# what is best fire wall????



## BigJoe5434 (Jun 11, 2004)

what is the best fire wall and free to download???


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## Deathblow (Oct 7, 2003)

www.sygate.com

Try out personal firewall pro.


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## physician (Jul 13, 2004)

BigJoe5434 said:


> what is the best fire wall and free to download???


http://www.zonelabs.com/store/content/catalog/products/sku_list_za.jsp

Zone Alarm is free.

It is highly recommended.
http://www.download.com/3000-2092-10039884.html?part=zonealarm&subj=dlpage&tag=button
http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file_description/0,fid,7228,00.asp
http://www.webattack.com/get/zonealarm.html

I have it on the kids two computers at college...doc


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## hewee (Oct 26, 2001)

I like Zone Alarm pro.

But if you have Window XP and get the SP2 the newer version of ZAP will not work right.

Programs that may behave differently in Windows XP Service Pack 2

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;884130

But if you buy the box version in the store they have version 4 of ZA pro.

You can then go and turn off the auto update on ZA. Got to there site to upgade and getolder version. I would get the last 4.x version. Because the first couple of the 5.x version had bugs and then it was fixed but now with SP2 you may again have trouble with the new version of ZA.


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## Jakbrud (May 18, 2004)

I dont like ZoneAlarm, its bloatware. Get Sygate, its great. I personally just use a router


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## bearone2 (Jun 4, 2004)

router, only protects incoming but does a great job of it based on tests at symantec and grc.


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## hewee (Oct 26, 2001)

I am used to ZA so like it. But I would not have just a router because it will not stop things.


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## mimo2005 (Aug 14, 2004)

KASPERSKY FIREWALL IS THE BEST , inbound and outbound ,all ports secured ,easy to handle!!


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## Jim Wulf (Nov 25, 2002)

I Have A 4 Pc Wireless Network All Running Xp Home. I Have A Linksys Wrt54g Router. I Have It Set To The Highest Present Encyption Settings: Wpa-psk Tkip. I Currently Don't Have The Firewall Setup In Any Of The Pc's Because The Routers Settings Are Set For It To Be The Firewall. The Pc's Won't Go Online Or Communicate With Each Other If I Have The Firewall Enabled.
So, I Understand It That The Firewall In The Wireless Router Is The Only One I Need Set, Not The Firewalls In Each Pc.
Please Tell Me If These Are The Correct Firewall Settings And If Not, How Should I Change Them To Have The Highest Security Settings And Still Have All The Pc's Communicating?
Thanks, Jim


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## Chromey (Aug 16, 2004)

Zone Alarm works pretty well for me.


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## hewee (Oct 26, 2001)

Jim Wulf,

Not one that really knows but I am guess that you needed to reset your IP address after installing the software firewall. If I take out my router then I can't get online.
I have Windows 98 and I click run and type in Winipcfg. Then click on reless all. Then click on renew all. You may even have to press the reset button on your router.


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## Jim Wulf (Nov 25, 2002)

XP SP2 will be out soon or is now. I'm gonna wait till the kinks, links and lolly ginks(all that stuff) are worked out of it then download it. if I did now i heard downloading zonealarm wouldn't work cause you'd have to go back to an earlier vresion of it. is that right? what do u think of Sygate or Kapersky? would they conflict with the SP2 upgrade also???
thanx Jim


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## hewee (Oct 26, 2001)

Jim,

Programs that may behave differently in Windows XP Service Pack 2

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;884130


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## I Fix 4 U (Jul 19, 2004)

Yah will that link tell about zonealarm, kapersky, and sygate because those look like the 3 best and supposedly all the hype is because they are free?


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## I Fix 4 U (Jul 19, 2004)

another quick one. if winxp sp2 is has its own firewall will that conflict with norton etc. and why is it that everytime i use bittorrent i get security alerts in norton??? btw i need2 get riddof norton because the subscriptions old.


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## cheese (Jun 22, 2003)

I used to use zonealarm..but it was causing conflicts with my ISP. Its very basic and easy, i now use sygate, its just as good..and keeps logs of ip's that portscan you and stuff.

:up:


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## Rockn (Jul 29, 2001)

Smoothwall @ smoothwall.org


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## hewee (Oct 26, 2001)

You can always use the older versions of ZA and your be ok. I would get the last 4.x version because the first couple of 5.x versions had bugs in it and then they fixed it but now it will not work right with XP. 

I don't know if XP firewall will that conflict with norton. It should not but I don't know. 
Maybe you just need to do like ZA and add XP firewall to the ok list so you don't see the alert.


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## hewee (Oct 26, 2001)

Also get a router and your get a lot less hits. Best thing I did was get a router because I don't see all the port scans or pings any more. You know all the things you get and most are really nothing but it's shows up still.


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## I Fix 4 U (Jul 19, 2004)

got a router and i have xp sp1 so your saying sygate is the best for me right now and will still work if i decide to go sp2?


