# help needed! i need a freeware firewall reccomendation ASAP please

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-needed-i-need-a-freeware-firewall-reccomendation-asap-please/518503>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 22, 2009, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-needed-i-need-a-freeware-firewall-reccomendation-asap-please/518503 "2009-11-22T05:35:10Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Rumor\_Watkins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d9b06d/32.png) [@Rumor\_Watkins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rumor_Watkins)\
**Post date:** [November 22, 2009, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-needed-i-need-a-freeware-firewall-reccomendation-asap-please/518503/1 "2009-11-22T05:35:10Z")

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title says it all…

windows vista.

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**Author:** ![Stealth\_Potato](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Stealth\_Potato](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stealth_Potato)\
**Post date:** [November 22, 2009, 7:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-needed-i-need-a-freeware-firewall-reccomendation-asap-please/518503/2 "2009-11-22T07:56:15Z")

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I’ve used both [Comodo Firewall](http://personalfirewall.comodo.com/) and [ZoneAlarm’s free firewall](http://www.zonealarm.com/security/en-us/free-upgrade-security-suite-zonealarm-firewall.htm) in the past; both are decent.

(Note: ZoneAlarm’s site makes it tricky to find the actual download for their free firewall without being bombarded with offers to “upgrade” or to get a trial version of their not-so-free software. [Here’s the direct link](http://download.cnet.com/ZoneAlarm/3000-10435_4-10039884.html?part=dl-69168&subj=dl&tag=button) to the ZoneAlarm free download on CNet.)

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**Author:** ![xash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c6cbf5/32.png) [@xash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xash)\
**Post date:** [November 22, 2009, 9:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-needed-i-need-a-freeware-firewall-reccomendation-asap-please/518503/3 "2009-11-22T09:06:02Z")

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[Best Free Firewalls with detailed reviews](http://www.techsupportalert.com/best-free-firewall.htm)

Best free everything for Windows:

> **[Gizmo's Best](https://www.techsupportalert.com/)**
>
> The best of Gizmo's Freeware

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**Author:** ![HorseloverFat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8e8cbc/32.png) [@HorseloverFat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HorseloverFat)\
**Post date:** [November 22, 2009, 9:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-needed-i-need-a-freeware-firewall-reccomendation-asap-please/518503/4 "2009-11-22T09:39:23Z")

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Why not the one built into Vista?

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**Author:** ![IAmNotSpartacus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@IAmNotSpartacus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IAmNotSpartacus)\
**Post date:** [November 22, 2009, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-needed-i-need-a-freeware-firewall-reccomendation-asap-please/518503/5 "2009-11-22T16:34:08Z")

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Run far and run fast from ZoneAlarm, it is probably one of the least effective FW/AV suites known to man. And then when you find out just how bad it is… it will be nearly impossible for you to wipe it from your system without a manual search of your drives and registry.