The Best FireWall!

  • Thread starter Thread starter SeaWolf
  • Start date Start date
| > How is Sygate for bloat? Is it lightweight?
....
(about Kerio_

It was easy to set up, but the wording of the dialog boxes
| always left me nervous (note to software developers - keep the
wording
| simple - if you are going for a mass market, dumb it down, and
then dumb it
| down some more.).
|

Yeah, you software developers. Step one is to hire a good
technical writer to help you make up good names for your
functions. Step two is to hire a good technical writer and pay
enough for decent documentation so that your customers know what
the hell they're doing. Yeah, dammit!

Richard
 
I've been using ZoneAlarm 2.1.44 for years!
Have upgraded because the newer version seem to have too many problems!
Anything better out there yet?
Just wondering.
Thanks!
Click to expand...

i'd have to recommend Sygate. Like a few others have
suggested. I like it for the graphs showing current upload
and download speeds and it lists programs that are online
and amout of data being passed from / to you. i think it's
about 8meg download. Kerio 2.x and Outpost are routinely
mentioned on these 'search for firewall' threads.
if Zonealarm is not troubling you and there are no nasty
exploits just stick with it.

'If it ain't broke. don't fix'

slippery...
 
Secondly...from these posts i still don't know which one is "the one".
Most of you say about Kerio, but some say they had biiig problems with
it in XP and newest version is vey resource hungry.
Click to expand...

I think ALL the posts recommended Kerio 2.1.5, not the new one

Big problems in XP? Sorry, but what is that? I know very few security
conscious people who run XP. Insecurity is written into it.
 
(note to software developers - keep the wording
simple - if you are going for a mass market, dumb it down, and then
dumb it down some more.).
Click to expand...

Dumbing down generally means compromising security. If you were
uncomfortable with Kerio's simple rulesets, maybe you need Tinkertoys?
 
Customizability (is that a word?) is one of the best things about XP. If
there's something you don't like about it, change it.
Click to expand...

But unlike Win 9x/ME I've heard that it's practically impossible to
close all internet ports without destroying the OS ... forcing you to
use a firewall. I don't call that "customizable".


Art
http://www.epix.net/~artnpeg
 
But unlike Win 9x/ME I've heard that it's practically impossible to
close all internet ports without destroying the OS ... forcing you to
use a firewall. I don't call that "customizable".
Click to expand...

XP comes with a firewall. Use it. Services you don't use should be closed.

WinXP SP-2 will address most of the problems, and have a firewall that
behaves much like Kerio.

XP has so many holes because it's the prime target. If Win9X or Linux were
the prime targets, many holes would have been found in them.

Bob

Remove "kins" from address to reply.
 
Yeah, you software developers. Step one is to hire a good
technical writer to help you make up good names for your
functions. Step two is to hire a good technical writer and pay
enough for decent documentation so that your customers know what
the hell they're doing. Yeah, dammit!
Click to expand...

That's exactly the problem.

Tech writers are professionals that love to show off their technical skills
and impress their employers and all the little people.

Fire the tech writers, find someone with common sense (not easy these days),
and let him help with the interface.

Bob

Remove "kins" from address to reply.
 
...I regret the day that Peter Norton sold his
well-crafted products to Symantec.
Click to expand...

I don't mean this to sound like a PC log cabin story, but I remember
when the name Peter Norton attached to a product meant superb, tightly
coded utilities that would fit on one or two floppies. His low level
disk utilities saved my butt on more than one occasion when my
partition tables got farkled and I couldn't even boot. After Symantec
bought Norton they obviously made a marketing decision to put most
their efforts into jazzing up the interface with eye candy, while
putting very little into actually developing the products. Symantec's
advice when you try to install an upgrade to one of their programs and
something goes wrong is to start by *uninstalling every Symantec
product on your system*. My response is, if that's what it takes to
fix your bad installation routine, then they ain't going back on.
Peter Norton should sue Symantec for defamation of character, but he's
probably too busy sitting on a beach somewhere sipping a pina colada.
 
But unlike Win 9x/ME I've heard that it's practically impossible to
close all internet ports without destroying the OS ... forcing you to
use a firewall. I don't call that "customizable".
Click to expand...

You heard wrong.
 
donutbandit typed:
I think ALL the posts recommended Kerio 2.1.5, not the new one

Big problems in XP? Sorry, but what is that? I know very few security
conscious people who run XP. Insecurity is written into it.
Click to expand...

There was one post ..
paste and copy:

Me too - Kerio 2.15 for its light weight, no-nonsense solid approach -
Although I recently built a very high-end WinXP machine and trusty
Kerio wouldn't stop crashing :(. I wonder if the lack of updates for
this app will soon leave it obsolete as new hardware or OS updates
come online. Since have put Zone Alarm on and it's been solid.


