I've gone back to Zone Alarm

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1

Comodo is just too user-unfriendly.

When it blocks something there is no easy way to find out what it has blocked and how to unblock it.

Using Comodo I can no longer use the Microsoft update page because it won’t display properly. This is definitely due to Comodo because with Zone Alarm it displays.

If I have a firewall which I don’t understand what it is blocking how can I know what I can safely unblock.

2

Sorry to see you left, dl4me. I already replied to your thread about it yesterday on checking the Application Monitor for any blocked rules and how to remove it, but you didn’t reply so we didn’t know happened. I myself also update Windows Updates manually ;), so if you’re willing to return and work with us, I’m sure we’ll resolve it.

Your thread: https://forums.comodo.com/index.php/topic,7798.0.html

3

I agree with di4me, blocked sites and applic., respectively, should be prompted via popup in every case (activity monitor reports comprehensively!) and CF should allow easy unblocking from within activity report monitor (mouse/rightclick or dedicated button).

Sandra H

4

Hi,

well, there are really some annoying things within the Comodo Firewall:

  • No usefull resizing of the main window and some of the subframes (“Details”-frame in the Application Monitor)
  • No storing of the customized column widths between two sessions.
  • No export (backup) of the rule-sets
  • No comments possible for the rules
  • Doubled application rules.
    (That they are really identical proves the following: If you open one of these doubled rules for “edit” and save it unchanged the other (identical) rule(s) will vanish … )
    Such doubled rules happen (sometimes), when you generate a new rule by the Permit/Deny - popup.
  • The timer for the Permit/Deny - popup. Here follows the point of the users above: Once you’ve missed a popup, the application is blocked until restart. Until now, I did not find any logfile informing me about the automatically blocked application (because of the popup-timeout). Nor did I find a possibility (except of system reboot) to reenable the application.
    This situation especially happens while Comodo Firewall is in learning mode for the “Component Monitor” - Just a new DLL is present (for example because of an Open Office Update), my webbrowser will be blocked, while I just get a new cup of coffee, because it tried to fetch automatically a RSS-feed during this time and I missed the popup …
  • When installing a new Comodo Firewall version manually (not via online-update) the complete ruleset has disappeared without prior warning.
  • I currently have no prove for it, but can’t get rid of the feeling, that the “Details” shown in the bottom frame of the “Application Monitor” do not give me all informations about the marked object.
  • Problems with updating applications (Virus scanners, etc.): Comodo Firewall does not clearly show that it recognized the application as an allready known but updated one. - It would help quite a lot, if the popup would show up something like “The signature of “Firefox.exe” has changed. Did you update this application? Klick [yes] to update the application signature in the ruleset.”

OK. At some of these points the problem might be in front of the monitor. But features that cannot be found hit to the attribute “not userfriendly”.

By the way: Some new features would give a better “road warrior” support:

  • It would be helpfull to get a network zone that describes my current local IP-Segment. As notebooks in different networks (that should not be “full trusted”) the changing IPs make a big problem.
  • Adding a DNS-support would help to add rules for DynDNS-sites with fix DNS-names but changing IP-adresses. (I Know that at this point will raise up the question about security because of faked DNS-records, but it’s better to have only this pinhole instead of the whole internet, because you are annoyed by the permanent popups and make errors while permitting the new (but wrong?) IP.)

That shall be enough for the moment. I hope this helps to improve the product.

Chears,
-do-

5

I’ve used many firewall programs and I like Comodo the best. I’m no computer expert and still find it very user friendly.

Thank you Comodo team!

6

I never got to try it. I could not get past the blue screen of death when the computer first tried to boot up. The blue screen would pop up while Comodo was loading and asking if the various programs would be allowed to access the internet.

7

Hi, BJK. Too bad you never had the chance to try. Here’s the thread for the BSOD’s:
https://forums.comodo.com/help/bsods_please_add_your_minidump_files_here-t6747.0.html

Hopefully those will be gone in version 3, then you’ll get the opportunity again :slight_smile:

8

您覺得Zone Alarm如何呢?

