Great *free* Firewall
CommunistWithAGun
Local Propaganda Guy Join Date: 2003-04-30 Member: 15953Members
Local Propaganda Guy Join Date: 2003-04-30 Member: 15953Members
in Off-Topic
<div class="IPBDescription">Zone Alarm Ain't Cutting It.</div> All you really need to know is contained in the title/description. I'm looking for a reliable free firewall, any except zonealarm. Thanks <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->
Comments
And no, before anyone suggests it, BlackIce Defender is one of the WORST things you can do. It lights you up like a christmas tree... essentially telling the outside world that you're vulnerable to EVERY exploit under the sun, while blocking most of them. Problem is... <i>most</i>. Eventually, someone will find one that BID missed, and you'll be up **** creek in an innertube, headfirst.
Windoze: Tiny Personal Firewall > Zonealarm... the bad thing is, that in August 2003 the guys at Tiny Software decided to discontinue the 4.5 Version wich was free for personal use and concentralte on the 5.0 and 5.1 versions wich both cost $45+ depending on your OS and needs <!--emo&:(--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/sad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='sad.gif'><!--endemo-->
It seems to have everything you need. As well as a good Anti-Virus......
Although I now expect Talesin to pwn me.
As well, CWAG was asking for a free solution. Last I checked, Norton required payment to sit there and drool on your computer.
[EDIT:] From the main page:
<!--QuoteBegin--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->SmoothWall Express is based on the Linux operating system. Linux is the ideal choice for security systems; it is well proven, secure, highly configurable and freely available as open source code. SmoothWall includes a hardened subset of the GNU/Linux operating system, so there is no separate OS to install. Designed for ease of use, SmoothWall is configured via a web-based GUI, and requires absolutely no knowledge of Linux to install or use.<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
486 computers run for what nowadays? Like $20-$30?
yeah, with security you gets what you pays for ... pony up, linksys is cheap this time of year
I don't know if it's free though...
<!--QuoteBegin--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->To enable or disable Internet Connection Firewall
Open Network Connections
Click the Dial-up, LAN or High-Speed Internet connection that you want to protect, and then, under Network Tasks, click Change settings of this connection.
On the Advanced tab, under Internet Connection Firewall, select one of the following:
To enable Internet Connection Firewall (ICF), select the Protect my computer and network by limiting or preventing access to this computer from the Internet check box.
To disable Internet Connection Firewall, clear the Protect my computer and network by limiting or preventing access to this computer from the Internet check box.
Notes
To open Network Connections, click Start, click Control Panel, and then double-click Network Connections.
You must be logged on as an administrator or a member of the Administrators group in order to complete this procedure. If your computer is connected to a network, network policy settings may also prevent you from completing this procedure.
If you clear the Protect my computer and network by limiting or preventing access to this computer from the Internet check box, the firewall on your computer is disabled, and your network is vulnerable to intrusions.
You should not enable Internet Connection Firewall on virtual private networking (VPN) connections or on client computers because ICF will interfere with file and printer sharing.
ICF cannot be enabled on the private connections of the Internet Connection Sharing host computer.
Internet Connection Sharing, Internet Connection Firewall, Discovery and Control, and Network Bridge are not available on Windows XP 64-Bit Edition.
<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I have to step outside tomorrow. It's cold out there. Not related to topic but I just wanted to let you know. Wish me luck.
I don't know if it's free though... <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
*twitch*
<!--QuoteBegin--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->To enable or disable Internet Connection Firewall
Open Network Connections
Click the Dial-up, LAN or High-Speed Internet connection that you want to protect, and then, under Network Tasks, click Change settings of this connection.
On the Advanced tab, under Internet Connection Firewall, select one of the following:
To enable Internet Connection Firewall (ICF), select the Protect my computer and network by limiting or preventing access to this computer from the Internet check box.
To disable Internet Connection Firewall, clear the Protect my computer and network by limiting or preventing access to this computer from the Internet check box.
Notes
To open Network Connections, click Start, click Control Panel, and then double-click Network Connections.
You must be logged on as an administrator or a member of the Administrators group in order to complete this procedure. If your computer is connected to a network, network policy settings may also prevent you from completing this procedure.
If you clear the Protect my computer and network by limiting or preventing access to this computer from the Internet check box, the firewall on your computer is disabled, and your network is vulnerable to intrusions.
You should not enable Internet Connection Firewall on virtual private networking (VPN) connections or on client computers because ICF will interfere with file and printer sharing.
ICF cannot be enabled on the private connections of the Internet Connection Sharing host computer.
Internet Connection Sharing, Internet Connection Firewall, Discovery and Control, and Network Bridge are not available on Windows XP 64-Bit Edition.
<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd--> <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
I don't use Windows Xp right now because its a resource hog and my current PC is...less than excellent. I use win2k atm.
<a href='http://www.snapfiles.com/freeware/security/fwfirewall.html' target='_blank'>http://www.snapfiles.com/freeware/security...fwfirewall.html</a>
I don't know if it's free though...<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--QuoteBegin--Talesin+ Before anyone else posted--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Talesin @ Before anyone else posted)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->And no, before anyone suggests it, BlackIce Defender is one of the WORST things you can do. It lights you up like a christmas tree... essentially telling the outside world that you're vulnerable to EVERY exploit under the sun, while blocking most of them. Problem is... most. Eventually, someone will find one that BID missed, and you'll be up **** creek in an innertube, headfirst. <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
As for the other firewalls, ZA bogs down net traffic and is a pain in the rear end for Overnet and Ventrilo users, Norton Personal Firewall looks good and professional until actually asked to block something (although I did appreciate the possibility to restrict/allow only certain ports per program) and I forget why I uninstalled Sygate. I guess it just wasn't enough. I've heard that the Finnish firewall Netti-Kilpi is actually a very fine piece of software. Unfortunately it's not free, so I can't verify this.
I think this is the main argument for buying the commercial version of any available software firewall. If I'm not mistaken, the "professional" versions usually incorporate tools to block individual ports.
I <3 MonsE.
I haven't tried it, but it feels odd to have the same OS guarding your net connection that left so many ports unprotected in the first place.
On my comp, ShieldsUp! says that ICF has left the following ports open:
135 - RPC port
139 - NetBIOS port (this is not very nice)
1025
1028
Also, the computer accepted a preliminary connection from an unknown computer. NetBIOS conn failed, though, but it doesn't prevent the reading of the MAC address in any way. With a full port scan, I can see that most of the ports are closed, but none are stealthed. Is there any way to adjust ICF?