Which Firewall is best for Vista?

Hi:

Which Firewall is best for Vista?

Norton?

Zone Alarm?

Windows?

Other?

All opinions appreciated.



Mike

On Fri, 29 Jun 2007 17:29:47 -0400, "Mike Dymond"
<m.dymond@sympatico.ca> wrote:

> Hi:
>
> Which Firewall is best for Vista?
>
> Norton?
>
> Zone Alarm?
>
> Windows?
>
> Other?
>
> All opinions appreciated.


Opinions are what you will get, and probably at least one for every
product that works with Vista.

A question like this isn't much different from asking which is the
best automobile. Every product has its partisans, and when you get
recommendations for almost everything available, you are no better off
that when you started.

--
Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP Windows - Shell/User
Please Reply to the Newsgroup

None.
Use a hardware firewall.

Mike Dymond wrote:
> Hi:
>
> Which Firewall is best for Vista?
>
> Norton?
>

Avoid any Norton products, entirely. They consume far too many system
resources for what they do.


> Zone Alarm?
>


A good product, and much easier to configure than Vista's built-in
firewall. I had no problems beta testing the Vista-compatibile version,
but I don't know if it's gone "Gold," yet.


> Windows?
>


Vista's built-in Windows Firewall is adequate for most users, but not
particularly easy to configure. Vista's built-in firewall, although
superior to that of WinXP, is of a rudimentary nature, intended to meet
the simpler needs of most home consumers (or business/enterprise clients
already ensconced behind more advanced perimeter defenses).

One 3rd-party add-on (Sphinx's Vista Firewall Control
http://sphinx-soft.com/Vista/) might make the Vista Firewall a bit more
useful to you, but nothing but a completely independent product will be
able to provide the detailed control you want.

There are two interfaces for Vistas built-in firewall:

1) A simplified one accessed through the Control Panel that is the only
one most people see.

2) And the more advanced "Windows Firewall with Advanced Security
(WF.msc)," accessed via the Start Menu's Administrative Tools folder,
for the experienced user who wants better control.



--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:
http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. -Benjamin Franklin

Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. -Bertrand Russell

OK

How about if I re-phrase
Does anyone know of any conflicts or problems with the listed programs?
Any known compatabilty issues?

Thanks
Mike




Ken Blake, MVP" <kblake@this.is.am.invalid.domain> wrote in message
news:dsva83h699pbmgf806614re5vfu71rshgv@4ax.com...
> On Fri, 29 Jun 2007 17:29:47 -0400, "Mike Dymond"
> <m.dymond@sympatico.ca> wrote:
>
>> Hi:
>>
>> Which Firewall is best for Vista?
>>
>> Norton?
>>
>> Zone Alarm?
>>
>> Windows?
>>
>> Other?
>>
>> All opinions appreciated.
>
>
> Opinions are what you will get, and probably at least one for every
> product that works with Vista.
>
> A question like this isn't much different from asking which is the
> best automobile. Every product has its partisans, and when you get
> recommendations for almost everything available, you are no better off
> that when you started.
>
> --
> Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP Windows - Shell/User
> Please Reply to the Newsgroup

A hardware firewall on your incoming Internet connection.

--
Richard G. Harper [MVP Shell/User] rgharper@gmail.com
* NEW! Catch my blog ... http://msmvps.com/blogs/rgharper/
* PLEASE post all messages and replies in the newsgroups
* The Website - http://rgharper.mvps.org/
* HELP us help YOU ... http://www.dts-l.org/goodpost.htm


"Bruce Chambers" <bchambers@cable0ne.n3t> wrote in message
news:eBWfizquHHA.1672@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...
> Mike Dymond wrote:
>> Hi:
>>
>> Which Firewall is best for Vista?
>>
>> Norton?
>>
>
> Avoid any Norton products, entirely. They consume far too many system
> resources for what they do.
>
>
>> Zone Alarm?
>>
>
>
> A good product, and much easier to configure than Vista's built-in
> firewall. I had no problems beta testing the Vista-compatibile version,
> but I don't know if it's gone "Gold," yet.
>
>
>> Windows?
>>
>
>
> Vista's built-in Windows Firewall is adequate for most users, but not
> particularly easy to configure. Vista's built-in firewall, although
> superior to that of WinXP, is of a rudimentary nature, intended to meet
> the simpler needs of most home consumers (or business/enterprise clients
> already ensconced behind more advanced perimeter defenses).
>
> One 3rd-party add-on (Sphinx's Vista Firewall Control
> http://sphinx-soft.com/Vista/) might make the Vista Firewall a bit more
> useful to you, but nothing but a completely independent product will be
> able to provide the detailed control you want.
>
> There are two interfaces for Vistas built-in firewall:
>
> 1) A simplified one accessed through the Control Panel that is the only
> one most people see.
>
> 2) And the more advanced "Windows Firewall with Advanced Security
> (WF.msc)," accessed via the Start Menu's Administrative Tools folder, for
> the experienced user who wants better control.
>
>
>
> --
>
> Bruce Chambers
>
> Help us help you:
> http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm
> http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html
>
> They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
> safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. -Benjamin Franklin
>
> Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. -Bertrand
> Russell

>
> Windows?
>

Vista's FW, because it can protect network connection at system boot, when
the machine has a direct connection to the modem,and therefore to the
Internet. No 3rd party personal FW can do it.


Or if you can get a cheap NAT router, then put the machine behind its
protection.

"Mike Dymond" <m.dymond@sympatico.ca> wrote in message
news:uYaWfSpuHHA.4412@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
> Hi:
>
> Which Firewall is best for Vista?
>
> Norton?
>
> Zone Alarm?
>
> Windows?
>
> Other?
>
> All opinions appreciated.

I've tried PC Tools Firewall Pro, ZoneAlarm Free (ZAF), and Look & Stop.
L&S was the only one that "just worked", but it was beta and payware. PC
Tools Firewall required a fair bit of customization to get it to stop
blocking the internet connection - I never got it completely reliable. ZAF
slowed down browsing to an unacceptable degree. Comodo is currently testing
it's Vista compatible firewall, but it's still pretty rough around the
edges. I've gone back to using the Windows Firewall with the "Vista
Firewall Control" front-end.

On my Home PC (Vista Home Premium) the Vista Firewall blocked every port
when assaulted by
everything I could throw at it. For most that it is all that should be
needed. "IF" someone needs more
security then I suggest a hardware solution in addition to the Windows Vista
Firewall.

"Mike Dymond" <m.dymond@sympatico.ca> wrote in message
news:uYaWfSpuHHA.4412@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
> Hi:
>
> Which Firewall is best for Vista?
>
> Norton?
>
> Zone Alarm?
>
> Windows?
>
> Other?
>
> All opinions appreciated.
>
>
>
> Mike
>

Actually many of the new Vista firewalls are able to actively protect at
boot time. I'm pretty sure Symantec, Zone, and McAfee are doing this. Others
can 'non-actively' protect as well by usually just blocking everything with
exceptions for some basic ports like dhcp and dns.

--
David
Microsoft Windows Networking
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.


"Mr. Arnold" <MR. Arnold@Arnold.com> wrote in message
news:uRqxERuuHHA.1188@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
> >
>> Windows?
>>
>
> Vista's FW, because it can protect network connection at system boot, when
> the machine has a direct connection to the modem,and therefore to the
> Internet. No 3rd party personal FW can do it.
>
>
> Or if you can get a cheap NAT router, then put the machine behind its
> protection.