The Definitive "BEST FIREWALL" thread

[MxxCon]

i'm so sick of these threads poping up every single week. so here's the one and only thread you should need untill the end of your life. moderator can modify poll entries to update.

BEST FIREWALL

[Spyder Veteran]

How is outbound protection important? (not saying it isn't.. i just don't know and would like to know :))

[PseudoRandomDragon]

Information over networks travel both ways, so why not have a firewall that protects both ways also? One case where a virus free person would like outbound protection is preventing server permissions for programs that work without server permissions, like some of those programs with XP/2000 that listen for ports, even though they don't need to (I think one was svhost.exe or something...). More experienced users like the idea of limiting the protocols a program can use, or allowing a program to only have access to a certain amount of IP addresses.

[Al Mehairi]

I dont use firewall :unsure:

[PseudoRandomDragon]

Well then, look at the poll and the ones with the most votes, search for one or two on google, try them out and see which one is right for you.

[Trajik 2600]

I use hardware: Netgear Firewall/VPN router.

Blocks anything and everything by default, so you have to manually configure ports you want open etc.

Had no problems since I started using it. Logs are scary. Its amazing what people try to get from your network !!

Some of the features are:

Stateful Packet Inspection (SPI) to prevent Denial of Service (DoS) attacks (syn flood, ICMP flood, UDP flood, "ping of death", IP spoofing, land attack, tear drop attack, IP address sweep attack, Win Nuke attack). Intrusion Detection System (IDS) including logging, reporting and e-mail alerts, address service and protocol), Web URL content filtering.

SEight (8) dedicated BPN tunnels, Manual dey and IKE Security Association (SA) assignment, 56-bit (DES) or 168-bit (3DES) IPsec encryption algorithm, MD5 or SHA-1 authentication algorithm, pre-shared key, perfect forward secrecy (Diffie-Helman and Oakley client support), key life and IKE lifetime time settings, prevent replay attack, remote access VPN (client-to-site), site-to-site VPN, IPSec NAT traversal (VPN pass-through).

Network Address Translation (NAT), static routing, unrestricted users per port.

Static IP address assignment, internal DHCP server on LAN, DGCP client on WAN, PPPoE client support.

I think I have the same firewall as you- FVS318? It came with firmware v1.1 installed, and I could only upgrade it to v1.3. The 1.4 firmware seemed corrupt. The web management page had errors that prevented well.. management, and it was flaky all around. Anyone else had that problem?

Otherwise, it's the best $99 I've spent. Having firewall-to-firewall VPN with my partners networks is wonderfully convenient.

[+Fulcrum Subscriber¹]

Currently using Outpost firewall. So far i'm happy, it loads extremely quickly compared to my previous experience of Zone Alarm. Outpost loads so fast, It seems like it starts before Windows does (but I know it doesn't :) . However it seems to be taxing my system rather harshly 34MB. How many does Zone Alarm take?

Outpost reports I have had 0 Attacks since installation and my favortite option, is it allows me to Break any connection across my network at will. I never saw this option in ZA. Basically, it's a bit easier and more clever than my experience with ZA, so i'll stick with it until I find something better.

[preducer]

sygate personal firewall pro

[trenzterra]

I have Sygate and it works well.

[lanxunkj_1]

I have ZA pro and it works well too.

[Tews]

I gave up on software firewalls altogether... I use a hardware firewall called LuciGate and sleep very well at nights ... erm... days too!

[mm3h]

Kerio Personal Firewall Newest one :) (4.10 I think)

[CloudEngineer]

Using windows xp's built in now, its doing the job.

[LordHatrus]

I have kerio too :)

[darkcrad]

for some apparent reason my zone alarm's software access thing does not work.

i gotta disable it cos my ABC doesnt work with it on.

[Betelgeuse]

Windows Firewall in XP SP2 is good enough for me. (Y)

[PseudoRandomDragon]

Trusting in Microsoft for firewall software eh? Okay.... :whistle:

[SaguratuS]

Kaspersky AntiHacker - nice, fast, and all around very secure. Only issues come up with local networks "scanning" tcp/udp ports (which then blocks the connection), and there's no way to add an exception list.

[giga Veteran]

Norton Firewall

[=Perihelion=]

I use two firewalls

1) Stygate Personal Firewall - to protect my computers ass

2) Black Ice - to get intruders IP's and post them to my collection of dumbasses who try to h4x0r my computer :cool:

Windows Firewall in XP SP2 is good enough for me.

Are you mad ? Trusting in Microsofts firewall is like trusting in a bitter old lady to watch out for your alchohol, there surely gonna leave ya in the dust. Than you'll be standing or sitting there wondering, oh dear god why did I trust in that lil old lady (Microsoft).

[mstx]

I only use the firewall in my router :rolleyes:

[romant]

i have 2 computers and 1 uses outpost and 1 zonealarm.

both are good but outpost is less memory intensive.

[Jon]

I use two firewalls

1) Stygate Personal Firewall - to protect my computers ass

2) Black Ice - to get intruders IP's and post them to my collection of dumbasses who try to h4x0r my computer :cool:

Are you mad ? Trusting in Microsofts firewall is like trusting in a bitter old lady to watch out for your alchohol, there surely gonna leave ya in the dust. Than you'll be standing or sitting there wondering, oh dear god why did I trust in that lil old lady (Microsoft).

It's more sensible than giving a sh1t about the output of an IDS in a home environment...... talk about time wasting.

[..::. P X .::..]

I use only Windows XP? built-in firewall and according to THIS I'm safe! :cool::

[Ruciz]

Hardware firewall is the best solution, nothing compares to their flexibility and ease of use. For monitoring program access to the net zonealarm works.

Does anyone know of any programs that only have program access? not specifically a firewall but just a program accept or decline dialog when something tries to access the internet. Zonealarm is pretty resource hungry.

[PseudoRandomDragon]

I use only Windows XP? built-in firewall and according to THIS I'm safe! :cool::

To a port scan, yes. To a trojan or a skilled hacker, :no::