Any reason to use ZoneAlarm or is the Windows fire wall is just as good

[_Who]

I've been using ZoneAlarm since before Windows had a fire wall.
Just continued after Windows option appeared.
Now I'm wondering if there is any reason to use ZoneAlarm or if the Windows
product is just as good.

What do you think?

Thanks

 

[Thee Chicago Wolf]

I've been using ZoneAlarm since before Windows had a fire wall.

Just continued after Windows option appeared.
Now I'm wondering if there is any reason to use ZoneAlarm or if the Windows
product is just as good.

What do you think?

Thanks

I've not used a 3rd party firewall since SP2 was released and to this
day have not had anything come in or go out. I just the built-in
firewall. ZoneAlarm used to give decent details when I used it eons
ago but I'm told it's not so good anymore.

You're going to get a dozen or so responses stating a hardware
firewall now. Just watch. ;-)

- Thee Chicago Wolf

 

[smlunatick]

I've not used a 3rd party firewall since SP2 was released and to this
day have not had anything come in or go out. I just the built-in
firewall. ZoneAlarm used to give decent details when I used it eons
ago but I'm told it's not so good anymore.

You're going to get a dozen or so responses stating a hardware
firewall now. Just watch. ;-)

- Thee Chicago Wolf

Hardware firewall is the most secure method of firewalling any
network. But at thousands of $$ for most firewall hardware that is
not NAT based, this is not worth it for small home networks.

Windows XP SP2 firewall will only provide incoming protection. Third
party software firewall line Zone Alarm will also control outgoing
applications.

 

[Kayman]

I've been using ZoneAlarm since before Windows had a fire wall.
Just continued after Windows option appeared.
Now I'm wondering if there is any reason to use ZoneAlarm or if the Windows
product is just as good.
What do you think?

For the average homeuser, the Windows Firewall in XP does a fantastic job
at its core mission and is really all you need if you have an 'real-time'
anti-virus program, [another firewall on your router or] other edge
protection like SeconfigXP and practise safe-hex.
The windows firewall deals with inbound protection and therefore does not
give you a false sense of security. Best of all, it doesn't implement lots
of nonsense like pretending that outbound traffic needs to be monitored.

Activate and utilize the Win XP built-in Firewall; Uncheck *all* Programs
and Services under the Exception tab.

Windows XP: How to turn on your firewall.
http://www.microsoft.com/protect/computer/firewall/xp.mspx

Read through:
Understanding Windows Firewall.
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/security/internet/sp2_wfintro.mspx

Using Windows Firewall.
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/networking/security/winfirewall.mspx

Deconstructing Common Security Myths.
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/technetmag/issues/2006/05/SecurityMyths/default.aspx
Scroll down to:
"Myth: Host-Based Firewalls Must Filter Outbound Traffic to be Safe."

Exploring the windows Firewall.
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/technetmag/issues/2007/06/VistaFirewall/default.aspx
"Outbound protection is security theater¡Xit¡¦s a gimmick that only gives the
impression of improving your security without doing anything that actually
does improve your security."

In conjunction with WinXP SP2 Firewall use:
Seconfig XP 1.0
http://seconfig.sytes.net/
Seconfig XP is able configure Windows not to use TCP/IP as transport
protocol for NetBIOS, SMB and RPC, thus leaving TCP/UDP ports 135, 137-139
and 445 (the most exploited Windows networking weak point) closed.

 

[Unknown]

I agree completely with Thee Chicago Wolf. And, as far as smlunatick
comment goes, you don't have to check what goes out if nothing gets in.

 

[John John (MVP)]

Zone Alarm is the last thing that I would ever want installed on any of
my computers. The Windows firewall is fine and while I am not averse to
using third party firewalls Zone Alarm is not one of the ones I would
ever use or want on my computer.

John

 

[jusme]

I use free ZoneAlarm on my laptop. It works ok. I put it on to try it out
and then I was going to try a different one so I tried to take it off and I
couldn't get rid of it. I searched and found all kinds of information about
getting it off and nothing worked. So I reinstalled it to put it back
working and I haven't messed with it for several months. I will try again
someday.
My daughter has a laptop that she never takes anywhere and I just left the
windows one to work and it works fine.