9

Yeah, it’s a firewall some people use… Not me, but I’ve heard of it. :wink:

LM

PS: Welcome to the forums, where there are very few future users of other firewalls, but a whole lot of former users of other firewalls (we’re all in ‘recovery’ from our experiences).

10

I also had Zone Alarm when I first got my computer. It kept freezing up and was generally a nuisance. I tried Comodo and have not regretted it even once. I don’t get half of what is spoken here in “techie talk” but I know if I have a “newbie” question, someone will help me. Comodo and the forum do a great job for an even better price. I have also switched to Boclean and I am wondering if I should get the Anti-virus (currently have AVG free).

Thanks Comodo. (R)

11

If you don’t mind beta-testing, you can try out CAVS and see if it’s any better than AVG.

12

Soya,

I don’t think I am knowledgeable enough to do any testing. I will have to defer to you guys as I would not know what to do if anything happened. I am just happy to read what everyone says.

Cheers. :■■■■

13

I stand corrected. I am biting the bullet and downloading the beta version of CAVS right now. I will try it and see. Hopefully no issues, although I am confused/concerned about what I have read about possible low detection rates vs AVG. Any comments??

14

One suggestion, you might set a system restore point before installing CAVS that way if you have any trouble you can restore the settings to a previous good one.

I know panic (a Mod on here) uses it on part of his company network and has said that it has run very well for him.

jasper

15

jasper,

thanks for the suggestion. I have recently created a restore point, so if I have any problems I will go back.

16

Good luck and hope you have a good experience. Please post back so we know how it went.

jasper

17

Well, I downloaded CAVS and installed it with no problems. However, the scanning of my system was extremely slow. Also, the “on demand” scanner would not work and I’m not sure it was scanning emails (I used to get something at the bottom of my emails which said something like “this email has been scanned by AVG…”). When my kids logged on, under their own user account, CAVS would not function for them (this is probably the Windows setup, but I did not have the same problem with AVG).

Due to these problems, I unfortunately put AVG back, and now all is fine. I was really hoping to use only COMODO for all my protection needs (as I love the firewall and BOCLEAN), but I think I’ll wait till the final version comes out. :-[ I still think that (R)

18

Good Firewall they could have sold it for some $$ and trail version on download sites.

19

Hello, my first post and my first use of Comodo firewall. My initial impression of forum and company favorable. Good atmosphere. I have used several ZoneAlarm products from way back in ye old days. They were good. Good now. I am a self-taught old geezer, geek pretender, who began helping friends with their computers. It turned into a small biz. My customers trust me; I often experiment with new programs on their computers and mine (mixed network of PCs and Macs, in two cities). My clients are not rich; they prefer freeware. Good thing about Windows, plenty of freeware, good freeware out there. I read good things about Comodo. Over the years I have simplified security for myself and customers. I used to suggest ZA + anti-spyware (Kaspersky has too many conflicts, good av but sometimes flaky, is why no ZA+Av or Suite) and AVG Free or Avast!, if commercial Av wanted NOD32.

I, personally, use Prevx2, Sandboxie, NOD32, SpywareBlaster, Spybot S & D, Sophos and AVG Anti-rootkits, and Windows Firewall on one XP Pro

and Prevx2, Sandboxie, AVG Antivirus Free, SpywareBlaster, Spybot S & D, Sophos and AVG Anti-rootkits, and Comodo Firewall on another.

