I need a new firewall

locallyunscene

<div class="IPBDescription">for Vista</div>So I recently finished putting together my new box last night after having to RMA one dead motherboard. I installed vista because this was my new gaming rig and I wanted the option to play the newest games and copied all of the files that I downloaded on my second HDD before my old PC crapped out.
The major problem I ran into is apparently Symantec Firewall won't run on Vista and I'm not sure what's good/cheap out there for firewalls. Any suggestions?

Thansal

Do you not run behind a router? most hardware firewalls (even linksys) are just as good (if not better) then software ones, with the giant added benefit of taking up 0 system resources....

TychoCelchuuu

Does Vista still have a Windows Firewall? Those work pretty well.

locallyunscene

I am behind a router, but I still feel naked without a firewall. Call it a comfort blanket.

MedHead

Windows Vista does come with a firewall (Windows Firewall). It's not designed well for outbound connection monitoring, so some people don't consider it a worthwhile option.

locallyunscene

<!--quoteo(post=1647588:date=Sep 5 2007, 11:14 AM:name=MedHead)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(MedHead @ Sep 5 2007, 11:14 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1647588"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Windows Vista does come with a firewall (Windows Firewall). It's not designed well for outbound connection monitoring, so some people don't consider it a worthwhile option.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

What he said. It's mostly so I can keep programs from accessing the internet whenever the heck they feel like it. I don't need googleNotifier/WMP/iTunes updating themselves just because they can.

Hellbilly

Best firewall i've ever used is Sygate Personal Firewall. Unfortunately it's been discontinued for la while and bought up by Symantec so it will probably not work on Vista.

niaccurshi

According to reviews the best one is ZoneAlarm these days, and the top package is only like $60 or something (per year). Just make sure you get version 7.1 if you want it to work with Vista

Mantrid

<!--quoteo(post=1647646:date=Sep 5 2007, 12:12 PM:name=niaccurshi)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(niaccurshi @ Sep 5 2007, 12:12 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1647646"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->According to reviews the best one is ZoneAlarm these days, and the top package is only like $60 or something (per year). Just make sure you get version 7.1 if you want it to work with Vista<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

I'm pretty sure the firewall by itself, and not the full security package, is free.

niaccurshi

<!--quoteo(post=1647677:date=Sep 5 2007, 11:20 PM:name=Mantrid)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Mantrid @ Sep 5 2007, 11:20 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1647677"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->I'm pretty sure the firewall by itself, and not the full security package, is free.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Probably

Luukas

<!--quoteo(post=1647677:date=Sep 6 2007, 01:20 AM:name=Mantrid)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Mantrid @ Sep 6 2007, 01:20 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1647677"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->I'm pretty sure the firewall by itself, and not the full security package, is free.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
The free version of Zonealarm is, supposedly, bloated trash.

Give <a href="http://www.personalfirewall.comodo.com/" target="_blank">Comodo</a> a shot? Even though it's free, I liked it better than Outpost 4 ("forgot" settings at times, log became corrupted, memory footprint could reach 60MB... and it uses SPI only if you add a trigger to the rules).

locallyunscene

Hmm thanks. I dled the free zone alarm but I haven't installed it yet. I would like to try Comodo but there's no Vista version yet so I guess I'll install zone alarm tonight.

Luukas

<!--quoteo(post=1647784:date=Sep 6 2007, 05:52 PM:name=locallyunscene)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(locallyunscene @ Sep 6 2007, 05:52 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1647784"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Hmm thanks. I dled the free zone alarm but I haven't installed it yet. I would like to try Comodo but there's no Vista version yet so I guess I'll install zone alarm tonight.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Ah, I thought the Vista version was out already, should've checked. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/marine.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="::marine::" border="0" alt="marine.gif" />

locallyunscene

Soooo I tried zone alarm,

It took super long to restart my computer: Strike 1.

It forced me to use Internet Explorer as its interface and messed with the internet security settings: Strike 2.

There was no easy interface to unblock outgoing programs: Strike 3, YOU'RE OUTTA HERE!

Thanks for the help, but I guess I'm stuck with windows firewall for a little bit.

Scythe

I'll readily admit that I haven't read any of this thread past the first mention of "Zonealarm".

<!--sizeo:7--><span style="font-size:36pt;line-height:100%"><!--/sizeo-->Avoid Zonealarm like a lepper with the plague who is also covered with flaming poo.<!--sizec--></span><!--/sizec-->

Seriously. Don't even contemplate considering going anywhere near that pile of putrid pus. It's singularly the worst piece of software ever to exist in any form ever.

You don't believe me? If you uninstall it <b>it sees fit to lock down all network traffic on every adapter</b>. I guess that's one way to make a computer safe.

Another time a small mini-version of zonealarm came with a piece of VPN software that I had to install. When I uninstalled it after I'd finished it put a little entry in some config file (somewhere, I forget) that prevented any traffic on port 80. I could ping, I could SSH, I could IRC, just no web browsing. After I managed to hunt down this elusive little ###### of a file (not hosts) everything was back to normal.

In closing: I hate zonealarm more than hitler hated the jews.

--Scythe--

Shockeh

<pedant>

Running behind NAT through a router is <b>*not*</b> Firewalling. If people could get that simple fact through their brains, we'd see an awful lot less owned boxes.

</pedant>

- Shockwave

niaccurshi

<!--quoteo(post=1647939:date=Sep 7 2007, 09:03 AM:name=Scythe)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Scythe @ Sep 7 2007, 09:03 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1647939"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->In closing: I hate zonealarm more than hitler hated the jews.

--Scythe--<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Fair play, I only mention it (not that I use it) because it's got (v7+) good reviews, top rated infact by reputable types.

Redford

I have a secure router. \o/

Tesseract

<!--quoteo(post=1647762:date=Sep 6 2007, 11:44 AM:name=Luukas)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Luukas @ Sep 6 2007, 11:44 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1647762"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->The free version of Zonealarm is, supposedly, bloated trash.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

As is the Security Suite; I did not continue to purchase after my initial subscription ran out.

Rover

<!--quoteo(post=1647610:date=Sep 5 2007, 06:52 PM:name=Hellbilly)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Hellbilly @ Sep 5 2007, 06:52 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1647610"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Best firewall i've ever used is Sygate Personal Firewall. Unfortunately it's been discontinued for la while and bought up by Symantec so it will probably not work on Vista.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Ditto. Still running it on desktop (xp), but laptop's running vista and it doesn't work on it. Winblows firewall in vista's surprisingly efficient. The old winblows firewall was about as secure as not having any connection at all. And I don't mean that in a good way. Also: router ftw.