Best Software Firewall???

[jazztrumpet216]

Hey all... I've already networked our house, but we're currently sharing a 56k connection. We're going to have cable installed Monday (yea, I know I can do it, but my mom insists a professional do the work). My question-- we already have a hub so what's the best SOFTWARE Firewall out there???

[Christoph]

Originally posted by jazztrumpet216
Hey all... I've already networked our house, but we're currently sharing a 56k connection. We're going to have cable installed Monday (yea, I know I can do it, but my mom insists a professional do the work). My question-- we already have a hub so what's the best SOFTWARE Firewall out there???

At grc.com (http://grc.com/lt/scoreboard.htm), Steve highly recommends Tiny Personal Firewall (http://www.zdnet.com/downloads/stories/info/0,10615,71881,00.html) (I love it, plus it's free). It's nice to be able to decide for yourself which IP addys are OK etc. If you don't like that sort of thing, you might try one of the other recommended firewalls.

[UnseenMenace]

apparently Zone Alarm is well worth a look

[-Exi|e-]

If you want a free one, then i suggest Zone alarm. It does a very good job. If you want to buy one, then i would suggest McAffee firewall, thats what i use, you can tell it what program can have access to the internet, which ip you trust, which one you dont.

[Christoph]

Originally posted by -Exi|e-
...
If you want to buy one, then i would suggest McAffee firewall, thats what i use, you can tell it what program can have access to the internet, which ip you trust, which one you dont.

TPF does that for free. (I've got IE blocked! :D:D:D)

[WillysNut]

Originally posted by UnseenMenace
apparently Zone Alarm is well worth a look

I haven't tried Norton or Tiny but I can say from experience that the free version of ZA is a stable, secure product. Not having the cash for a router/switch/firewall combo, I originally tried Black Ice Defender....

Only to have a box hacked while I was away for the day. I still hear people say that BID is a good product but I think you really need to be infront of your pc at all times.

Zone Alarm supports Windows ICS (Internet Connection Sharing) and I haven't had a box hacked since I started using it *knocks on wood* :D

[jazztrumpet216]

Alrighty then, I'll look around for Zone Alarm... I'd heard BID is a good product but recently heard otherwise... good thing I read that before I got it!!!

[WillysNut]

Originally posted by jazztrumpet216
Alrighty then, I'll look around for Zone Alarm... I'd heard BID is a good product but recently heard otherwise... good thing I read that before I got it!!!

http://www.zonelabs.com

Happy Hunting! :)

[trapper]

i been using ZApro for over a year now and all was fine till my cable modem came and i was getting allsorts of hassle using my msn messenger infact i was that baffled i uninstalled it and tiny PF , which i also loved but now the only thing i use is norton PF which gave me a full stealth with steve gibsons "sheilds up" so do zone and tiny but they were not happening for me which just adds to the ranting i done about s/ware f/walls and how its what suits the user.............:burn:

[Miss winnie]

firewalls are useless, I bet pros can hack through firewalls if they really want to anyway...

[jazztrumpet216]

Well, I will be getting cable broadband access. I doubt any pros will be interested in my computer, but the other kids around here that know about computer might be, ones that would be on the same cable as I am. I'm taking precautions, they're not meant to stop a pro, just a casual hacker. If I got hacked by a pro, I would truly be amazed and I'd eat my words right now.

[Christoph]

Originally posted by Miss winnie
firewalls are useless, I bet pros can hack through firewalls if they really want to anyway...

Most of us aren't worried about pros. There are boatloads of end users with nothing distinguishing them from eachother. As long as it's not too easy to hack our comps, we're safe enough. Companies like Oracle with their 9i have to worry about the 1337 of the h4><0r world, but my cable modem and I are fine just as we are.

[trapper]

IF MAN CAN MAKE IT MAN CAN BREAK IT>>>>>>>
yes a s/ware firewall can be tunnelled or you can use an .exe packer to disguise yourself as internet explorer.exe and any wall will gladly - happilly let you in ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,BUT unless someone with the "knowledge" needs to access our desktops we are pretty safe as 99.9% of good hackers would not waste there time unless you had something they could not get anywhere else like government secrets or a big fat bank account youd know...........as the man above says us an our cable modems are cool as long as we do run a f/wall s/ware or h/ware:burn:

[YMAN]

Originally posted by Miss winnie
firewalls are useless, I bet pros can hack through firewalls if they really want to anyway...

Indeed they can,
but a firewall makes things about 100 times more secure!

I personally recommend Norton Firewall.
But on the other hand I prefer Hardware base firewalls.

-----------------------------

Here is a basic test site for hack security:

https://grc.com/x/ne.dll?bh0bkyd2

First do the "Test my shields test" then the "probe my ports" test.
On the probe my ports test stealthed ports are very good
closed ports are well, closed, and open ports are very easy
to hack.
Tell us your results, mine were:
Shields are - "Very Secure"
And my ports are - All stealthed, but a few are closed.

[jazztrumpet216]

On current dial-up with no firewall, my shields section registers as "very secure" and the ports are either closed or stealth. This is using XP... I'll install the firewall tomorrow when I get cable and let you all know.

[YMAN]

Your ISP must have a small form of security then,
they are begining to use it. But do get the firewall software
installed.

[J37X]

Tiny Personal Firewall :cool:

I havent tried any other firewalls, so my opinion may not be the greatest reference, but i find Tiny fairly easy to setup, and in the few months of using it, i have had no problems. It just sits there and does its job, simple as that