Firewall question.

At last and fortunately i have a new ADSL 512k connection at home and get rid of this slooooowwwwww dial-up 56k i use untill now.
I know that in comparison with a lot of you im still slow ,but for me its a huge difference,especially in downloads.

Anyway i would like to ask if you have to suggest me a decent Firewall protection.(freeware or payware,no matter).

Thanks in advance.

depends on how good you are with these things

The Windows XP SP2 firewall is actually quite good as it is

Or I like Black Ice

do not use norton it will hammer your machine

I think Zone alarm is a bit poop too

Also make sure you have good virus protection, www.avast.com has been better for me than any other virus app i have tried and its free!

Well im not an expert but i like to learn...

Im using Norton2005 as a virus protection(without firewall)and i use XPpro SP2.
I will download and check ''Avast'' when i get back home and tell you about it.
You put me in thoughts about ,if i had to let XPs firewall or get the Black ice you suggest.

Anyway thanks a lot for your reply.
I was thinking asking from you a reward about Becky's vote (to be honest i have to wait till i get back at home in order to vote cause i dont want to put my office's mail there) but now i think that you pay me as well...

Well we all have our favourites. For me I've tried many in the past free and payware. Of the free stuff, I found Zone Alarm and AVG, to be my best choice. But now I use payware, and I'm very pleased with the one I'm using, BitDefender, it's an install and forget job, and I have found it to do all that is claimed. They also do an all in one, Firewall and Virus checker combined, which I'm thinking of upgrading to.

www.bitdefender.com

And a free trial is available.

The Sygate Personal (free) version works flawlessly here.

I'm a big fan of the McAffe security suite myself.

I have one problem with mcafee and norton (as well as others that do the same). The idea of, "Buy our software, but it will be worthless after a year unless you keep giving us money.", really offends me.

Avast has a free license which can be renewed after a year. It works real-time and is updated frequently.

For spyware, I'm using the current MS beta version, although now that they seem to have eliminated certain adware/spyware purveyors from their definition of spyware (hint: They are thinking of buying these companies), I will nave to find another anti-spyware program.

I use XP firewall and would get Black Ice as Insight said.
If you get a router with a hard firewall XP firewall will be all you need.
Get a
http://home.cisco.com/en-eu/home

A $50 US$ one is excellent.

Insight,

I concure with what you said.

Regards,

As a good spy cleaner i suggest Spy-bot.I use it about 1year and a half and its decent,frequently updated and resulting.

I get Zone Alarm from a friend and this moment i also download Sygate.I ll check them and let you now my compination of antivirus and firewall.

Thanks a lot for all your responces.

Thanks for this link RadarMan but i already have my router.The company i work for is also a router manufacturer so i get one from there.(jet speed 500i)


Thanks for your help.
Im also looking about Black ice but unfortunately cant find my region in the list.

XP and a router should be more than enough.
Good luck with it and keep running those spyware apps, they try to sneak in, zap them.

Well im back to this topic in order to share the results...

I finaly decide to get Zone Alarm as Firewall protection for the simple reason that two friends of mine already have it and die for it...(in legal copies)and Avast antivirus for my virus protection.

I uninstal Norton,delete Norton program file,clean up registries and my hard disk and restart.I disable XPs Firewall protection and install ZA.I very carefully read about and choose settings and get it working.Although i must notice that all this warnings quiet bothering me,from the other side i thought that this is a positive sign that this program doing his job properly, so i relax.After this i install Avast.
After installation i get a message about that some functions of Avast arent compatible with ZA so i must choose''YES'' from the appeared window in order to disable this functions and dont face up on problems in future.
This message also promise that Avast people are working on it and soon it will be solved.
That was the first minus point of this compination.Anyway i pass it and finalize installation.Restart and check my Net connection.Everything seems to be great.

After a few moment and having three links open in Firefox(Flyaway,and two local sites-one for news and one holiday guide)my browser freezes.
I couldnt click on anything even not to start button on toolbar.
I hit ALT+CTRL+DEL but nothing happens... My system didnt respond. I have never face up in such kind of problem from my last format(CPU and MOBO upgrade)and i have install and run many programs and games(legal and not )
I had to close my system from main switch in order to restart . I open Firefox again with only Flyaway with having on my mind that maybe some of the other links i was running gives me the problem.After 1-2 minutes same freezing same no ALT+CTRL+DEL etc.Second main switch off Restart and open IE this time.
Excactly the same.Restart(hard one),disabling Avast,opening IE,opening Google...Freezing 4th main switch restart,disabling ZA,opening Flyaway...seems to work..10 minutes no freezing.

Quick decision.Remove immediatly ZA.

