Anybody know of any good free firewall?

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Hi Steve!

by glenn30 Dec 6, 2005 4:12AM PST

I have used ZoneAlarm for years and well satisfied... there are others. Go here:

http://www.zonelabs.com/store/content/company/products/trial_zaFamily/trial_zaFamily.jsp?lid=home_freedownloads

Under Special Offers click "Free ZoneAlarm and Trials".

Hope this helps.

Glenn

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Well... wrong link but where you need to be...

by glenn30 Dec 6, 2005 4:15AM PST

Go all the way to the right for the Free Download.

Sorry about link... dunno what happened!

Glenn

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hi glenn

by shclarkson Dec 6, 2005 10:40PM PST

thanks for your reply but the reveiws for the latest version of zone alarm in cnet dont look very good at all are you using the previous version or the latest? a lot of users are saying that untill this latest version they had no probs? thats why ive been reluctent to download the newest version. thanks steve

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Fear not Steve!

by glenn30 Dec 6, 2005 11:12PM PST

I have no problem installing and using ZoneAlarm. If this is a new install, download the Free version to disk and install from there. If (and I say IF) you have a previous older version then I recommend a complete uninstall of the old version before installing the new version. This is where I think most are having a problem. If this is your first install you should have no problem.

Hope this helps and best of luck... ZoneAlarm, in my opinion, is one of the best firewalls out there and monitors both incoming and outgoing packets. There may be a little learning curve but their defaults in the beginning will protect you and with a little experience it will be "old hat" for you.

Glenn

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Am using latest ZA version 6.1.737.000

by glenn30 Dec 6, 2005 11:22PM PST

and I installed it using "Update" method as opposed to "Clean Install" because I had the immediate preceding version. You are given that option in the install process; however, for you, even if you have a previous version, I would do a clean install to avoid those problems that others complain about.

Glenn

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re new za version

by shclarkson Dec 9, 2005 12:11AM PST

hi glen thanks for your help i installed ZA as you said and its working fine, just 1 thing i'd like to ask you is that it does not recognize AVG free anti-virus is this the best or do you know of a better or simler 1 that ZA recogize's regards steve.

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Hi Steve!

by glenn30 Dec 9, 2005 1:07AM PST

Not sure that I completely understand your problem/question. I am using ZoneAlarm along with AVG Free without any difficulty. I feel you may need to check the settings in ZoneAlarm and/or AVG Free.

As for me in ZA under ''Anti-Virus Monitoring'' in the left sidebar, I have set monitoring to ''Off'' which allows it to default to AVG Free. Then in the ''Program Control'' section is the left sidebar under the ''Main Tab'' be sure AVG Free is given access to Trusted & Internet. Under ''E-Mail Protection'' in the left sidebar ''Basic MailSafe Setting is set to off which allows AVG Free to do its job without interference from ZA. I hope some of this will be helpful but if not then I would check all settings in AVG Free to see that they are as you desire.

Am interested in your outcome... post back as both ZA and AVG Free are compatible working together. Been using them that way for a long time.

Regards,
Glenn

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hi glenn

by shclarkson Dec 9, 2005 3:31AM PST

changed settings as in your reply,in "program control" under main tab its set to "MED" programs must ask, is this correct? or should i change it to "LOW" learning mode? regards steve.

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Steve,

by glenn30 Dec 9, 2005 5:49AM PST

I think you did it just right... mine is set on Med and I personally would not set it any lower.

Did those changes correct your problem? Hope so... I like both of those programs as they have worked very well for me for a long time.

Glenn

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Forgot to mention...

by glenn30 Dec 9, 2005 6:07AM PST

If the pop-up alerts are bothersome you can shut them off in "Alerts & Logs" under Main Tab... I shut mine off and let ZA do its thing silently.

Glenn

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Hi Steve!

by glenn30 Dec 10, 2005 12:05AM PST

Got you CNet forum e-mail but I am unable to reply. I see your mail button is active but forum has some problem and will not allow me access to my profile or let me send you e-mail. Glad to help and you are most welcome!

Always nice to visit with our British cousins.

Regards,
Glenn

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re Recognizing Anti Virus software after download

by Marc1777 Dec 12, 2005 1:39PM PST

I to have had problems with the last two updates of Zone Alarm.

The simplest solution has always been to reload the current version of the Anti Virus software ----After---the Zone Alarm current version is installed.

