Sygate and Proxomitron

I've done some research in this forum and came across that when using a proxy Sygate would lose its outbound protection. My case is that I use Proxo.

So I have two alternatives in here:

1. Drop Sygate
2. Drop Proxo

If I drop either what alternatives do you suggest me as valid replacements?

Thx in advance.

 

to better give u a list of alternatives, i ask these questions:

what kind of firewall do you want? does it need to use low resources?

what do you use proxomitron for? which browser(s)?

 

Well, I guess you have to do that, or to make a compromise solution.

A local proxy makes a hole that things can go out through SPF.
If you normally allow all ports wide outgoing to internet for your programs Then running a Processguard free might get you satisfied. I have not verified that it works in Sygate, but it really should. It should ask for all those applications connecting to internet or even if not just starting from you if you like to do so for them.

If you want a light firewall, even lighter than SPF, there is kerio 2.1.5, but even with it, you would have to go to some lengths to block that proxy hole if you are allowing loopback normally to all apps. Many applications need it to work fast!
If you understand any of rule based firewalls, you can check this post where my ruleset is given in pictures, taking care of avast antivirus proxies with kerio 2.1.5:
http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,16592654~mode=flat

Avast webshield allow all known browsers out without asking Sygate. But I think PG free would get them asked first as SPF does not. Cause of the local proxy. There is a manual proxy setting for avast users that are not using some browsers like IE to not able to it pass to internet. But I am interested to hear from Sygate users if they use PG.

I am not familiar with Proxomitron local proxy. Always knew that SPF loopback issue, so never tried it.

 

Hi Jarmo,

Thx for taking your time to address my question. I really appreciate that.

Well, I am quite pissed off when I found out about the Proxo-Sygate bad combo-mix. I really enjoy Proxo but knowing that Firefox has so many privacy and security extensions I might give Proxo a miss for now.

I waiting for two things to happen:

1. Comodo 2.3 final release
2. Jetico 2 final release

If any of these are released then Sygate would be history for me as I like Proxo a lot (less intrusive than some of FF extensions such as no-script or cookiesafe, cookieculler, etc.). I also feel Sygate is much less secure than those two so I'll end up ditching this FW for good.

I know Kerio is good stuff but needs a lot of configuration done and don't have the time right now to go through it. And knowing those two old contenders are coming up with new versions I feel Kerio wouldn't be that efective either.

Cheers.


WF,

Regarding the browser thing I already answered your question in my post.

I use Proxo for general surfing as a web filter. That's it. I enjoy privacy when doing it and dislike someone sneaking over my shoulder.

Cheers.

 

I use Proxomitron, and I just switched to Jetico from Sygate for that very reason. Once you get past the learning curve, I find Jetico to be pretty intuitive. Just run the Configuration Wizard and delete 127.0.0.1 and 127.0.0.1/8 from the Trusted Zone.

OT: do you use Kye-U's security pack http://kyeu.info/proxo/forums/showthread.php?tid=131&pid=7212#pid7212 ? It's a blast to browse shady websites in Opera and watch the exploit alert windows popup

 

I can understand that. SPF is good when not running any local proxies.

Then when you get security conscious (little paranoid maybe as we all get), some other firewall might be better for you.
Comodo is heavy I think but easy.
Jetico on the other hand, might be tough but light. I have not tried it, nor intend to, cause I am happy with kerio 2.1.5. It is btw I think the easiest firewall to get grabs with rule based firewalls. And so it would be quite easy (maybe?) if I would change to Jetico someday. But not in near future.

PS
My first firewall was a rulebased one that came with Norman suite installed to my computer. It was a total black box. Never could figure out how it really worked. A firewall should never be a black box. Hope your new firewall is not one.

 

Koomi,

Nope I was using Sidki's filter. Very good. No warnings at all.

Anyway FF with all the extensions I got today I think my surfing is pretty much like using Proxo (in its original config, I guess) until I get the new FW. Then I will use Proxo again as those filters are updated yearly (enough as Proxo is very powerful).


Jarmo,

Comodo's next version will cut down in half the resource usage.

Glad to hear you made it with Kerio. How long did it take you the config thingy?


Cheers.

 

I use Proxomitron and Jetico v1.0 and they both work fabulously together. Don't drop Proxomitron, it's too valuable when it comes to blocking malware. It has saved my life many times during infection tests and just general surfing.

 

Well, I hope it does not take processor CPU over 3 % anytime and stays mostly zero in machines like in my amd athlon 2400. Also much less than 20 MB memory consumption should be in a normal firewall/HIPS that I think it is. Anything more than that is a bloat.

Not that long really, I first tried it with BlitzenZeus's ruleset maybe 1.5 years ago.
It was easy, I mean the application handling and ruleset general protection.
But set back for me was, I was not sure to know how to restrict my DHCP and DNS rules to my connection. That they were not the default ones in the template, something like dynamic DHCP and DNS in template. I needed more strict control, but knew not how. So after a half month I went back to my trusted Sygate. Cause I felt more secure with it. And stayed for more than a year.

When I gave kerio 2.1.5 a second try, it was much easier, I knew what to do to those.
Configuring Avast's proxies took a bit reading from dslreports kerio/tiny forum, since all the other persons using avast had not allowed loopback for all the apps like I wanted. But there were posts how to exclude proxomitron etc. So I worked it out in a two weeks anyways. Not more. But for a total newbie a firewall learning curve from black box to something you know might take much much longer. That is why it is good there are firewalls like Sygate with an easy first start to TCP/UDP connections etc., but not too easy like ZA.

PS
It still remains an open question if there is something in kerio 2.1.5's IP/mask handling reported in my post I gave you above. In case anyone much more expert than me is reading this?

EDIT
And it took me also more than few weeks to absorb Sygate firewall, but thanks to good people like DilatedPupil and SpaceCowboy (Mats) etc. in there cause I am slow and wary.
Being that, I still got hacked by a "friend of mine" someone I trusted everything. So internet now is something ugly for me cause of hackers/crackers

 

No, I won't. Just waiting for Jetico's new version. I heard it won't be free anymore. Is that correct?

BTW, Firefox with all the extensions I got right now is also quite safe. Namely:

1. No script & Javascript options
2. Adblock plus with Adblock Filterset G.Updater
3. Permit Cookies
4. Flashblock
5. No referrer
6. User Agent Switcher
7. ULPS
8. Safe History
9. TrackMeNot
10. Gmail MIME (u can send encrypted mail)
11. E-mail analyzer
12. Customize Google
13. McAffee Site Advisor
14. Dr. Web anti-virus link checker

Plus numerous Proxy extensions as well (not using them coz of that Sygate issue).

It looks that Mozilla is trying to turn FF into a kind of ProxoFox. But I guess Proxo is too good to be ignored.


Jarmo,

I know the learning curve of kerio 2.1.5 is quite tricky. But I am mentally quite tired to go through it right now. Maybe one day if the free FW panorama turns ugly.