Open add/remove programs(i have advanced unistaller too)hit unistall and get black screen and restart

I start get in big thoughts about my systems stability after all these forced restarts and i was afraid of a total crash.
Anyway when im back i choose to uninstall it from advanced unistaller.Same results.Black screen and restart .
My system seems to handle all this disaster and nothing bad seems to have happened to it.
Advanced uninstaller again and with shacking hand i hit ''Forced Removal'' option.Nothing bad happens this time.ZA was remove from programs list and i also delete from program file the ZAs created folder.But the systems 32 ZAs folder couldnt be deleted cause....''Access Denied''.Im checking the running applications in task manager nothing seems to running which has to do with Zone Alarm.
Anyway i clean up the registries of ZA and just in case i run Spy bot,and Adaware and clean up my disk.I try to get in Net...and what a big surprise i couldnt...
Normal restart this time.Try Net...same results .Check the settings of my Ethernet card(on board)Seems to be ok.I ''ping'' the router from command prompt and get error and full packets loss
Seems that my system couldnt connect with Router. Unistall from device manager the Ethernet card and reinstall it after a restart of course...same results..no connection I put manually the ip adreeses DNS server etc in my connection TCP/IP properties but of course nothing better....
I also reset router and check all my cable connections and also try to connect router from usb port but there is no improvment.The time of restoring has come...
So i choose the restore point and my system...didnt managed to restored... .Other restore point same dissapointing results.
It was obvious that my systems stability has taken a serious hit...

Final decission.Format.

I start format with the thought to instal again ZA in order to confirm that this was the trouble maker.
After a back up I format and install OS,MOBOs drivers and Ethernets drivers.In this point i ''ping'' my router(from command prompt again)and...yes i take responce.
Opening IE put the IP of router and im in the main menu.I notice there that username and password has changed and have to put again mine.
After save and reboot router i open IE and get google and other sites normaly.

The problem seems that have been solved.
I create a restore point and after this i install the second copy of ZA(maybe the other was damaged....)
For a long time seems working very well and i continue installing VGA drivers with always open the IE and checking if i have connection.All good.
I restart cause of VGA needed and still have my internet.After a few moments i get a message about some updates for ZA.I download them,run exctractor and hit ''Install'' and my system.... gives me black screen and restarts .

After restart check Internet connection and thanks God it was still OK.I try to unistall again ZA from system but of course it restarts... .
I restore my system to the last created point(before install)ZA and all works perfect.

Im not going to continue my installation fron this point because its a restore point and this ...ALIEN...is still in my system.I will format and set it up from the begining and turn away even the CDs of ZA...Maybe bad spirits...

In conclusion i know that maybe im a unique case but anyway i dont like programs that turns to masters of our system.I like everytime i want get rid of anything.I want to have the control of my system and no program takes it by force.

My final choice is to continue with Norton2005 and Windows FireWall.Maybe and i say maybe i ll check Sygate that CrashGordon suggested and KenTels Bitdeffender... :umm...:No offensive to all of your kind suggestions my friends but im afraid the possility of a third format in 2 days.Its a record for me...

Im deeply apologise for my huge and maybe boring post.
And im also open to corrections notices or suggestions about anything.

tbh Zone Alarm is a pile of crap in my opinion..

I run windows sp 2 firewall and avast antivirus with no difficulty whatsoever.

Avast is FAR superior to Norton in that its better at its job AND it uses alot less system resources

I have no doubt about Avast and im also thinking of try it...But Zone.... NEVER

I would have thought if i had to suggest it even in my enemies....

ZoneAlarm has proven problematic for a number of folks.It used to be much more reliable.

The only problem with the SP2 firewall is that it only blocks inbound packets. It provides no protection from malware phoning home, etc.

the SP2 firewall does seem to stop applications phoning home, it warned me about an application the other day when I installed it

Interesting. All the reviews I read about it, said otherwise.

maybe something was inbound accessing a specific application?

Well my friends im back.I format my system and install all the basics.I finally choose CrashGordons ''Sygate'' as a Firewall protection ,and Insights ''Avast Antivirus''.

Untill now everything seems working great.

I would like to THANKS A LOT all of you who have the patient and kindness to help me and sharing with me your useful knowledges.

Dont forget to set Avast to automatically update(everyday) and you can switch that voice off in settings

Please help a beginner to understand "phoning home"

Thank you

i like the voice, she turns me on!!

lol

Thanks a lot TTT.I already get rid of this voice even though she is smooth and gently... and set up the updates.

Hey Insight...Allow me to notice that it is strange point that with Becky next to you,you have to listen avast lady in order to be....turned on...


Just kidding of course....This is a personal side of ours and we can like anything...

Thank you too for your useful informations.

Are you guys serious?? Mine is a He and he sounds very grumpy

As i already said...everyone is free to choose his personal life...

I'm glad to see you happy again Greekman However, Ididn't know that you could choose between male or female voice with Avast

Nobody ever tells me anything Besides, what is this 'guy' doing in my personal life hiding inside my computer??

No we dont and we never will be...
Well since im in my office now i cant expain to you about the voice options but i ll try it when im back home.Promise...

I dont know....

lol

my avast antivirus voice is a chick

given the title of the software, i think it should talk to you with a pirate accent!