Black Ice & Zone Alarm

[firestarter5]

I run both BID and ZAF. I've read differing opinions on BID saying it "isn't" a firewall but a IDS, while the next website lists BID "as" a firewall. While ZA monitors both incoming and outgoing attempts, which BID doesn't (unless some consider the Application Protection option a type of outgoing monitor) I'd like to just run BID by itself for one day/night and see what it actually records. From the extremly few hits it's picked off, I've never seen any evidence that the backtrace function actually works. Info has always been "No additional details have been discovered about this intruder". I'd like to see if it actually "discovers" something.

I have no programs which ask to access the net which I refuse.

Does anyone "just" run BID as their firewall?

[^Mobius^]

I did for a while, and I will say this: I was VERY disappointed. It did not catch some of the things that my old firewalls and IDS programs did. You are probably better off with Zone Alarm, Norton, or Sygate, each of which does, IMHO, a better job than BID at enough to make them a much better choice.

[strandedthinker]

I run it as my only software firewall, a backup to my DLink Routers built in firewall

But before I had the router I used it as my standalone firewall, I was personally very happy and protected by it.... Zone Alarm is probably the worst you can get though due to its incapability to deal with some cable connections plus its not the greatest for protection... Norton is also complicated for newbs (my grandmother always complained) and is repitive in asking if the connection hsould go through if you say yes and lock the option

Sygate is good also