I am finally replacing my old P3 box with a band shinny new kick ass computer. I am on broad band.
Which firewall do you think is best and why?
I had issues once with Zone alarm and had to re-image my lasst machine and have been using the default Windows firewall since.
Should I go ahead and use the Windows firewall for the new box, or go back to ZA?
Or is there a third choice?
The Windows Firewall is next to useless. Definitely install Zone Alarm. The free version will give you a lot of protection, mostly by giving you control over what programs are allowed to contact the internet and when.
Are you using a router with a firewall? If not, you should.
I had Zone Alarm for a long time, but had issues that cropped up after an attempted upgrade and decided to try out Kerio.
So, here’s a third choice for you:
Kerio Personal Firewall. You can download the full version as a trial, and if you don’t pony up the cash and plunk in the registration code in 30 days, it will revert to a free version where password protection and remote configuration is disabled. (And how often will a typical user use those?) It is a bit more chatty and complex than Zone Alarm though, so depending on your level of comfort you may find it a bit too much.
I’ve never liked the built-in Windows firewall: it let all kinds of programs access the network without warning me they were doing so. Ditch it, as it’s worse than nothing: it makes you think you are protecting yourself, but there are gaping holes in its armor.
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Yes, I have a hardware firewall (router)
Kerio huh? I will take a look. Anybody else got an opinion?