Aaargh!!! ZoneAlarm seems to mess things up - another Firewal to use...?

[©®]

For some reason, ZoneAlarm stops my internet connections even when like
5 minutes ago it worked and I haven't changed anything. Although I like
ZoneAlarm, I am wondering if there is something else that is better to
use.
Our company has a firewall but I still like it when ZA tells me that
this or that program is sending out info - that is *very* helpful to me
and I can see if I want to allow it or not.
What can other a.c.f. readers recommend? I am using an XP box.
Something with a nice interface, easy to use and yet helpful (not too
techy/geeky!)
Thanks

 

[Charles D. Bohne]

For some reason, ZoneAlarm stops my internet connections even when like
5 minutes ago it worked and I haven't changed anything.

Try to deactivate the automatic lock [Program Control, main].
C.

 

[Harkonnen]

@mercury.nildram.net:

What can other a.c.f. readers recommend? I am using an XP box.
Something with a nice interface, easy to use and yet helpful (not too
techy/geeky!)

Kerio is nice

 

[©®]

Try to deactivate the automatic lock [Program Control, main].

Wasn't activated as I had switched it off! Thanks anyway!

 

[JunkMonkey]

Kerio or Sygate are Both FREE and do what you ask for. Both do an excellent
job. I've used them both and I liked them both. I settled on Sygate only
because I thought it was a tiny bit easier to use. Beyond that, either will
serve you well.

 

[mike ring]

Kerio or Sygate are Both FREE and do what you ask for. Both do an
excellent job. I've used them both and I liked them both. I settled
on Sygate only because I thought it was a tiny bit easier to use.
Beyond that, either will serve you well.

I've been using kerio for about a week; Ive already forgotten why I stopped
using Zonealaarm, it wasn't because it's no good, maybe there was a rumour
about it becoming pay, or someone posted how good kerio is.

IME kerio is MUCH more likely to b****r you up, it requires permissions for
just about everything, and comes with the defaults set that will stop your
browser at almost everything, popups, cookies, I suddenly couldn't get into
the canon driver download page, java, activeX etc.

Having said that, once you've brought the security down to something
reasonable, it works well.

( I still can't remember why I ditched ZA, maybe it was because someone
said it wasn't really secure)

mike r

 

[©®]

IME kerio is MUCH more likely to b****r you up, it requires
permissions for just about everything, and comes with the defaults
set that will stop your browser at almost everything, popups,
cookies, I suddenly couldn't get into the canon driver download page,
java, activeX etc.

Having said that, once you've brought the security down to something
reasonable, it works well.

I tried Kerio for 20 minutes and am now trying Sygate. Kerio wanted
confirmation for everything. Too much for me. I might just have to go
back to ZoneAlarm - I'll see once I have had a play with SPF.

 

[Roger Johansson]

I tried Kerio for 20 minutes and am now trying Sygate. Kerio wanted
confirmation for everything. Too much for me. I might just have to go
back to ZoneAlarm

You do not understand how to use Kerio.
After installation you start a program that needs access to internet, like
browser, and try to go out on the web, Kerio will wake up and ask you if
you want to allow that access, you answer yes, AND remember to mark the
square that says something like, "allow this program in the future to have
access to the net".

After that you never hear from Kerio again when that program uses the net.

You have to do that process once for each program that needs access to the
net. But you don't have so many programs that needs access to the net.

The first page of Kerio administration should be set to the middle setting,
ask me first.

If you handle Kerio right it is very good.

 

[donutbandit]

IME kerio is MUCH more likely to b****r you up, it requires
permissions for just about everything, and comes with the defaults set
that will stop your browser at almost everything, popups, cookies, I
suddenly couldn't get into the canon driver download page, java,
activeX etc.

In other words, Kerio is really doing what it's supposed to do, which is
protect your computer.

What version of Kerio did you install? The excellent 2.1.5, or the
eternally screwed up version 4? I'd rather use Zone Alarm than Kerio 4.

 

[donutbandit]

I tried Kerio for 20 minutes and am now trying Sygate. Kerio wanted
confirmation for everything.

Once. Zone Alarm does the same thing.

If it's asking you over and over again, then you are not using it proerly.

Once again - is this 2.1.5, or that POS version 4?

 

[dansheen]

You do not understand how to use Kerio.
After installation you start a program that needs access to internet, like
browser, and try to go out on the web, Kerio will wake up and ask you if
you want to allow that access, you answer yes, AND remember to mark the
square that says something like, "allow this program in the future to have
access to the net".

