Can anyone recommend a good FREE firewall utility?

Chris MC · 02-13-2003, 02:35 AM

Hi there

I've just been to Download.com and there seem to be 100's of the things on there ... I just need a good recommendation ... or maybe two

Thanks.

juju · 02-13-2003, 03:20 AM

How about ZoneAlarm?

Chris MC · 02-13-2003, 03:24 AM

Hi there, Thanks for that ... is it good? do you use it? and does it work ok under WinXP?

perth · 02-13-2003, 08:22 AM

its what i use under xp. works fine for my purposes and is mich nicer than the one microsoft ships with xp.

~james

juju · 02-13-2003, 11:29 AM

ZoneAlarm is just about the best thing you can get for free. It's pretty much what everybody uses.

Uryoces · 02-13-2003, 05:11 PM

ZoneAlarm works great on my 2000 Pro box. It works like a charm. Go with it.

wolf · 02-27-2003, 01:27 PM

Okay, so I have this firewall thingy. (it's not zonealarm, it's one of the major brand ones, which my cable internet provider has hooked me up with a free year of ... (doesn't actually take the sting out of the obscene amount of money I'm paying for the really fast connection, but hell, it's something.

How do I tell what's the bad probes (other than the really obvious ones that report things like "probe for sub7 trojan blocked") that I should be clicking the report button for and what's the innocuous ones, or ones legitimately generated ... there's a bunch that appear to arise from various nodes operated by my provider for example ...

Undertoad · 02-27-2003, 02:17 PM

The most interesting information you get out of your firewall is which pieces of software want to act as servers. Most of the reports of attempted breakins you don't need to worry about; most of them are people twisting doorknobs, and in most cases your system isn't really breachable anyway, even without a firewall.

But you never know.

But pay close attention to what software wants to do what. Sometimes you'll learn what's spyware; more importantly you'll find out if you've been explicitly "trojan horsed" somewhere along the line.

juju · 02-27-2003, 05:08 PM

It also helps to learn what ports are used for what services. If you know that, then the logfiles make a little bit more sense.

Bitmap · 02-27-2003, 10:56 PM

I used to have zone alarm I even broke down and paid for the Zone alarm Pro. But since then i've switched to <a href="http://www.Kerio.com">Kerio</a> It allows better acces to your port usage, and being on a network is a little more secure, you can also (even on the Free version) you can set permissions, there are other things that make it nicer but you should go to their web site to see all the details. And Yes it runs across all platforms.<p>The fire wall that gives me the most protection though is my Router. If you have bought a (quality) router in the past 2 years then it automaticaly has one built into it and to see your settings you type in your web brouser the IP address of your router, Wich you can get by running a trace route in your command prompt.

02-13-2003, 02:35 AM	#1
Chris MC IT'S IN THE TREES! ... IT'S COMING! ... Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: I moved down to Southampton on the central South Coast in 1967 Posts: 101	Can anyone recommend a good FREE firewall utility? Hi there I've just been to Download.com and there seem to be 100's of the things on there ... I just need a good recommendation ... or maybe two Thanks. __________________ "It's people who don't come to places like this that I worry about. The ones who don't have an outlet. Say ... someone like yourself." "Oh, I have outlets. I read. I study bugs. I sometimes even ride roller coasters." "And your sex life?" "It doesn't involve going to the theater." "In my experience, Mr. Grissom, some men go to the theater ... some men are the theater." -- Lady Heather and Gil Grissom (Slaves of Las Vegas)

02-13-2003, 03:24 AM	#3
Chris MC IT'S IN THE TREES! ... IT'S COMING! ... Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: I moved down to Southampton on the central South Coast in 1967 Posts: 101	Hi there, Thanks for that ... is it good? do you use it? and does it work ok under WinXP? __________________ "It's people who don't come to places like this that I worry about. The ones who don't have an outlet. Say ... someone like yourself." "Oh, I have outlets. I read. I study bugs. I sometimes even ride roller coasters." "And your sex life?" "It doesn't involve going to the theater." "In my experience, Mr. Grissom, some men go to the theater ... some men are the theater." -- Lady Heather and Gil Grissom (Slaves of Las Vegas)

02-13-2003, 08:22 AM	#4
perth Strong Silent Type Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Fort Collins, CO Posts: 1,949	zonealarm its what i use under xp. works fine for my purposes and is mich nicer than the one microsoft ships with xp. ~james

02-27-2003, 01:27 PM	#7
wolf lobber of scimitars Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Phila Burbs Posts: 20,774	Nw What? Okay, so I have this firewall thingy. (it's not zonealarm, it's one of the major brand ones, which my cable internet provider has hooked me up with a free year of ... (doesn't actually take the sting out of the obscene amount of money I'm paying for the really fast connection, but hell, it's something. How do I tell what's the bad probes (other than the really obvious ones that report things like "probe for sub7 trojan blocked") that I should be clicking the report button for and what's the innocuous ones, or ones legitimately generated ... there's a bunch that appear to arise from various nodes operated by my provider for example ... __________________ wolf eht htiw og "Conspiracies are the norm, not the exception." --G. Edward Griffin The Creature from Jekyll Island High Priestess of the Church of the Whale Penis

02-27-2003, 10:56 PM	#10
Bitmap Look who thinks he's clever Dan. Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Washington DC Metro Area. Fairfax city Posts: 226	Zone Alarm isn't the best I used to have zone alarm I even broke down and paid for the Zone alarm Pro. But since then i've switched to <a href="http://www.Kerio.com">Kerio</a> It allows better acces to your port usage, and being on a network is a little more secure, you can also (even on the Free version) you can set permissions, there are other things that make it nicer but you should go to their web site to see all the details. And Yes it runs across all platforms.<p>The fire wall that gives me the most protection though is my Router. If you have bought a (quality) router in the past 2 years then it automaticaly has one built into it and to see your settings you type in your web brouser the IP address of your router, Wich you can get by running a trace route in your command prompt.

02-13-2003, 03:20 AM	#2
juju no one of consequence Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Arkansas Posts: 2,839	How about ZoneAlarm?

02-13-2003, 11:29 AM	#5
juju no one of consequence Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Arkansas Posts: 2,839	ZoneAlarm is just about the best thing you can get for free. It's pretty much what everybody uses.

02-13-2003, 05:11 PM	#6
Uryoces 2nd Covenant, yo Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Pugetropolis Posts: 583	ZoneAlarm works great on my 2000 Pro box. It works like a charm. Go with it.

02-27-2003, 02:17 PM	#8
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	The most interesting information you get out of your firewall is which pieces of software want to act as servers. Most of the reports of attempted breakins you don't need to worry about; most of them are people twisting doorknobs, and in most cases your system isn't really breachable anyway, even without a firewall. But you never know. But pay close attention to what software wants to do what. Sometimes you'll learn what's spyware; more importantly you'll find out if you've been explicitly "trojan horsed" somewhere along the line.

02-27-2003, 05:08 PM	#9
juju no one of consequence Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Arkansas Posts: 2,839	It also helps to learn what ports are used for what services. If you know that, then the logfiles make a little bit more sense.

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