Windows FW vs. ZoneAlarm or Kerio

  • Thread starter Thread starter guzzi
  • Start date Start date
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guzzi

Hi all,

i've been used ZoneAlarm for about 1 year, but last week it coused my pc
almost dye. No RDP, no Communicator.. problems with DNS and general
network problems. So i opened it and choosed Program Control to clear
all those rules (every time i click Allow/Deny in that pupup ballon)
ZoneAlarm freezed together with my PC (5x time in a row). So i
uninstalled it.

Now a want to use Windows Defender with Windows Firewall instead. But i
can't figure aout how to configure WF to act as ZoneAlarm. I want it to
show me all programs that are willing to access external DNS and server.
But it doesn't :(

Is there any paper about (advanced) configuring?

TIA
 
guzzi said:
Hi all,

i've been used ZoneAlarm for about 1 year, but last week it coused my pc
almost dye. No RDP, no Communicator.. problems with DNS and general
network problems. So i opened it and choosed Program Control to clear
all those rules (every time i click Allow/Deny in that pupup ballon)
ZoneAlarm freezed together with my PC (5x time in a row). So i
uninstalled it.

Now a want to use Windows Defender with Windows Firewall instead. But i
can't figure aout how to configure WF to act as ZoneAlarm.
Click to expand...


Can't be done. Windows Firewall lacks most of ZoneAlarm's capabilities.

I want it to
show me all programs that are willing to access external DNS and server.
But it doesn't :(
Click to expand...

Nor can it be made to do so.

WinXP's built-in firewall is adequate at stopping incoming attacks, and
hiding your ports from probes. What WinXP SP2's firewall does not do,
is provide an important additional layer of protection by informing you
about any Trojans or spyware that you (or someone else using your
computer) might download and install inadvertently. It doesn't monitor
out-going network traffic at all, other than to check for IP-spoofing,
much less block (or at even ask you about) the bad or the questionable
out-going signals. It assumes that any application you have on your
hard drive is there because you want it there, and therefore has your
"permission" to access the Internet. Further, because the Windows
Firewall is a "stateful" firewall, it will also assume that any incoming
traffic that's a direct response to a Trojan's or spyware's out-going
signal is also authorized.

ZoneAlarm or Kerio are much better than WinXP's built-in firewall,
in that they do provide that extra layer of protection, are much more
easily configured, and have free versions readily available for
downloading. Even the commercially available Symantec's Norton Personal
Firewall provides superior protection, although it does take a heavier
toll of system performance then do ZoneAlarm or Kerio.

Is there any paper about (advanced) configuring?
Click to expand...


It's rather difficult to provide any information on "advanced
configuring" of the Windows firewall, as it's such a barebones,
rudimentary firewall; it has no advanced capabilities to be configured.
For what little there is, I'd suggest that you start here:

Microsoft TechNet The Cable Guy - February 2004: Manually Configuring
Windows Firewall in Windows XP Service Pack 2
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/community/columns/cableguy/cg0204.mspx


--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:



They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. -Benjamin Franklin
 
Sad, very sad :(
Are there any rumours about new versions of MS FW?

Bruce Chambers wrote / napisal(a):
 
Now a want to use Windows Defender with Windows Firewall instead. But i
can't figure aout how to configure WF to act as ZoneAlarm.
Click to expand...

Windows Firewall can't act like ZA as Windows Firewall is almost
worthless. You won't get notifications of outbound traffic, you won't
get notifications of inbound traffic, you won't get notifications if an
application created an Exception (rule) without telling you....

Go back to Zone Alarm, and this time get the updates and the paid
version.
 
guzzi said:
Sad, very sad :(
Are there any rumours about new versions of MS FW?
Click to expand...


None that I've encountered. There are too many other software vendors
that do a better job of providing such utilities; Microsoft couldn't
possibly match their product quality any time soon, without buying a
company that already has a mature product.


--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:



They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. -Benjamin Franklin
 
The version in Vista will be greatly enhanced but I doubt you will see
anything much new for XP Pro. --- Steve
 
:(((
I'll try Kerio
Til Vista will be available with a new FW :)

Thanks all :)

Leythos wrote / napi'sal(a):
 
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