This always fixes the red X in my systems tray over my current anti-virus provider's [Computer Associates International (CA)] eTrust ezAntivirus software. The most current version is always found in 'My Download files' of windows 98'. I just click on it, and it downloads itself.

That has been a short download for me and no further turning off of option/features of the free Zone Alarm program has been required.

Hope this helps shclarkson .

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Firewall

by tomron Dec 6, 2005 4:51AM PST

I like Sygate,you can back trace who is scanning your computer.I don't know if Zone alarm does that.Though it seems to be a consensus in the cnet forum for Zone alarm.

Here's a link

http://smb.sygate.com/products/spf_standard.htm

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Tom, I hate to be the bearer of bad news but

by roddy32 Dec 6, 2005 4:59AM PST

evidently you haven't read this.
http://news.zdnet.com/2100-1009_22-5974230.html

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Roddy,I stand corrected...

by tomron Dec 6, 2005 5:13AM PST

I heard another company had taken over,but thought it would still be available.

Thanx,
Tom

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Maybe you were thinking of Kerio, Kerio

by roddy32 Dec 6, 2005 5:17AM PST

discontinued their firewall but Counterspy rescued that one a week or so ago. I highly doubt that the same thing will happen here I'm afraid but it would be nice if it did.

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(NT) (NT) It's a possiblity

by tomron Dec 6, 2005 5:40AM PST

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I too use Sygate and have been pleased

by zeebell Dec 7, 2005 12:05AM PST

I find it more user friendly than some of the others.

Julea

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Re: Sygate Personal Firewall

by seanrwilson Dec 12, 2005 1:31AM PST

I was sad to see the article mentioning the demise of Sygate's FREE Personal Firewall. I've been using it for quite some time now and am very happy with it overall.

Too bad that it's been discontinued but what can you say. Norton is going to deliver their bloat-ware and the customer has to pony up $$ instead of getting a good product for free.

Barring the availability of Sygate's offering, I would have to recommend Zone Alarm, though it has a issues with some of the apps I run.

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Zonalarm Free

by photonboy Dec 7, 2005 12:04AM PST

http://www.zonelabs.com/store/content/company/products/trial_zaFamily/trial_zaFamily.jsp?lid=home_freedownloads

Also, if you have a wired router such as the d-link 704p which acts as a hardware firewall you actually do not need a software firewall and the manual tells you not to even install the software, so even Microsoft's firewall should be turned off in that case.

Here's some FAQ: http://www.irchelp.org/irchelp/security/fwfaq.html

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Agnitium Outpost comes as freeware...

by Edward ODaniel Dec 7, 2005 4:22AM PST

as well as their Pro version.
http://www.agnitum.com/products/outpostfree/index.php

Also despite reports to the contrary Sygate Personal Firewall is still available and will continue to be for at least the next 5 months.
http://smb.sygate.com/products/spf_standard.htm

Kerio's Personal firewall is still available free BUT has been aquired by Sunbelt Software who may or may not continue offering a free version
http://www.kerio.com/kpf_download.html

Another free firewall would be Jetico's freeware Personal Firewall:
http://www.jetico.com/index.htm#/jpfirewall.htm

Yet another freeware firewall offering would be Comodo's Personal Firewall:
http://www.personalfirewall.comodo.com/

Then there is NedVeda's Safety.Net which is Safety.Net is free for personal and not-for-profit charitable entity use (excluding governmental entities, educational institutions and libraries).
http://www.netveda.com/downloads/index.htm#safetynet

And other freeware (at least for personal use) Firewalls:
http://www.softperfect.com/products/firewall/
http://www.securepoint.cc/products_pcfirewall_en.html
http://www.primedius.com/PersonalFirewall.htm
http://sphinx-soft.com/firewall/order.html

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Sygate Personal Firewall

by haquijada Dec 12, 2005 1:32AM PST

i've been using sygate personal firewall for a while with no problems. note: try 5.6 if something shows up (not responding) go with 5.5.

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Got an old box in a closet?

by Chaosmstr Dec 12, 2005 11:37AM PST

Go with linux..
I've got an old doorstop (AMD K6 266, 64megs, 500meg HD)
that I have as a firewall running Linux. (IPCop)

This does two things.. puts old hardware back to good use, and doesn't bog down my main system with extra programs. I think the Anti-virus is bad enough.

There are a variety of Linux dists that are download/burn to CD/install.. you don't need to know linux to get it running, and once it's up, you don't need the monitor and KB anymore.

I monitor and manage my firewall over the network.