how to get a free efficient firewall?

[akshayakrsh]

hi
i have been suffering from a problem which actually infects everyone i.e. virus
i have tried using tiny firewall but it actually barred me from using the yahoo and msn messenger.
i would like to have some suggestions about from where to get a firewall from?

[xmetaphysics]

Try using Zonealarm from zonelabs.com,there is a free version available,
but to get rid of viruses i suggest u install a good antivirus and update it regularly

[©opy®ight]

i have tried using tiny firewall but it actually barred me from using the yahoo and msn messenger.

Or you just configure your firewall to let the applications connect to the outside !

[Relyt]

Hey,

There's really nothing to wrong with Tiny as long as it is config'd as CR indicated, but toss ZA as many of us have, it's as buggy as a swamp on a Hot August Night and to quote one our members:

pooh sun tzu,

With as many holes and exploits as blackice, it's about time people moved away from it.

Here, the suggestions from the AO members:

http://www.antionline.com/showthread...hreadid=260404

cheers

[foxyloxley]

This is one I found, don't know anything about it, but it will fit on a floppy, and is supposed to be easy to configure:

http://www.antionline.com/showthread...hreadid=262022

And it's free .................

[Spyder32]

Nothing is wrong with Tiny. As a matter of fact, Tiny is one of the best free firewall's out there. Your application permissions that are set is what is preventing those two application's from connecting outside. However, if you are going to chance firewall's, I would suggest either Kerio or Outpost Agnitium.

[HTRegz]

Hey Hey,

Windows IT Pro (Formerly Windows & .Net Mag) just had Windows Firewall Software as a Buyers Guide in the Sept. 2004 issue... InstantDoc ID 43580 for those of you with subscriptions.

They compared hardware and software firewalls...

Agnitum's Outpost Pro definately came out on top when you look through their comparison sheet... however they had many viable and useable solutions. Deerfield.com's VisNetic Firewall is fairly decent, however doesn't support Content Filtering, Reporting, or Application Based Filtering...

InfoExpress's CyberArmor looks like it'd be fun to take for a test drive and highly configurable... but it's quite pricy and designed for large company or enterprise solutions...

Tiny and ZoneAlarm were also both profiled and also have nice features. Tiny supports AD integration if you are running a small network at home (or want to use it in the office also) has XML, realtime and also MS SQL Server logging, uses Snort-compatible rules on it's built in IDS and can do customized alerts as well as Content filtering.... ZoneAlarm isn't quite as indepth but includes the CA AV engine and has a free version....

Anyways.. check out the article if you can... I suggest a hardware firewall if you can afford it... otherwise ZoneAlarm has always done my roommates well at home... and I use Outpost on my laptop (very nice software and quite customizable/configurable)... I've also played with VisNetic and have it installed at home for testing... but it's lack of application based filtering isn't as nice... It's rulesets for Network ACLs are quite flexible though....

I guess what you need to do is look back and evalutate how much/little time you want to put into configuring a firewall.

Peace,
HT

[Spyder32]

/me loves Kerio's configuration conversion tool and it's built in IDS

[MrLinus]

HTRegz, they didn't test out Sygate?

For those interested, here's the PDF table of firewall comparisons from Windows IT Pro Magazine.

[HTRegz]

Originally posted here by MsMittens
HTRegz, they didn't test out Sygate?

For those interested, here's the PDF table of firewall comparisons from Windows IT Pro Magazine.

Hey Hey,

Yeah they did.. Sysgate, MS SP2 Firewall, Privacyware and Smartline were all tested.. i just skipped over them....

PrivacyWare Privatefirewall is interesting because it doesn't support Network or User based ACLs.... simply TCP/UDP Application based stuff... It's the only firewall however that does HTML logging....

Smartline PortsLock 1.5 is nice because it'll log ot the event log and has fully logging capabilities... but no IDS or Application based ACLs..

Sysgate Secure Enterprise was what they tested.. @ $15-70/seat it is possible for it to be one of the cheaper enterprise solutions... It'll export to third party applications for it's log and will automatically restart the AV software if it isn't detected as running... It also allows for custom rules, but doesn't allow you to download new signatures like Tiny/VisNetic/CyborArmor do.

I also forgot to mention another aspect of Outpost Pro that's really nice is the ability to log to .mdb files and the spectrum of Alerts that it provides.


Thanks for bringing that up MSM.

Peace,
HT