# Recommend a firewall for me! **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 10, 2010, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-firewall-for-me/560127 "2010-11-10T01:26:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**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 10, 2010, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-firewall-for-me/560127/1 "2010-11-10T01:26:28Z")
Upgraded a machine to vista, need a new firewall. I use sygate personal firewall on my XP machines (yes, it’s an older firewall) primarily because it is extremely good at giving you program/process level control over exactly what is accessing the internet. any Vista compatible firewalls that have the same level of application control - and I don’t mean something that’s buried somewhere in the firewall that you can access through 3 submenus, something like SPF which is right in your face about it. ---
**Author:** ![Palooka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/palooka/32/2902_2.png) [@Palooka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Palooka)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-firewall-for-me/560127/2 "2010-11-10T01:57:09Z")
Vista’s Windows Firewall. It’s actually very good, especially if you setup some outbound traffic rules. ---
**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 10, 2010, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-firewall-for-me/560127/3 "2010-11-10T02:00:30Z")
> [@Palooka](#): > > Vista’s Windows Firewall. It’s actually very good, especially if you setup some outbound traffic rules. my entire point of wanting a firewall is to prevent windows from sending out information it believes “the internet” needs to know (or other random programs), but actually doesn’t. using some system-integrated firewall doesn’t seem appropriate for my desires. ---
**Author:** ![Palooka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/palooka/32/2902_2.png) [@Palooka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Palooka)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-firewall-for-me/560127/4 "2010-11-10T02:14:22Z")
I see Comodo recommended a lot for the extra-paranoid. ---
**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 10, 2010, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-firewall-for-me/560127/5 "2010-11-10T02:17:36Z")
> [@Palooka](#): > > I see Comodo recommended a lot for the extra-paranoid. it’s not paranoia. you should see the amount of traffic that windows services generate that get blocked by my firewall. well, amount is probably wrong. frequency, however, is shocking. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 8:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-firewall-for-me/560127/6 "2010-11-10T08:35:00Z")
> [@Rumor\_Watkins](#): > > Upgraded a machine to vista, need a new firewall. Now upgrade to Windows 7. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Ionizer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/5daacb/32.png) [@Ionizer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ionizer)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-firewall-for-me/560127/7 "2010-11-10T13:26:50Z")
I use Comodo (firewall only, not with AV) and like it. I am not a ‘geek’, but there’s enough technical stuff available in Comodo for even the most paranoid user, imho. Initially, the alerts as Comodo learns the system/services can be a pia, but once all the ‘services’ have been approved, its reassuring that chances are nothing will go outbound without your specific approval. I know it caught something on my computer awhile back, a little ~‘spyware’ thing that slipped through after I disabled AdBlock on a site (lesson learned!). Comodo also has a decent Forum for Tech Support issues should it be needed. For free, too 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-firewall-for-me/560127/8 "2010-11-10T14:20:21Z")
A list of firewall apps and the os they support. > **[Comparison of firewalls](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_firewalls)** > > This is a comparison of firewalls. > Based on the Linux kernel > Based on the Linux kernel I’ve always used zone alarm. But, for Win 7/Vista PC Tools Firewall is getting great reviews. Free! > **[Official Site | Norton™ - Antivirus & Anti-Malware Software](https://us.norton.com/)** > > Norton™ provides industry-leading antivirus and security software for your PC, Mac, and mobile devices. Download a Norton™ 360 plan - protect your devices against viruses, ransomware, malware and other online threats. ---
**Author:** ![GiantRat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@GiantRat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GiantRat)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-firewall-for-me/560127/9 "2010-11-10T14:56:40Z")
> [@Palooka](#): > > I see Comodo recommended a lot for the extra-paranoid. Me gusta Comodo. It’s one of the firewalls I’ve been playing with over the last 6 months or so. Ever since Bill Gates made his comments years ago (sorry for the lack of cite… I’m lazy right now) about wanting to wire the whole darned house to a single backbone, I hesitate to trust the built-in Windows firewalls in XP/Vista/7. If you’re a tinkerer (sounds like you are) there are some cool ways to integrate Comodo with Snort (IDS/IPS). It’s security geek Romper Room. ---
**Author:** ![dzero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5f9b8f/32.png) [@dzero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dzero)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-firewall-for-me/560127/10 "2010-11-10T20:29:39Z")
I think [Avira](http://www.avira.com) is excellent and gives you as much granularity as you can handle. You need to go through all of the options though since somethings like the rootkit scan are not enable automatically. You get the best deal on a multi-year, multi-PC contract. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2010, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-firewall-for-me/560127/11 "2010-11-11T16:53:15Z")
Comodo is the best I’ve found, but I’d love something better. The UI and I just don’t mesh.