After that you never hear from Kerio again when that program uses the net.

You have to do that process once for each program that needs access to the
net. But you don't have so many programs that needs access to the net.

The first page of Kerio administration should be set to the middle setting,
ask me first.

If you handle Kerio right it is very good.

I tried Kerio also and couldn't manage all the requests. I don't like to
give any software blanket permission to access the internet except my virus
software. With zonealarm I give permission for a program to access the
internet each time I start the program and that works. With Kerio I
couldn't figure out how to do that. I had to give either blanket permission
for access to each program I use or end up having to give permission for any
change in access of the program once it was already running. Maybe Kerio
can't do what I want. I'd also heard there were security issues with
zonealarm.

 

[mike ring]

In other words, Kerio is really doing what it's supposed to do, which is
protect your computer.

No argument there, I was simply pointing out that some people might think
something in their system had screwed up, not that kerio's security
settings were too high - it was the canon site, which I'd been around quite
a bit, suddenly becoming no go, that gave me the clue. As my isp can be
dodgy, I was putting all the failures to connect down to them... give a dog
a bad name ;0)

What version of Kerio did you install? The excellent 2.1.5, or the
eternally screwed up version 4? I'd rather use Zone Alarm than Kerio 4.

I appear to have the esu version 4 - I assume it's the latest since I've
only just got it.

mike r

 

[JunkMonkey]

That's pretty much how Sygate works. If you don't like Kerio, you won't
like Sygate.

 

[©®]

And what about Tiny Personal Firewall - is that any good? Never used it
mind you!

 

[©®]

I see you can get 2.1.5 at http://www.kerio.com/dwn/kpf2-en-win.exe
HTH whoever needs it!

 

[JunkMonkey]

I'm no security expert, mind you. And I've never used TPF, but I don't see
how ANY firewall can avoid asking you if it should allow outgoing messages
as they occur at least once so it can build your security parameter file.

Sure, maybe it can use some generic parameter file, but you'll have to
tailor the system to your specific needs at some point. Otherwise, you'll
have to rely on someone else's judgment of what your needs are, and how
secure is that? Will we see spammers and spies producing free firewall
packages designed to let their OWN crap in and keep everyone else's crap
out?

 

[mike ring]

I see you can get 2.1.5 at http://www.kerio.com/dwn/kpf2-en-win.exe
HTH whoever needs it!

I might think about it, but I've just outed kerio after being able to get
back into canon as a registered user to continue discussing a problem.

Kerio didnt tell me why, but I shut it down and got straight in - WTH use
is a firewall you have to shut down to access the web?

Now I'm d/loading Sygate, but it's a bit of a beast at 8.44 megs.

I'm beginning to feel all warm and fuzzy about ZA.

Never tried Tiny - any comments on it>

mike r

 

[J44xm]

["JunkMonkey"; Sun, 07 Mar 2004 14:55:20 GMT]

I settled on Sygate only because I thought it was a tiny bit easier to
use.

Definitely so, in my experience. Give Sygate a whirl.

 

[Roger Johansson]

I tried Kerio also and couldn't manage all the requests. I don't like to
give any software blanket permission to access the internet except my virus
software. With zonealarm I give permission for a program to access the
internet each time I start the program and that works. With Kerio I
couldn't figure out how to do that. I had to give either blanket permission
for access to each program I use or end up having to give permission for any
change in access of the program once it was already running. Maybe Kerio
can't do what I want. I'd also heard there were security issues with
zonealarm.

I see no need to allow internet access to a program on a session basis,
unless you are on a dial-up modem and you are trying to use the firewall
program to control your modem.

Otherwise it is much better to allow a program to connect anytime you use
it. It would be a lot of extra work to allow it every time you want to get
mail, get newsgroup messages, look at a web site, etc..

Kerio checks the program's exe-file each time it tries to access internet,
if it has changed it will popup a screen saying: This exe-file has changed,
do you still want to allow it access?

If you just upgraded your web browser you reply yes, if not you should
suspect that a virus has infected your web browser.

In this way can Kerio check that no virus gets involved. If you have
allowed a program you trust access Kerio allows it as long as its exe-file
is unchanged.

 

[donutbandit]

And what about Tiny Personal Firewall - is that any good? Never used it
mind you!

It's not free.