Which firewal uses the least system resources?

Yes, a hardware firewall offcourse but I need a firewall for a real old system running windows xp sp2.

It's allready running NOD32 so I'm wondering wich firewall (or firewall/antivirus combo) will not slow this celeron 500 system down.

Thanks!

 

The litest I know are:
Kerio 2.15
Look 'n Stop

 

i tried looknstop and its awesome firewall...you dont notice you have a firewall..now im using kerio 2.1.5...this old firewall is very lighty too..i love it..though its kind of hard to handle.

 

Believe it or not, the windows firwall that comes with SP2 is the lightest of them all. But, if you desire outbound application control then it is Kerio 2.15.

 

Actually Kerio 2x is easy to configure from a different standpoint, the rules are all that it is, not seperate packet filtering options, and applications considered as different parts of the program. Kerio gives me more control than LnS can when restricting applications communications separately. The only downside is it doesn't come with any pre-configured rulesets, but if you don't understand what they do, how do you know if your really secure?

 

Hi expert! i guess that question is aiming on me...lol...ok im new to kerio...allways heard it was very good firewall. Finally i install it and it works great. I have load a pre-configured ruleset made by an expert...and i have been very careful with the applications filtering...Then i made a slow scan at dslreports...all ports stealth, but i recognize i have a lot to learn.

 

Most users use it like ZA I'm sorry to say, but they can if they like. They basically use it like ZA in the sense it was a basic application firewall where you just allowed, or blocked applications.

Rule based firewalls do take quite a bit of research on your own to understand how to use correctly, but if you have patience, it will come in time. You also never stop learning unless you are bound by limits of the program your currently using, and there are even ways around those limits sometimes, as I happen to run a closed response configuration, throwing bs stealth out the window for the most part with a inherently stealth firewall. Its all in your configuration, and your understanding of how things are supposed to work. I did quite bit of research on how tcp/ip protocols are supposed to work, which can be like reading greek to many people.

 

Hi again BlitenZeus! and could you tell me a good site to learn about it.

 

Hi Labrie,

When I used Kerio, I learned a lot here: A support and information resource for users of Kerio and Tiny PC firewalls and security products..

Nick

 

BlitzenZeus is the resident expert over at:

http://www.dslreports.com/forum/kerio

Without his sticky posts I would not have been able to configure Kerio. Even so, it is a lot of effort. Sometimes I think the main benefit is in understanding what is going on under the hood of your pc. Kerio is a bit too much for the non technical user, but if you don't mind getting your hands dirty, it is the sports car of firewalls.

 

How does KPF 2.1.5 do in the various leak tests? I can't seem to find info on this? (KPF 4.1 seems to be terrible in this regard.)

 

Leaktests are BS, almost all of them just exploit IE, or the operating system itself. The basic ones like steve gibsons leaktest are basic, and never pass unless you have no outbound protection, however many of the others still give false positives when they have failed.

Don't worry yourself with these bs leaktests, as said before they are almost all just bs IE, or exploits in the operating system which require sandboxing. Even full blown sandboxing can't prevent something if you have already premitted a programs to work....

 

From that, I assume that KPF 2.1.5 performs terribly on the various leak tests. Thank you.
-

 

If you concern youself with leaktests instead of using common sense as a defense, its the user which is the weakest link

 

No, I prefer to use both.