So, you say Kerio runs in XP PRO ? Which version - 2.1.5 or later?
 
Tiger typed:
You've gotten several recommendations for free fw's. I'd suggest
trying them for yourself. You might also ask in several of the
security ng's.
Click to expand...

Good thinking. I'll just do that.
 
But unlike Win 9x/ME I've heard that it's practically impossible to
close all internet ports without destroying the OS ... forcing you to
use a firewall. I don't call that "customizable".
Click to expand...

You heard wrong.[/QUOTE]

Oh? Have you managed to do it? I know it's a possibility but one only
to be tackled by experts.


Art
http://www.epix.net/~artnpeg
 
XP comes with a firewall. Use it.
Click to expand...

I don't and wouldn't use XP thank you.
Services you don't use should be closed.
Click to expand...

Agreed. But what about shutting down all of them? There's the rub.
WinXP SP-2 will address most of the problems, and have a firewall that
behaves much like Kerio.
Click to expand...

I thought it only handled inbound. Most recommendations I've seen are
to use a better firewall than XP's.
XP has so many holes because it's the prime target. If Win9X or Linux were
the prime targets, many holes would have been found in them.
Click to expand...

Nah. Win 9X/ME are simply at the peak of their power curve, having
already been through the mill of vulnerabilities, patches and
exploits. I use and like Win ME after modifying it to suit me.


Art
http://www.epix.net/~artnpeg
 
Richard Steinfeld typed:
Sleeper,

The reports I have seen have all said that the Norton firewall
was weak and buggy. I regret the day that Peter Norton sold his
well-crafted products to Symantec.
Click to expand...


here is one link to review:

http://grc.com/lt/scoreboard.htm

then this one:

http://www.firewallguide.com/software.htm

says Norton is No.1

etc. Just type firewall review in Google and you'll see. Nowhere can be
found on being buggy and weak. On the contrary.
I would say, buggy - yes (ver 2004), but weak - nope!
I wonder however how resource hungry it is...
 
So, you say Kerio runs in XP PRO ? Which version - 2.1.5 or later?
Click to expand...


I say it runs perfectly on XP Pro.

Ran it steadily for 6 months, and not 1 crash. Makes me wonder what that guy
calls a "high end" computer.

Bob

Remove "kins" from address to reply.
 
Bob Adkins typed:
I say it runs perfectly on XP Pro.

Ran it steadily for 6 months, and not 1 crash. Makes me wonder what
that guy calls a "high end" computer.

Bob

Remove "kins" from address to reply.
Click to expand...

Maybe he means that it has high (like big) PC, but not high enough to build
the wall firmly enough...or he didn't use enough cement... :-)

So, what's then the issue with many people run 2.1.5 instead newer one?
Supposely newer uses too much resources...???
 
XP comes with a firewall. Use it. Services you don't use should be
closed.
Click to expand...

If all you want is a one way firewall, fine. That's of very little value.
The reason the firewall is one way only is because a two way one prevents
XP from calling Uncle Billy.
WinXP SP-2 will address most of the problems, and have a firewall that
behaves much like Kerio.
Click to expand...

See above.
XP has so many holes because it's the prime target. If Win9X or Linux
Click to expand...
were the prime targets, many holes would have been found in them.

Untrue. Win XP is full of holes because it's complete garbage. I just read
this morning that 9 new issues have been identified just this week.
 
So, what's then the issue with many people run 2.1.5 instead newer one?
Supposely newer uses too much resources...???
Click to expand...


That's a fair question.

My answer is that Kerio 2.1.5 works perfectly fine. Any "improvements" in
later versions only added unnecessary bells and whistles, and no real world
improvements.

Bob

Remove "kins" from address to reply.
 
If all you want is a one way firewall, fine. That's of very little value.
The reason the firewall is one way only is because a two way one prevents
XP from calling Uncle Billy.
Click to expand...

Then why is "Uncle Billy" adding a 2 way firewall in XP SP-2, due to be
released an a few weeks?

Untrue. Win XP is full of holes because it's complete garbage. I just read
this morning that 9 new issues have been identified just this week.
Click to expand...

Windows XP is "complete garbage"? How interesting. You should try it for a
month before you join the anti-Microsoft crusaders. You may be surprised. :)

Look Donut guy, operating systems are non-political. They are just OS's.
They are not Christian, Muslim, Conservative or Liberal. I refuse to use the
tools of ignorance just because the anti-MS sheep and crusaders get in my
face.

Bob

Remove "kins" from address to reply.
 
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