Good free firewall?

brickout · Jul 14, 2005

Hi all -

My computer at work is on an always-open broadband connection, with only the WinXP firewall protecting it. It has anti-virus, spyware, etc., but no good firewall.

The boss doesn't want to pay for one. It's only for my computer, so we're not looking for a business-licensed one.

Any suggestions?

Heat · Jul 14, 2005

I love Outpost.
Kerio is okay.
Haven't tried zonealarm in a long time.

Xenocide · Jul 14, 2005

www.smoothwall.org running on a spare machine

brickout · Jul 14, 2005

Sweet...Will checkout Outpost and Smoothwall. I don't like the free version of ZA so much, either.

Thanks

WarriorII · Jul 14, 2005

I was reading the Quick start guide... & it formats your hdd?!?!?!?!

wtf? its a firewall !

is this correct?

if this is so, it just lost my vote.

brickout · Jul 14, 2005

^^^Which firewall is that?

Heat · Jul 14, 2005

I think smoothwall runs on Linux and people usually just use that box as a hardware firewall.

SolidxSnake · Jul 14, 2005

AVG All the way. Updates every day, haven't gotten a single virus.

Lonew0lf · Jul 14, 2005

I second Outpost Firewall. It has lots of features and is a excelent program, has full reporting of everything and control over what processes can access internet as well which I was after. All the others I found were more for the home user who just wanted a security program, but I wanted to see what was going on.

I started going through lots of different firewalls but as soon as I tried outpost I knew that it was the one.

There is a Free version and a Pro version.

Link to free - http://www.agnitum.com/download/outpost1.html

(and no, I don't work for Agnitum, just a happy customer!)

Randyman... · Jul 14, 2005

I'm having fantastic luck with the SP2 Firewall. Get behind a NAT Router, and run Windows SP2 Firewall and Kasperskey AV, and Spybot w/Tea Timer and SpywareBlaster. This has kept me 100% virus + spyware free, and I go to some pretty "dangerous" sites reguralry

. Norton would ALWAYS let stuff in, especially Malicious Java Script. Kaspersky blocks all of this stuff very well. Works for me on a daily basis, and the only part that I had to pay for was the $34.95 for Kaspersky. The rest was free.

Basic Port Forwarding and stuff is easily handled in SP2 Firewall. I can use WinMx and Bit Torrent/Azerus w/o any issues, and close the ports easily when not needed. It's already integrated into your OS, and serves me well...

Rock on

Heat · Jul 14, 2005

I don't believe that the XP firewall can block outbound traffic. So that and most hardware firewalls and nat routers appear to only block incoming traffic, whcih is why I prefer the software firewalls for more control. I believe it would be the most critical security tool for every personal computer, anti-virus software would be a distant second.

Randyman... · Jul 14, 2005

What all would need to be blocked from leaving your PC (besides DoS attacks)? Just curious what outbound traffic you would need to block assuming you have no spyware sending info out (which I have none since going to Kaspersky from Norton P.O.S

). Otherwise, what you send out is controlled by you, right? Thanks - I'm still learning about uber security (especially for my brand new WiFi network).

Heat · Jul 14, 2005

Many times non-internet programs will attempt to connect to the internet. Sometimes for legiitimate reasons like automatic program updates and such, but other times, they will want to connect to the internet for no good reason. So that's one area where software firewalls come into play - to control & monitor these program connections. This also could be useful if you're trying out new, unfamiliar software.

WarriorII · Jul 15, 2005

i was speaking of smoothwall.

just d/l'd outpost & gonna give that a go.

Ogre · Jul 15, 2005

zonealarm is what i use ....

Drec · Jul 15, 2005

Ogre said:
zonealarm is what i use ....

za has become sooo bloated over the last year or so, makes not having a firewall worth the risk imo.

WarriorII · Jul 15, 2005

I second Outpost Firewall. It has lots of features and is a excelent program, has full reporting of everything and control over what processes can access internet as well which I was after. All the others I found were more for the home user who just wanted a security program, but I wanted to see what was going on.

I started going through lots of different firewalls but as soon as I tried outpost I knew that it was the one.

There is a Free version and a Pro version.

Link to free - http://www.agnitum.com/download/outpost1.html

(and no, I don't work for Agnitum, just a happy customer!)

WOW !!! the user guide is 98 pages !!!!!!
glad I can print it out at work.

-I currently use ZA & Kerio(?) tried using kerio alone but the pop ups from proggys asking
for permission was killing my game play.
with ZA it cut it back to an "understandable" level.

and now everything is peachy keen fine.

Like what was said tho... ZA is bloated. - like a MS app !

that's why I'm looking for a more stream lined FW.

thefly · Jul 15, 2005

sygate personal firewall is my fav.

www.sygate.com

I like it better than the xp sp2 firewall. It notifies more often of what's happening. Which i prefer.

Skeen · Jul 15, 2005

I've been using the firewall built into my motherboard. Do you guys know if the nvidia firewall is any good?

BrutalDrew · Jul 15, 2005

Just stick with the windows firewall. Outbound filtering gives you nothing, but a false sense of security.

Good free firewall?

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