Online Armor Free

Did you try just the FW in WDF and perhaps add a separate HIPS

 

No I enabled everything that had to with Dynamic Security Agent and set Network security and Process Monitor on with Webroot in learning mode for a few days. I didn't get many alerts and understand it is very effective program with Dynamic Security Agent and settings on high, however I just wonder if it may be overkill? Online Armor while maybe not as protective as Webroot, still seems to be enough protection for a relatively safe surfer like myself and a much simpler program to understand.

 

I was just curious about WDF with OA-HIPS...

 

Jeleal,

As has been said many times by many,both are excellent apps with excellent reputations and security.

IMO,the main difference,OA is better for the user who wants to set and forget-its simpler for that user, in keeping with the philosophy of OA.


Either way its not a big deal worth worrying about for any good reason

Cant follow your logic,OA is also with HIPS, so why would it be any less overkill than WDF,

Just because its designed to be simpler for the user?

 

I have used both Jeleal, and am currently using WDF with DSA enabled and find it easy to use. However you are right in the fact that Online Armor is enough protection for a moderately safe surfer. I guess it just depends on your level of comfort with how well it protects. I like knowing I am well protected no matter how I decide to surf, and honestly would feel fairly safe with either program. I was actually torn between the two programs for a while, and after a lot of help from people in the forum it basically came down to a personal preference for me more than anything else. Hairy Coo I was just talking about you. LOL. I believe Jeleal thinks WDF with DSA enabled and all the settings set on high not only offers more protection than OA Free, but more protection than is truly needed and that's why it's overkill. We have had this discussion ourselves and that's why I said I liked them both and that it was more of a personal choice as to which one you like better. I also believe Jeleal likes OA Free better and so that is the one he or she should use.

 

Re: Hints on using Online Armor FW-a Learning Thread 4

mod, if in the wrong place plz move or delete.

nice app, i'm currently using it and notice something, don't know if its a bug or wat just thought i'll put it out there. by the way i'm using the free v.

with program guard on, when i click on any app and deny it i get a window saying "Windows cannot access the specified device.." blah blah blah. so i click ok on the warning, then immediately if i try to start the app again, i don't get a pop up from OA and the app starts.

of course it wont start when i add it the the clock list.

 

Re: Hints on using Online Armor FW-a Learning Thread 4

also forgot to mention, there's a conflict with process guard where OA adds DCUserProt.exe (PG service) and proguard.exe (PG GUI) as trusted, allowed, but permissions for proguard.exe have 'start applications' and 'set globals hooks' to ask, the rest to allow and CCSUserProt.exe have all to ask which make PG unable to load after the OA required installation reboot. so basically PG freezes after the reboot so i changed all permissions to allow to both PG processes and rebooted and everything worked smoothly.

 

Why do you say OA may not be as protective as Webroot??


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Well I was thinking to post or not. But I need to solve two things that bothers me.

When first I try OA free I was so happy that I find something I like. After long live with Outpost all versions, Jetico 1/2, Comodo. OA was so promising.

But starting with version 18 started serious problem with install (I am not talking about the false virus thing, I do not care). I have NOD32 and I try all the solutions believe me. With exceptions etc. After installing, after logging screen just blue screen (not BSOD) like stop at this point just before going to desktop and that is it. It is for sure NOD32 because if I disable it is OK. So the only solution seems to be install OA without NOD32 then install or enable NOD32 and strangely it works but that is not something make me feel confident that now is everything OK. I became suspicious. So no new versions after 17 for me.

The second thing is when using eMule (all solutions not working, make it trusted, all allow etc.) The transfer is somehow blocked by something, jumping up and down, upload and dowload. The browser (Opera) is slow. I quit eMule and everything is fine. I stop firewall and is OK. So definitively firewall. I even was thinking that something with ICMP so I try trial version and allow all ICMP but it not solve problem. Is it connected with some filtering in OA?

Is there solution for that? Or will be?

I try Webroot Desktop Firewall and it worked flawlessly, but you know future look brighter for OA - support, forum, Mike it is what makes me desiring OA but unfortunately is just not working well for me now.

Also I have question. If the firewall thing is bigger problem then installation problem how about using ESS with OA (even v17) without firewall?

Or Webroot with OA without firewall (using both DSA and OA)?

Outbound is taken care with DSA and/or OA/no firewall (I can use just DSA standalone with OA or either one or even with Threatfire).

I share the view that Stem seems to have an many others that firewall is mainly for inboud. After all this is wall is not? When somebody breaks the wall to the say Fort Knox that is no wall anymore yes? So inside for making sure that robbers will not taking gold outside will be something else then wall, something like squad of guardians or something. If they say firewall is good inbound and outbound it is suite firewall/HIPS/whatever - or is not?

Which firewall will give me better inbound protection, ESS or WDF or OA (if they fix the problem with eMule)?

Hopefully Stem will answer but he does not like hard rules so...

NOD32 is something I do not like to resign from.

 

Do we speak about OAFree, or paid? If you are having issues with NOD32, please check that NOD32 excluded the OA directory from scanning. Many of our customers use NOD32 - so if you have some problem it's very strange. We'll help to solve it.

One thing you can try is to allow all ports *for emule only* which means there will just be one rule for this program, not several. OA will auto optimise it's rules over time - but if you do it this way, it's faster result. We will be doing some more performance optimisation for p2p apps soon.

