Which firewalls are actually worth using?

[Guest]

[PapaSmurf]

Ok, for what it is worth.
I am not an expert, I would refer to myself as a LOOOOOONG time, above average user.
I also spent 15 good years in the industry working for such companies as iNTEL and Tektronics.

Ok enuf of that.
I have used a few firewalls and here is how it lays out for me:

ZoneAlarm by CheckPoint.
This use to be my old standard. When I first started using ZA, it was a simple bur effective program, nothing hidden, and it was not a system pig. The lates version of this once great product is completely foul in my humble opinion.  It has become a huge system pig, the setup file that is downloaded includes items not offered in the free edition, but these items set themselves up anyway. Also, there are options that have been locked out involving some of the chat programs that are NOT accessible unless you decide to turn on the 15 day "full" version. Of course, once you do ZA will completely take over your system, finishing the installations on its VIRUS  and Spyware scanners. The file of course fails to mention that it is going to do this....*sigh*.
Ok, the short of it is ZA has been ruined. It is no longer a decent firewall as much as it is a system pig. I no longer recommend it.

Jetico Personal firewall
At the other end you have this little ditty. A suprisingly small download, (2.7 Mb latest version),
it would seem that this firewall is not a system pig. However, even tho it is small, lite, and strong, it is NOT beginner friendly. You need to know what you are doing in order to correctly set up this one. You will have to create your own rules from scratch, and the interface is very simplified so it tends to lack information. It is a good firewall, but really more for the very experienced.

Comodo
Well, this is the one I use. Need I say more? The download went fine. The setup was user friendly.
The learning mode is great. The information given is easy to understand. The creation of rules should you have a need is very well explained. It is NOT a system pig. It is a very clean, strong software firewall.

Well that was my two-cents.  Hope that helps 

[jharris1993]

Sorry, Jim.  I know you love your new cozy General Security Questions and Comments (not product related) board , but to this thread title just fits perfectly in this Computer Firewalls board where there will be actual names referenced.  So I had to move it here.

  (fume... fume...)

JUST KIDDING!!! 

Hey, we all see things differently....  That's why Norton still makes a zillion bux on a software "product" that I wouldn't trust any further than I could throw it - under water - against a raging current!

Honestly now - I've tried a few too - with indifferent success, to the point where (though firewalls are a Good Thing), I had enjoyed as much as I could stand....

The one and only redeeming factor that would entice me to look at the Comodo firewall is right here in front of you - these groups and the help they provide.  More than that, the knowlege that people at the highest levels of management (do you recognise yourself Meliah?  ) lurk these groups, and good things happen...

I'm reminded of a song - popular in the late 60's, early 70's: Up With People...
"If more people were for people, all people everywhere, we'd have a lot less people to worry about, and a lot more people who care!"

I was thinking of paraphrasing it to talk about "if more software companies were this interactive with their user-base, software would advance by leaps and bounds!"

Jim

p.s.  Now that tax season is over, I'm looking forward to loading some of this stuff up and beating the living [censored!] out of it.

[PapaSmurf]

Wow, I feel dumb. Sorry guys, there seems to be a thread with much the same things that I said here.
Apologies for repeating. Maybe merge the two threads?

[Soyabeaner]

Maybe merge the two threads?

Done.  It looks confusing (as always).

[OD]

Hear! hear! Jim I could not agre with you more

I thik the support and user base in the forums is impresive.  And I have been impressed at getting replies from Melih also even if it is not aways Melih himself perhaps it is I don't know but at least it makes you feel you have his Ear.  Same with seeing Egemen post in the forums I make s the corperate structure seem less aloof

You kno wat els id lik to see is a spell Checker in the forums because my spelling sux immlost withot Word spell checker
LOL
Opus

PS Even if it is confusing its beter to merge the topics than have 2 along the same lines

(fume... fume...)

JUST KIDDING!!! 

Hey, we all see things differently....  That's why Norton still makes a zillion bux on a software "product" that I wouldn't trust any further than I could throw it - under water - against a raging current!

Honestly now - I've tried a few too - with indifferent success, to the point where (though firewalls are a Good Thing), I had enjoyed as much as I could stand....

The one and only redeeming factor that would entice me to look at the Comodo firewall is right here in front of you - these groups and the help they provide.  More than that, the knowlege that people at the highest levels of management (do you recognise yourself Meliah?  ) lurk these groups, and good things happen...

I'm reminded of a song - popular in the late 60's, early 70's: Up With People...
"If more people were for people, all people everywhere, we'd have a lot less people to worry about, and a lot more people who care!"

I was thinking of paraphrasing it to talk about "if more software companies were this interactive with their user-base, software would advance by leaps and bounds!"

