Need suggestion regarding Free AV+Firewall

Thanks for this very interesting discussion and the thread to the PC Tools forum worries me a lot. It seems that there is no other option but to go for CIS (or may be AVAST! Home+Comodo FW). There seems to be many unhappy users and BSOD is not something that I would like my friend to face. Not to mention I found that removing driver is not also a layman's job incase PC Tools FW creates problem. If I have to disable ESV, then I am basically keeping the PC wide open to possible malwares at least to some extent. Sad, I had almost made up my mind for this FW.

 

src2206

Not Really!
12 months ago... ESV wasn't even included in the Firewall.

It did have a Code Injection setting .. But it wasn't turned on by default.

On My Desktop - I've Had... v3 - NO ESV Included! , v4 , v5
And the only problem I've had.. Has been ESV starting at v4

On My Laptop - I've only ever had v5
To be sure I wouldn't have any problems.. I just turned ESV OFF straight away

 

Yup! I understand but in that case don't you think Comodo is a better choice?

 

PCTools is the FW I'm using, ESV is off, I'd hardly describe my computer as "wide open".
Quite the reverse.
What on earth are you talking about? ESV (you can think of it as an internal firewall) will prevent a "baddy" that is on the drive from modifying certain other settings, so as to install itself.
The point is, it has to get onto the drive first. (In the majority of cases, this happens because the owner invited it, not because the firewalls' inbound protection failed.) Once it's on the drive, it's got to be new and rare enough (admitedly fairly common these days) that the AV won't detect a malicious process running.
Once it's installed itself (assuming you have no other behaviour blocker...did I mention Threatfire a few posts back? ) then to do it's damage, it needs to phone home. Which is when the outbound firewall alert should pop up.

I find the computer works fine if ESV is actually switched on. I've just found in the past that the installation or updating of programs produces so many popups with it on (which is what its' supposed to do) that it's easier and not that much less safe to leave it off.
You can be too paranoid.
Far more important than the security installed is the way the user operates.

 

Hi

For a couple of reasons.. I've Never Tried Comodo

1/ It's a very complicated Firewall - Difficult to learn!
2/ It's a very demanding Firewall - Lots Of Pop Ups!
3/ Because of 1 & 2 - No Good If You've Got Children

 

Re (3), that's what limited user accounts are for.

 

Free stuff?

I would install the following:

avast! Home
PC Tools Firewall Plus
PC Tools ThreatFire Free
SpywareBlaster

The above is a really tough, and light setup for a 'freebie' situation.

Good luck with whatever you choose.

 

As I said I was almost sure that I am going for PC Tools this time, but I would not like to have BSOD anytime, can't take the risk and if I can not use all the features that the program offers, whats the use of installing it...

 

Because even without the feature you are referring to selected, it is still a perfectly adequate firewall.
FWIW, I've never had a BSOD (nor freeze) with ESV on; O deselected it only for installing new programs (trusted, of course.). Might be worth your while to check out the online help file. Some pretty good info on how to configure it.

 

Thanks Tarq

I shall go through the link ASAP

 

Hi Tarq57

I wasn't meaning that a child might be tempted to have a play with Comodo's settings.
What I Meant Was...
If some adults find Comodo hard to cope with - e.g. All it's Block or Allow questions.
A child is not going to be able to cope with Comodo
If you've got children that regularly use the computer...
It's much easier to have a Firewall that doesn't pester you to death with questions.

My Little Lad Is 12
Even if I thought I could cope with a complicated Firewall like Comodo - Which I Couldn't! ..
I don't think my son would be very happy.. If he had to keep shouting me to answer Comodo questions.
And he certainly wouldn't be happy if his online game was constantly interrupted with Comodo - Pop Ups!

I really don't know what Firewall I'd use.. If I couldn't have - PC Tools Firewall Plus

Thanks!

 

I have been using Comodo FW for very long time inmy personal PC, and yes there is a little steep learning curve associated with it but the customization with the ver 3.0 is not that hard. Specially Port Forwarding- hae visited the Tarq's link to the Help Page, but honestly I hardly understood what exactly is to be needed to be done in case some one wants to forward a particular port instead of the port/ ports used by an application, which the PCTools FW seems to allow automatically when ever the application is allowed.

 

Hi src2206

See!
That's over the top my head already
I can learn most things pretty quickly.
But when it comes to Firewalls... Complete Mental Block

As long as you think your friend will be able to cope with comodo... Install It Then

There doesn't seem that much choice when it comes to choosing a Firewall.. Does There?

I think I'm the only person amongst my Family and Friends, that doesn't just use the Windows Firewall

I Can Kind Of Understand Why Though..
1/ They tend to be much more complicated than AV's & AS's
2/ There isn't enough choice.

Until I Found Wilders...
I had never even heard of Look n Stop or Rising .. Or even half the Firewalls people use here.

For the majority of the general public - Firewalls are either...
a) The Windows Firewall
b) What comes with a security suite like - NIS or McAfee

 

http://www.matousec.com/projects/firewall-challenge/product-list.php

 

Ok...went for AVAST! Home+PC Tools FW. One question, is it advisible to use ThreatFire with AVAST! running? I have also installed Winpatrol and Spybot S&D with Teatimer enabled.

 

Personally I think you're going to get "too many cooks looking after the broth" if you add Threatfire to that mix.
You may have already, by virtue of Winpatrol and Teatimer, but see how it goes. You'll probably find the Teatimer alerts and the Winpatrol registry polling overlap quite a lot, you might want to turn off one or the other.
If you were to install TF, I'd be looking at removing WP and turning off Teatimer. You could always try it with the others still active, see if there are problems. But it's overkill, IMO.
I have no problem with TF and Avast.

 

Leave it all there WinPatrol is a greeat little app. TeaTimer is a registry alerter. I don't use it that is really something that is optional. Threatfire is a great program people should use it. The firewall is optional but Zeena is correct PCTFW is a very nice firewall easy to use. It runs fine with about everything. I would however add that Comodos firewall is just fine. If someone tries they can master it & the new version is much better that the older versions with popups. Actually there might come a time when a popup occurs out of the blue & you say "Where did that come from? " You deny it & find out you have just stopped a new virus that is now infecting a bunch of other computers. Install whatever you want from your list & if it works on your computer just move on & enjoy your computer.

 

Avast or Avira plus a router. A router is not free but very cheap and a one time expense.

 

Hello:

Free eh? Well if it were me I would install products I use myself if at all possible since you support it you need to know. So given it is a xp PC:

1) for a FW I would choose OA Free. (a change due to rules issues posted in the PC Tools FW + Learnining thread.)

2) for an AV I would choose Antivir

3) for an ASW I would select SAS free

4) Plus a router even if your friend only has 1 PC. They aren't free BUT you get what you pay for.

 

This is implemented on XP Pro SP3, runs fine https://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=234443

Regards Kees

 

avast! with pctools firewall plus with threatfire

 

What if I only want 2 tools, should I go with Avira & PC Tools FW or with Avira & ThreatFire?

Thank you!

 

In the first choice you would be fine but with the second you still need a firewall because TF is not a FW

 

... and what about Avira & ThreatFire & Windows XP FW? I'm not sure if outbound protection is really important

 

regarding his request he is looking for a firewall but you are right about the WINDOWS firewall