Using Win XP Home SP2; LinkSys WRT54GL; ZAPro 6.5 I've heard it said that using a router along with XP's built-in firewall eliminates the need for a third-party firewall such as ZA Pro. My subscription renewal is coming due soon, and if I don't need to update it, I won't bother. Any comments on this? Thanks EdP
The router and XP firewall are doing exactly the same thing, so that's redundant. You can turn off the XP firewall completely if you have a router. It gives you no protection on outbound either. The only reason to use ZA Pro is if you want outbound control, something asking you if you want this or that app connecting out. If you don't care about that, then you can remove ZA Pro, but if you do, then keep it. It's up to you...
Kerodo ... Thanks much for the quick and comprehensive reply. I do have the XP firewall disabled and I do care about outbound traffic simply because it's another layer of protection. If I can find a free and reliable app that monitors outbound traffic, I'll install it, dump ZAP, and keep the XP firewall disabled. Any suggestions while I'm googling for an app? Thanks again EdP
You could give Online Armor Free a try. While it's GUI may not be as comprehensive as that of ZA's. OA's FW & HIPS may offer slightly better protection than ZA's Triple Defense Firewall which is quite good in itself IMO. Router FW,AV, and OA Free is a great combination for a lightweight and easy to use set up, and offers good protection, again in IMO.
I personally like to run a behavior blocker with the router. That kinda gives me some extra protection. Something like Threatfire works well for me. There are also quite a few traditional HIPS apps, some of which watch outbound for you while giving you further protection. I feel that approach is lighter than a full blown firewall and less redundant also. Check the forums here for HIPS programs and comments on them... Particularly this forum: https://www.wilderssecurity.com/forumdisplay.php?f=35
