it.

    Regards,

    CrazyM
     
  11. solarpowered candle

    solarpowered candle Registered Member

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    closing port 135
    perhaps you could try downloading dcombobulator to close port 135 easiey way to open and close with this program
    http://grc.com/dcom/intro.htm
    http://grc.com/freepopular.htm
     
  12. JayK

    JayK Poster

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    Chicken/egg problem. Most newbies wouldn't even know the answer to these questions, even if they knew the questions :)

    Those who know the answers generally wouldn't need to post here.
     
  13. c0ltran3

    c0ltran3 Registered Member

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    I used Outpost Firewall free for a long time. There were no ports open after removing DCOM and Universal Plug and Play.
     
  14. wizkid_wall03

    wizkid_wall03 Registered Member

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    i have used many firewalls from norton to mcafee to outpost pro
    i now have outpost i used norton for a while but got bored of it
    outpost pro gives the best protection and looks the best
    :rolleyes:
     
  15. enigma

    enigma Registered Member

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    I have used Norton Personel Firewall for quite awhile and i tried others mentioned above. As the mods have said: its really up to you , as to what one you want.
    Maybe JayK can give you some links so you can read and learn about firewalls? Then you can make an educated decision about the particular type (app. based or rule based) of firewall that best fits your situation. Then i suggest you try a few free/trial period firewalls and see what one you feel most comfortable with.

    Enigma :)
     
  16. mvdu

    mvdu Registered Member

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    ZA Pro - seems to be very robust and does much better on leaktests than NPF and even Outpost as it stands now. But NIS is a complete package, including IDS, so I haven't ruled it out. And Outpost has a new version coming soon, so I haven't ruled that out either.
     
  17. crazykidjoe

    crazykidjoe Registered Member

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    I really like the new Tiny. It passes all the leaktest. I have a two year license for ZAP and tried the new version, but am back to Tiny..c
     
  18. Spitnyri

    Spitnyri Registered Member

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    The best I have found, considering cost and protection, has been IPCop 1.03
    I have tried all the software brands for a minimum of a week to a month during numerous rebuilds based on their performance and IPCop installed on a separate pc like an old pentium or even a 486 beat them all. These days almost everyone has an old pentium sitting in a closet or being used as a fax machine, put it to good use. I still run a software FW onboard my pc but IPCop si8ts between me and the evil doers. Best of all its free. Just add 2 nic cards, burn a CD and install it and plug it in..

    http://www.ipcop.org

    There is also a commercial version of this that has a free distro called Smoothwall that is basically identical but with less options. Its here:

    http://www.smoothwall.org

    Both will beat out any software FW on the market... JMO
     
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