Thanks for the kind words We've had thousands of downloads in the last few weeks - and a few people have reported problems. If you like, I can PM you a link to BETA build 27 - along with some warnings about it - so you can see does it solve your issue.

I know slowdowns have been had with threatfire.

After discussing with Stem, we will improve our inbound protection "the wall" as you describe it.. It will take some time, but the results should be pleasing.

 

Thank you for answer Mike.

I am talking about free version and I try one time trial version 2 days ago.

I did that exclusion. Like I said just before desktop everything stop - there is blue screen (colour of my desktop) with nothing else, disk is working but nothing going on. I had to restart, log to emergency windows and turn off OA service by msconfig. Then restart to normal windows, no problems turn on OA service start OA - no problem. After restart same problem hang before desktop. All free versions from v17 to last I try v23. With NOD32 2.7 and 3.0 (563).

Trial version of OA installed without problems. But same problem with eMule.

About eMule I did what you said, I try everything you advice to others in your forum and here. eMule is working (high ID etc.) but the upload for example you can see in eMule statistics. There is graphical show so the line jump up and down and should hold steady 12KB/s. This way my download suffer too.

But I am happy and not surprised that you are working on that. I will keep my eye on this.

Yes I will be happy to try this beta. I do not give up on OA yet. Most of my friends I will recommend OA anyway as they are the "target" you are aiming for. Other firewalls are just to hard for them and does not matter how good they are they will be inferior security to OA (you know - everything allow because no clue what to answer).

"After discussing with Stem, we will improve our inbound protection "the wall" as you describe it.. It will take some time, but the results should be pleasing."

Like I said I see bright future for OA.

 

Aha - the "hang on desktop" issue does affect a few users

A few reboot and it should be fine. This is actually the #1 problem we're trying to solve before the next release

 

Thank you Mike , you are right few reboots make it.

Sorry if I mislead you or anybody that is something with NOD32, probably the happy lucky reboot connected with disabling NOD32 make me thing so.

Now I did some testing. I uninstall NOD32 and install OA. Hang on desktop. So I turn off by msconfig all startup programs and services not from Windows XP. Still hanging. So I turn off process monitor in OA. Good reboot. Turn on again process monitor in OA - hang on desktop after restart. Then I read your advice. Next reboot with OA everything on - fine no hanging. Try one more time still good. Sorry if I am boring but maybe that will be helping for something.

Now I am going to install NOD32 and see if all is OK.

 

SamSpade. It would seem after reading their respective websites that with what all Webroot Firewall with Dynamic Security Agent enabled is said to protect against, compared to what all Online Armor Free is said to protect against, that Webroot may offer a bit more protection. That's why I said that OA Free may not be as protective as Webroot Firewall. However there are so many disagreements as to which product is actually more effective so who knows? All I know is that I have OA Free installed again and am very happy with it and no longer care, but I do have a question. I was thinking of installing Avast Home and was wondering if anyone else uses it with OA Free?

 

Hi, I'm using OA Free with Avast Home and absolutely no problems at all with it.

 

Thank you davidw_426. I think OA Free and Avast is a good match. I read that many consider it to be a good AntiVirus, however according to the AV Comparitives it does lack a little in Script Virus Detection. I wonder if this wouldn't be covered by OA Free? I know it mentions Script Protection on the website, but I'm not sure it's the same thing.

 

I'll be honest with you I'm not sure if it's the same thing or not either. Of course no AV can catch it all, and if you need script protection (providing I understand your meaning of that to be protection from Javascript viruses and such), then Firefox with the "NoScript" addon will serve you very well (provided you're careful as to which scripts you allow on a webpage)

 

Good. Well, nearly good.... this hanging -few-reboots OK is what we are currentlty trying to resolve.

 

Jeleal-

I feel you would be best served by buying the greater protection offered by the shareware version of OA,plus a shareware antivirus like Kaspersky or Nod32.

These combinations are going to make you feel secure-at the moment you are quite worried,which is not necessary for the small outlay and greater protection the shareware versions will give-you will have about as good protection as possible,apart from turning off the computer.

 

I can't say how good Avast runs as antivirus, but I tried it against BSODhook matousec utility and it BSODs my computer

 

OK, I see your point. I'm running nod32 (2.7) so I can't help you re Avast. Others have already, though!!


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Yes. How about this beta you promised?

By the way I made screen shot to clear what I am talking about with eMule. On the right is CPU usage and on the left statistics in eMule (the middle line is upload and should be straight and steady) it seems somehow connected. I mean OA is working hard to pass eMule transfer which is blocked in meantime.

 

Can you show the rules OA has for eMule ? There is known issue (though, it can be regarded as a feature) about P2P. For some initial time OA "learns" and during this period CPU load is relatively high. Then it consolidates the rules and CPU usage drops. May be this is the case ?

 

I do not have OA on this machine but the rule was only one - both directions, UDP&TCP, ports 0-65535, allow. Also I made eMule trusted. Firewall off = no problems so it is maybe firewall. The problem is only OA related not with any firewall I used ever. I mean ESS, Outpost, Jetico, Comodo, Webroot.

I know that OA is finding rules thats why I made one allow all. The shot was like 15-20 min of work but it is going like that all time with emule. No problems without emule with browsing etc.

 

I have same problems as Feniks, generally with p2p aplications, emule, torrents, hubs. p2p slows drasticly with OA.