[Gouki]

Wich Software Firewall do you like best? This Thread will replace the current one located in the Networks, Internet and Security forum.

Thanks DigeratiPrime for putting up the list.

If you choose the option 'Other - ?', please specify wich one do you use.

Now, vote people!!

This post has been edited by Gouki: 23 March 2006 - 03:36 PM

[DigeratiPrime]

Winpooch. Its a program that monitors what programs are trying to do. It can be setup to block programs from connecting to the internet, making changes in system folders, etc. Out of the box its a bad 'firewall' because it will let everything connect to the internet. By changing the rule to 'block everything' and then adding exceptions, you can create a lean and mean firewall.

I've posted a guide to configuring Winpooch as a firewall here.

The primary drawback with it, is it doesnt have an option to run as a service, though i hear that's planned.

I do reccomend ZoneAlarm (particularly Security Suite) over the other commercial firewalls though.

This post has been edited by DigeratiPrime: 23 March 2006 - 03:41 PM

[Jeremy]

Outpost

[zeko]

look'n'stop. (EDIT: was using kerio v2.15 for a long time.)
i can say that lns is really awesome fw. there is a certain guru-guy named phantom who made very tihgt rules for lns. all i can say it's almost unbreakable. and it's minimalistic in terms of system resources - aroung 3mb of sys memory at peak times.
i've been running a special test on my pc for about a month now with look'n'stop. i'm trying to exclude antivirus programs and antispyware progs from my system. so, it's a month since i havent been using any antivirus or antispyware (i hate the fact they hog the syszem). the system is setup as follows:
-installed look'n'stop (with phantom's ruleset)
-using restricted user account
-installed DropMyRights (awesome)
-installed MakeMeAdmin (same as above)
-using mozilla ff (with no script extension)
NO av, NO antispyware
the results, so far, are really amazing. not a single virus or spyware on my pc for the time being. of course to examine the pc i installed lawasoft ad-aware and upodated the definitions, then installed ms antispyware, and did a full scan on the system. then for av check i installed clamwin (latest definitions), which according to the tests, has one of the best scan engines. also did a full scan with it, and again no virus.
this may be a little bit off toppic, but i presume it will be interesting for some of us who like to 'experiment' a little.

This post has been edited by zeko: 24 March 2006 - 12:59 PM

[Gouki]

I just noticed you said Kerio, still, there is not vote on the Poll for that particular Firewall.

[zeko]

yes, i can see that i wrote "been using kerio" instead of "was using". i do not use kerio any more. i use lns instead

[Gouki]

Roger that.

[oneless]

bitdefender 9 pro plus .

[Andrew932]

Norton because it hardly ever asks me to do anything.

Actually, I voted for Norton because I knew no-one else would

Zone Alarm.

This post has been edited by Andrew932: 27 March 2006 - 07:09 PM

[WolfX2]

Zone Alarm *off to update the security guide *

[jago_lfn]

http://ipcop.org/

[Andrew932]

Been trying out Look n'stop lite. Seems like a good firewall.

ANyone know how to configure it?

[bluescreens]

Windows default.

No issues, no compatibility problems, no hassles, works with everything, etc., etc., etc. Plus it's free.

[EchoNoise]

I use monowall for my direct connection to the internet, and through that I use a small Fedora Core 5 iptable configuration, works great

[Macstorm]

XP fw, hardware router...and common sense

[Zxian]

Andrew932, on Mar 29 2006, 02:50 PM, said:

Been trying out Look n'stop lite. Seems like a good firewall.

ANyone know how to configure it?

If you have to ask that question, I don't think it's a good firewall.

To me, a good firewall is one that when something comes up that requires your help:

a ) Tells you about the event - detailed information including application name, port number, destination IP, etc etc etc
b ) Gives you a list of options as to what to do
c ) Blocks the application until you've given the 'OK'

I used to be a big fan of Sygate, but I've been trying Outpost for a while and it seems to be doing the job. The built in DNS Cache and ad-blocker are pretty nice features as well. I had it on "Rules Wizard" for about a week when I first started it, and then once I had configured most of the rules, switched to Block Most. This is mainly just because I didn't want to be bothered any further, and because the tray icon is prettier that way...

The only thing I wish Outpost had was a button for "add rule". You click, select the application, and then configure the rule. That instead of going in, finding the application settings page, and then editing the rules...

Just a note - the interface of Outpost isn't for everyone. It's deinfately something that takes some getting used to, and most people just want an "OK" or "not OK" when they open the window.

[Indyan]

For some reason Zone Alarm creates problems over here.So I use Kaspersky (Kaspersky Internet Security)

[jftuga]

I found a new web site that may be of interest:
http://www.firewallleaktester.com/

Click on Tests on the left. I am testing out the Jetico firewall (it is freeware). See also:
http://www.firewalll...eward_stats.htm

-John

[Wesmosis]

Almost using no firewalls

[Jeremy]

Wesmosis, on Apr 13 2006, 06:32 PM, said:

Almost using no firewalls

You'd be surprised which programs and games try to send outgoing and and whereto. I've had image editors try to send to Microsoft, and didn't realize until my software firewall told me! If you have a router that monitors incoming and outgoing, that's fine, but I've heard that it slows down your connection overall due to the excessive packet monitoring done through the router. Makes sense.