Free Firewall Software

carl_p

I've been using Zone Alarm for years but the latest updated free version keeps on throwing up a new network detected window. It's a bugger to get rid of and I've now lost patience with it and have uninstalled ZA, relying on the basic Windows firewall instead.

Can anyone recommend an alternative to Zone Alarm which is free to download?

black20vt

Would you trust someone who came to you and offered you a free lock for your front door?


No?


Why would you trust someone who offered you a free firewall?

jim453

Well, there's the advice you didn't ask for.

I'd help you myself but I don't know anything about computers.

Google 'free firewall' perhaps.

father_jack

black20vt wrote:

Would you trust someone who came to you and offered you a free lock for your front door?


No?


Why would you trust someone who offered you a free firewall?

eh?

I know of Zone Alarm and that's it. I don't use firewall prog. Use the one built into the router.

deptfordmarmoset

Comodo's free and I've got it running on my PC. I've no idea how it compares with other free programs though.

http://personalfirewall.comodo.com/

Weejie54

Sygate is free. Yes, it's old, but it doesn't really need updating.

http://download.cnet.com/Sygate-Persona ... 49526.html

No bells and whistles but it does the job.

I use Sygate and also a Smoothwall gateway.

You need a dedicated computer to run it (old one):

http://www.smoothwall.org/

plife

deptfordmarmoset wrote:

Comodo's free and I've got it running on my PC. I've no idea how it compares with other free programs though.

http://personalfirewall.comodo.com/

I swapped from a paid version of Zone Alarm, after it completely screwed up my laptop and kept cauing it to freeze every few minutes, to the free Comodo version and it is very good. Running on all my computers and never had any issues!

secretsqizz

black20vt wrote:

Would you trust someone who came to you and offered you a free lock for your front door?


No?


Why would you trust someone who offered you a free firewall?

said with the idiotic conviction of someone who is probably an "IT Manager"
If you aint .. you fit the bill.

black20vt

My post was an offering to the OP to maybe think about what they were proposing to do
nothing more.
Your post was simply a cheap ill thought out insult made directly to me, which has no benefit to the OP. I feel sorry for you that you didn't 'get' the post, but guess what, it wasn't made for you.

father_jack

What are you blabbering about? Zone Alarm, and other free anti-virus progs are fine.

sampurnell

Father Jack wrote:

What are you blabbering about? Zone Alarm, and other free anti-virus progs are fine.

which is why the it security industry is non existent?
:roll:

sampurnell

Carl_P wrote:

I've been using Zone Alarm for years but the latest updated free version keeps on throwing up a new network detected window. It's a bugger to get rid of and I've now lost patience with it and have uninstalled ZA, relying on the basic Windows firewall instead.

Can anyone recommend an alternative to Zone Alarm which is free to download?

Carl,
free antivirus programmes are fine , however i wouldnt trust a free firewall.
use a decent router with an inbuilt firewall to keep people out then use a antivirus to keep things clean.

irturner

Anything wrong with the built in firewall ?
As long as you're using a router and not a usb modem then that should block all incoming attacks and the Windows firewall any outgoing stuff.
Anti malware protection is probably more important these days.

Heckler1974

I am an IT manager, at home I hide behind my router and it's firewall and have Zone Alarm free installed as well.

Draw whatever conclusions you want from that.......

The majority of intrusions/zombifications take place because the user clicks on/downloads something, simple as that. There are a minority of attempted open port attacks but a basic router firewall and a freebee firewall will plug those holes.

The insecurity of Microshaft Windows stems (IMHO) from it's ubiquity and thus making the investment in time to find security holes worthwhile to the crims and the fact that most Windows users run as admin so it's far to easy to install malware infested cack.

father_jack

sampurnell wrote:

Carl_P wrote:

I've been using Zone Alarm for years but the latest updated free version keeps on throwing up a new network detected window. It's a bugger to get rid of and I've now lost patience with it and have uninstalled ZA, relying on the basic Windows firewall instead.

Can anyone recommend an alternative to Zone Alarm which is free to download?

Carl,
free antivirus programmes are fine , however i wouldnt trust a free firewall.
use a decent router with an inbuilt firewall to keep people out then use a antivirus to keep things clean.

bet you don't trust linux then either lol.

don_don

I have exactly the same problem, and am also getting a bit fed up with the constant prompts to upgrade to the paid version every time I boot up. Plus the latest scare pop-up about the worm that steals banking passwords (can't remember what its called). I used to pay for ZoneAlarm Pro but didn't really need all the logging/admin functionality.

I used to use the Gibson Research Corp. "ShieldsUp" website a lot when I was studying (http://www.grc.com/default.htm). He was complimentary about ZoneAlarm then, but I haven't looked at the site for a long time.