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## kath100 (Aug 20, 2003)

Nortons and SP2 compatibility
http://www.symantec.com/techsupp/sp2/faq.html#4


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## I Fix 4 U (Jul 19, 2004)

wow symantec claims alot, besides i'm dropping all symantec products and switching to free alternatives.


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## hewee (Oct 26, 2001)

Good a router is great to have. Just make sure what ever firewall you get works with XP sp2.


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## I Fix 4 U (Jul 19, 2004)

yah i'm definitely getting a free firewal so i'll email the company or check documentation about sp2.


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## werebear (Aug 20, 2004)

I use outpost its easy to use i have also used Zone alarm in the past but I prefer outpost.


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## I Fix 4 U (Jul 19, 2004)

noted


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## zdog (Apr 7, 2004)

hewee - does the newer version of ZAP not work right even if you turn off SP2's firewall? I haven't upgraded yet because of all of the problems but was thinking about it since I heard that they had been fixed.

Thanks


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## I Fix 4 U (Jul 19, 2004)

i'm not going to download sp2 until around 3 months because sp1 wasnt fixed until about half a year later.


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## hewee (Oct 26, 2001)

Programs that may behave differently in Windows XP Service Pack 2

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?kbid=884130&product=windowsxpsp2

You can get older versions of Zone Alarm here.

http://download.zonelabs.com/bin/free/information/zapwwf/releaseHistory.html

But if you look at the MS list of Programs that have trouble it looks like it's effects all the versions os ZA in some way.

There are new MS hotfixes coming out just to fix the SP2 update so maybe just wait and then ZA and other may have fixes too.


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## BillC (May 29, 2003)

I too am a Zone Alarm Pro fan and the latest release, ZAP 5.1 has indeed fixed most of the ZAP 5.0 problems. Also I understand ZAP 5.1 plays nice with and is recognized by SP2. BTW, the Free version has the same firewall engine as the paid versions. No opinion yet on Zone Alarm Security Suite.


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## hewee (Oct 26, 2001)

BillC said:


> I too am a Zone Alarm Pro fan and the latest release, ZAP 5.1 has indeed fixed most of the ZAP 5.0 problems. Also I understand ZAP 5.1 plays nice with and is recognized by SP2. BTW, the Free version has the same firewall engine as the paid versions. No opinion yet on Zone Alarm Security Suite.


Says ZoneAlarm 5.0.590
Issue or symptom
When you try to remove ZoneAlarm, you receive a Stop error message or your computer restarts before the uninstall program finishes.

So it works with SP2 but you have the above Issue or symptom.


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## I Fix 4 U (Jul 19, 2004)

zone alarm free isnt the best whats a full featured free firewall.


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## T_Rains (Aug 22, 2004)

Norton is known for it's interference with other programs. I personaly will not use symantic programs they are to invasive.


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## I Fix 4 U (Jul 19, 2004)

what do you think is the best fully featured firewall. i didnt like zonealarm because all the good stuff is in pro (ZAP) i wanted a free one.


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## hewee (Oct 26, 2001)

Your right the Zone Alarm Pro is better then just ZA. I have the ZA Pro and just installed the Free ZA on someones PC and missed seeing some of the things I like the best. Get a router to act as a hardware firewall is also something to have. Having both a software and hardware firewall works great.

Go here to ShieldsUP and run the test. Your want to be Stealth on all ports.
https://www.grc.com/x/ne.dll?bh0bkyd2


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## I Fix 4 U (Jul 19, 2004)

yah i know i'm working with someone who wont pay money for that stuff (though i recommend it) i have a router and a firewall and i dont think anyone hacks me.


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## hewee (Oct 26, 2001)

I also like to get the free version but for Xmas I got a gift card for Fry's. I went over there and I could not find anything I wanted to get. So after seeing Zone Alarm Pro there I said why not try it out. I am glad I got it now. Was a big change because I was using the older 3.x version that was very small and easy because you did not have all the tabs and other things they added to the 4.x versions. So been using it the pass 18 months. My time is up on getting free updates but that is ok because it does all I need it to do. Then later in the year after getting cable everyone on comcast were getting pings all day long. Like 1000's of them. Most were others from comcast. After a month of that and comcast not fixing things I went out and got the router and that took of all the pings etc. I mean I was safe still but I just got sick of seeing ZA blinking all the time. Now I may get only 10 or so hits a week and most of them are from me opening a program when the firewall is locked or one I said no to.


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## jargonize (Feb 9, 2003)

i've used outpost free for years now, like it better then za. thinking of upgrading soon to pro about $50 no conflicts with any software or with xp firewall. bocks all ports, blocks all out going all incoming unless you allow. 

just my 2cents.


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## hewee (Oct 26, 2001)

Firewalls links to look at.

http://lists.gpick.net/pages/Firewalls.htm

http://www.wilders.org/firewalls.htm

http://grc.com/lt/scoreboard.htm


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## marathon851 (Aug 25, 2004)

Zone Alarm works great for me...I have the Pro version now, and am happy with it. Had just as good of luck with the free version....i'd recommend giving it a try


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