Which Firewall is the best????

Discussion in 'other firewalls' started by jason_bdlavender84, Oct 9, 2006.

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  1. Stem

    Stem Firewall Expert

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    Hi jason, and welcome to wilders,....
    I dont normally get involved with "which firewall is the best" type threads, as all users/members have thier own favourite, be it due to resources used, ease of use, compatibilty etc,
    You dont mention if you are looking for a "free" firewall or a paid,.. of course most paid firewalls have trial versions,.. and most will allow you to run the full version for 30 days or so,... so you can try any firewall you want,... as you are new to firewalls I would suggest that you start with an application firewall,.. this is a firewall that will allow or deny an application (program) access to the internet without the need to create rules, so that you can get used to the popups(alerts), and the programs that want internet access.
    Dont forget, the forum is here to help,... there are many threads/topics on the forum, so maybe a little time spent looking/searching the forum may answer questions you have. There is a search function for the forum, which you will find at the top of the page, when you click on this you will also see there is an advance search option, so you can search for a specific topic/firewall. Please do post if you have any questions, I, or other members will only be too happy to help,.. we all started with a need to learn/know.

    Stem
     
  2. mercurie

    mercurie A Friendly Creature

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    ....and Jason don't be :oops: :oops: I still have much to learn...better to learn then to make security mistake and end up with damaged machine.

    Welcome to our friendly group. ;)
     
  3. the Tester

    the Tester Registered Member

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    Which firewall is the best for a "newbie"?
    I'd go with Comodo.It's free,easy to use, and effective.

    It is also very important for you to have an antivirus program.
    Free choices are AntiVir and Avast.

    Another note...
    You are new here and the only way to get a question answered is to ask it.
    Have fun while you learn about security programs and remember that it's your personal preference that makes a program the "best" for you.
     
  4. WSFuser

    WSFuser Registered Member

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  5. Tarq57

    Tarq57 Registered Member

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    Location:
    Wellington NZ
    Hi Jason bdlavender84,

    I was until recently in the same situation as you. I now have a little more experience and knowledge. (Cost 2 re-installs, though!)
    I've found this sort of forum excellent for gaining knowledgeable opinions about how to configure a security system. I've set mine up totally with several dedicated freeware programs that spread a fairly good security net. This has become an ongoing and evolving interest, during which much can be learned.

    But how it seems to me, is that you need some good, easy to use, reliable applications that will protect your computer initially, then you can modify them to suit yourself and your system as you learn, or as problems occur.

    To achieve that, you need 3 types of application now. Firewall, antivirus, antispy.

    I have just installed Comodo (version 2.3.6.81-the latest) based on forum posts and test sites. It is easy to use, and appears very effective.

    Avira, AVG, and Avast are probably the big three with free antivirus. Avira seems to have the best detection rate, but doesn't automatically scan emails. No problem if you remember to scan every attachment before opening it. The controls are fairly easy to work out, the help is good. I use Avast, I like it, it's kept me safe. The controls take a time to work out, though. Excellent help forum. AVG is probably the most popular. It works, it's easy to use, the forum is helpful. I would suggest AVG first off for you.
    Once installed, update it - it will tell you to do that anyway, create rescue disks if you want, or you can skip that, then run a full scan. You might be surprised!

    One of the biggest threats is spyware and trojans. Almost everyone has AdAware and Spybot on their computers, for dealing with this. At least download, update, and run AdAware. Very popular.

    Ewido is a very good resident (means it scans your internet in real time) anti spyware with good trojan detection. It is shareware, which means it will work with all functions for a time, 30days in this case, and then the realtime protection feature is withdrawn unless you buy it. It's now called AVG 7.5 antispy, and I'd recommend it as another option.

    At least get a firewall, an antivirus, and at least one antispyware, and you're ready to go looking for other stuff. There's free realtime antispy stuff, system immunizers, hosts file programs, all sorts. Good luck. Have fun.
     
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