Jim

p.s.  Now that tax season is over, I'm looking forward to loading some of this stuff up and beating the living [censored!] out of it.

[Soyabeaner]

You kno wat els id lik to see is a spell Checker in the forums because my spelling sux immlost withot Word spell checker

Please post forum requests here (Gibran will be happy ):
http://forums.comodo.com/index.php/topic,7976.0.html

[PapaSmurf]

Sonya, thanx..lol. I think I am caught up now...

[jharris1993]

Ok, for what it is worth.
I am not an expert, I would refer to myself as a LOOOOOONG time, above average user.
I also spent 15 good years in the industry working for such companies as iNTEL and Tektronics.

Expert:  "ex" - Former, "spurt" - a drip under pressure.

So, maybe NOT being an expert isn't such a bad thing? 

ZoneAlarm by CheckPoint.
This use to be my old standard. When I first started using ZA, it was a simple bur effective program, nothing hidden, and it was not a system pig. The lates version of this once great product is completely foul in my humble opinion.  It has become a huge system pig, the setup file that is downloaded includes items not offered in the free edition, but these items set themselves up anyway. Also, there are options that have been locked out involving some of the chat programs that are NOT accessible unless you decide to turn on the 15 day "full" version. Of course, once you do ZA will completely take over your system, finishing the installations on its VIRUS  and Spyware scanners. The file of course fails to mention that it is going to do this....*sigh*.
Ok, the short of it is ZA has been ruined. It is no longer a decent firewall as much as it is a system pig. I no longer recommend it.

Totally concur!  This is my "classic example" of a firewall that - after a month or so, your computer slooowly goes into the DUMPER!  Even a while back, I noticed that the "freeware" version would eventually reduce the best and most expensive computer to the level of a space-heater.

Jetico Personal firewall
At the other end you have this little ditty. A suprisingly small download, (2.7 Mb latest version),
it would seem that this firewall is not a system pig. However, even tho it is small, lite, and strong, it is NOT beginner friendly. You need to know what you are doing in order to correctly set up this one. You will have to create your own rules from scratch, and the interface is very simplified so it tends to lack information. It is a good firewall, but really more for the very experienced.

I've never ran into this particular beastie - but I've run into a few near cousins though.  Supposedly (according to the doc's) they walk on water, talk to the Angels and sit at the Right Hand of God.

OK....

I found it easier to sight-read APL than set some of these bastid's up.  Actually, a SENDMAIL config file is less obstruse... 

The big problem being that the setup is so wierd that - God Help You if something goes wrong - it takes blood sacrifice and a divining rod to find out WHICH rule is screwing the pooch.

Comodo
Well, this is the one I use. Need I say more? The download went fine. The setup was user friendly.
The learning mode is great. The information given is easy to understand. The creation of rules should you have a need is very well explained. It is NOT a system pig. It is a very clean, strong software firewall.

From what I'm hearing around here, the Comodo offering may well be "the answer to a maiden's prayer" - a firewall that does its job, doesn't require you to have a PhD in Rocket Science to set up, and is reasonably non-annoying.

I'm still working on getting enough free time gathered to actually TRY the stinkin' things!

Question:  Does anyone know if the Comodo offerings even THINK about working on Vista?

Jim

[panic]

CFP V3 will work on Vista. CAVS wil have to wait for its next version, which might be in the second half of this year. I've been told the backup works OK, as does i-vault.

Cheers,
Ewen :-)

[jharris1993]

CAVS wil have to wait for its next version, which might be in the second half of this year.

(grumble, grumble, grumble, grumble....)

I'm getting ready to set up a Vista Ultimate box for some testing I need to do - and I was going to take this as a Golden Opportunity to wind these beasts up.

(Sigh...)   

Guess I'll have to wait.

Jim

[Ravenheart]

I used free ZA for years but agree with the impression that it's becoming bloatware.

Another one I tried and eliminated was the Lavasoft Personal Firewall, because it created problems with my system. Symptoms were multiple instances of Firefox, instances of Firefox still showing in the Task Manager after I closed all the windows, and a system event turning up "Windows cannot unload your registry file...," I think at shutdown, but that made me nervous.

I feel very pleased with CFP and support through its forum at this point.

[aladinonl]

da 3 firewalls impresses me most is ZA (paid), Kas (paid) n Comodo (in order of use n quit). and of course they r all worth using
believe comodo will b my everlasting player

[Data]

Until Comodo use active content filtering options, IMHO It will never be the best.
Active content is one of the worst things about the 'net. Only one firewall I know does control it. It's a great strength of the product. Agnitum's firewall fails very badly in certain other areas, but that's another story.
I won't move to Comodo's offering until it covers what I consider a massive risk to all users.

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