I'm tempted to try something else for a while. On the other hand, perhaps I should just pay for ZA Pro and accept they need to make some money from these things!

carl_p

don_don wrote:

I have exactly the same problem, and am also getting a bit fed up with the constant prompts to upgrade to the paid version every time I boot up. Plus the latest scare pop-up about the worm that steals banking passwords (can't remember what its called). I used to pay for ZoneAlarm Pro but didn't really need all the logging/admin functionality.

I used to use the Gibson Research Corp. "ShieldsUp" website a lot when I was studying (http://www.grc.com/default.htm). He was complimentary about ZoneAlarm then, but I haven't looked at the site for a long time.

I'm tempted to try something else for a while. On the other hand, perhaps I should just pay for ZA Pro and accept they need to make some money from these things!

Yeah, there's afew posts on IT forums about this. ZA used to come (and probably still is) highly recommended.

As far as I know my router has a firewall although that didn't seem to stop ZA from occasionally popping up with a warning that univited access from some other computer/network had been blocked.

Wappygixer

I haven't used a firewall for years, not since I last hada usb modem when broadband was first released.
A router does a dam fine job in my experience.I use a good quality AV program in Kaspersky and run regular spyware scans.
All routers are basic firewalls as all port pings end there at the router.With so many great broadband offers on these days no one should feel the need to use a usb modem anymore.

pomtarr

Forgive my ignorance here - Is there anything wrong with the Windows Vista firewall?

Cleat Eastwood

The think about zone alarm is that it detects data incoming and data trying to connect to the internet (ie out going), windows vista firewall will only inform you of attacks from outside, it wont let you know of software trying to send data out.

I'm in the worst of both worlds in that i use a cracked version of zone alarm, so no doubt some russian gangster is reading this even as I speak.

shouldbeinbed

Cleat Eastwood wrote:

so no doubt some russian gangster is reading this even as I speak.

errr this post that you've put on an open forum on the world wide web

I ditched zone alaerm as it got to be a PITA and use windows (XP) firewall - its been spot on. its unobtrusive and much more user friendly.


to the poster sneering about free stuff.

I use free Malwarebytes too to scan periodically, Avast free antivirus, CC Cleaner for my registry cleaning etc and Openoffice.

all are absolutely excellent and free

Have a look at http://www.filehippo.com/ as a good store of lots of the best freeware stuff around

The smoke alarms in my house came free from the fire brigade. I could buy just the same for a tenner in B&Q a couple of weeks later - how stupid would I have been. free doesn't always mean crap,

Flibb

Microsoft security essentials is free, small footprint, and dows well when compared to both free and retail AV/Security software.

nubenotforlong

Hi, as said MS security essentials is good, actually very good. I work in web software including security and I run it at home. But only behind a 'NAT' based firewall. Most adsl/virgin routers are NAT firewalls. If yours is not broadband stuff has then for as little as £20! From then on free av/anti spyware is great.

1 last thing... On your firewall change the default password and turn off something called upnp. If you don't know what it is, turn it off while you are researching.

Tony

Bugly

I was told by a IT mate of mine firewall on a router is to stop attacks from the outside, firewall on the PC is to protect you from outgoing connections if you do get comprimised by downloading some dodgy software, clicking in a site etc and getting a trojan.

So my philosphy is simple - I have a firewall on the router and each PC has upto date virus/firewall packages. I dont mind paying an annual subscription.

I avoid bloatware such as Symantec, McFees. Trend Micro have provide packages with virus/firewall that is not too heavy on system resources and provide well priced packages for 4 pcs which suits my needs. Another cheapy that works well is Avast. YMMV

antfly

I use MS security essentials also and it detects viruses but it doesn't ever get rid of them properly. I run malwarebytes whenever a virus is detected and it picks up the crap that security essentials leaves behind.

Weejie54

So my philosphy is simple - I have a firewall on the router and each PC has upto date virus/firewall packages. I dont mind paying an annual subscription.

That's why I use Sygate. Anti-virus programmes need to be kept up to date. Firewalls don't. The firewall reports anything that is trying to access the network. That doesn't change. Advertising hype may tell you otherwise - but it's simply hype.
NAT firewalls have limitations and need to be configured properly to be most effective. A Smoothwall gateway has more versatility than the average router/modem firewall. Well worth considering. The logging, in particular, is most useful if you want to trace problems to a particular machine.

B1ghubba

Read this and see what you think

http://www.techsupportalert.com/best-free-firewall.htm

father_jack

Best firewall is probably hardware based high end router ie Cisco or perhaps a dedicated file server, Linux, Unix, NT/2008 server.

Weejie54

Read this and see what you think

Not the most comprehensive and in-depth analysis.

Best firewall is probably hardware based high end router ie Cisco or perhaps a dedicated file server, Linux, Unix, NT/2008 server.

Dedicated Linux firewall? Smoothwall, perhaps?