I have active licenses for ZA Pro and ZA+ASpware but with my combo they are unneeded; ZA has too large a RAMprint and too many non-firewall features added. ZA Free not adequate. Although the Windows firewall has no outbound checking, the presence of Prevx compensates. Also my clients, and I, use Mozilla Firefox (with Noscript, Cookie Safe, Cookie Culler, and KeyScrambler) and/or Opera browsers, Mozilla Thunderbird. In addition, I use the K-meleon and K-ninja browser, but these are not for newbies or point-and-clickers.
Excuse my long preamble. I am now recommending to my Clients these

Router, I prefer Linksys, but there are other good ones
Prevx2
AVG Antivirus Free, Avast!, or NOD32
SpywareBlaster (I tell them to pay the ten dollars a year for the auto-update feature)
Spybot S & D ( Teatimer off)
Sophos and AVG Anti-rootkits (they are simple, probably effective, to use)
Comodo or Windows firewall
and
Sandboxie

I know that there are other good free firewalls out there, good commercial ones, but I want to keep it simple. I choose security programs for simplicity, low RAMprint, effectiveness, and ease of operation. Comodo uses more RAM than I like, but it’s less than ZA, and it does not have the excessive bells and whistles. People are wrong in their assessment of the Windows firewall; it begins protection earlier in the boot process than other desktop firewalls, and protects from external threats; it is simple and intuitive to operate. I figure if you don’t let the outlaws get in you don’t need outbound checking, but you note that Prevx checks http and pop. The minimum RAM my clients have is 512 MB, but I recommend a gig; half have a gig or more-for writing, e-mail, and general surfing a gig is more than enough.

All the above blather to get to this. I have a year left on licenses for ZA Pro and ZA+Antspyware, but I choose Comodo and Windows firewalls instead.

ZA is good, very good, except for the free. I choose for myself and for my customers (and I am a cheap consultant and computer fixer, a cheap geek) these because they are better. Yes, better! According to what is in your security array, even the Windows firewall is better; install the Comodo firewall and you have more freedom in choosing the other security products. With the Windows Firewall you must have my recommendations or equivalent, like Process Guard, instead of Prevx- or Online Armor etc; but Process Guard I wouldn’t recommend to newbies.

If you have lots of RAM, have a family, and you’re paternalistic, don’t mind the stray from basic firewall, and you don’t recognize that Comodo have an even more intuitive interface than ZA, plus Comodo does better on leaktest and termination tests then go back to ZA. It’s not a foolish choice; it’s just that Comodo is a better choice.

If you use the security programs that I use and recommend there should not be any problems. I did not check about conflicts when I installed Comodo on my computer; the other security apps I use are known for playing nice with others.

I am a former ZA user - they’re good - Comodo is better, by an edge, an important edge.

I am a poet. I took an involuntary vow of poverty when I answered that calling. Relevance?

I am poor and I would be poorer if I gave bad advice to my customers.

I am new to this forum. I promise that my subsequent posts will be succinct. I apologize for the loquaciousness, but the subject struck a chord in me and was relevant to my life. I am more knowledgeable than my clients, but since self-taught there are glaring gaps in my knowledge. You will soon discover that, and help I hope. Thank you for the forum and Comodo.
(On usb drive I have IceSword, ClamWin Portable, Dr. Web Cureit, ewido anti-spyware microscanner, McAfee Stinger, Sophos Anti-Rootkit, Avast! Virus Cleaner Tool, Panda Anti-Rootkit, SIW- System Information for Windows, StartupList, and Sysinternals autoruns, tcpview, processexplorer, and rootkitrevealer for second opinions, and other diagnostic apps. I find it useful to have these off main hard drive. I keep passwords on usb drive in Password Safe. I store all files on 100 gig external hard drives. I don’t keep any personal, sensitive data on my main, always connected hard drive. I have PGP Desktop on main, but truecrypt on usb drives. I carry current setups of the programs that I use and recommend on the second opinion usb drive. Did I mention, I’m paranoid, or is it fear? Are there really bad guys on the internet? Backup: burn to DVD, online storage-Streamload and Gmail, and external hard drives-one at home and one in safety deposit box, only exchange 'em once a week, other businesses probably should do it every two days or once a day. I only burn permanent data.)

20

Welcome to the forum! (You look like my doctor BTW :D)

You should check out version 3 of CFP - its ram usage has actually decreased depsite the number of security features that have been growing. CFP provides inbound protection during boot-time, when the drivers are loading.