 

[smlunatick]

I agree completely with Thee Chicago Wolf.   And, as far as smlunatick

Things do get it. I found "spywares" that come in, "hidden" to the
user.

 

[Thee Chicago Wolf]

Things do get it. I found "spywares" that come in, "hidden" to the

user.

Yes, those things do get in but no firewall in the world is a
replacement for anti-virus and anti-malware protection as a
supplimental.

- Thee Chicago Wolf

 

[_Who]

I'd like to thank each of you for the help.


Thanks

 

[MowGreen [MVP]]

Performing a Clean Uninstall of ZA
http://zonealarm.donhoover.net/uninstall.html


MowGreen [MVP 2003-2008]
===============
*-343-* FDNY
Never Forgotten
===============

 

[bobster]

John John

I have used ZA free for many years and haven't had any problems with it
other than it being rather intrusive. I recently switched over to the
Windows firewall and it tests out clean on Steve Gibson's "Shields Up" site
so I intend to keep using it.

Out of curiosity, why do you feel so strongly against ZA since it seems to
me to work fine?

===================================================
Zone Alarm is the last thing that I would ever want installed on any of
my computers. The Windows firewall is fine and while I am not averse to
using third party firewalls Zone Alarm is not one of the ones I would
ever use or want on my computer.

John

 

[John John (MVP)]

IMHO it's nothing but a bloated bag of bugs, the newsgroups have always
been full of posts about problems caused by this product.

John

 

[jusme]

Thank you, I will try it again.

Performing a Clean Uninstall of ZA
http://zonealarm.donhoover.net/uninstall.html


MowGreen [MVP 2003-2008]
===============
*-343-* FDNY
Never Forgotten
===============

I use free ZoneAlarm on my laptop. It works ok. I put it on to try it
out and then I was going to try a different one so I tried to take it off
and I couldn't get rid of it. I searched and found all kinds of
information about getting it off and nothing worked. So I reinstalled it
to put it back working and I haven't messed with it for several months. I
will try again someday.
My daughter has a laptop that she never takes anywhere and I just left
the windows one to work and it works fine.

 

[Bruce Chambers]

I've been using ZoneAlarm since before Windows had a fire wall.
Just continued after Windows option appeared.
Now I'm wondering if there is any reason to use ZoneAlarm or if the Windows
product is just as good.

What do you think?

Thanks

WinXP's built-in firewall is usually adequate at stopping incoming
attacks, and hiding your ports from probes. What WinXP SP2's firewall
does not do, is protect you from any Trojans or spyware that you (or
someone else using your computer) might download and install
inadvertently. It doesn't monitor out-going 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, Kerio, or Sygate are all much better than WinXP's
built-in firewall, and are much more easily configured, and there are
free versions of each readily available. Even the commercially
available Symantec's Norton Personal Firewall is superior by far,
although it does take a heavier toll of system performance then do
ZoneAlarm or Sygate.

Having said that, it's important to remember that firewalls and
anti-virus applications, which should always be used and should always
be running, while important components of "safe hex," cannot, and should
not be expected to, protect the computer user from him/herself.
Ultimately, it is incumbent upon each and every computer user to learn
how to secure his/her own computer.


--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:


http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/555375

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

The philosopher has never killed any priests, whereas the priest has
killed a great many philosophers.
~ Denis Diderot

 

[_Who]

I was wondering what scanning outgoing meant.
Thanks for the complete reply.

 

[_Who]

I was wondering why out-going traffic needed monitoring!

Thanks for the thorough reply

 

[Twayne]

Bruce C said:
....

Having said that, it's important to remember that firewalls and
anti-virus applications, which should always be used and should always
be running, while important components of "safe hex," cannot, and
should not be expected to, protect the computer user from him/herself.
Ultimately, it is incumbent upon each and every computer user to learn
how to secure his/her own computer.

That's an interesting paradigm. Can you imagine what would happen if
the gvt critters got in there and actually protected us from ourselves
like they do our daily lives in almost all other aspects? Vista, win7
et al would all suddenly look like the "old days" of internet use
freedoms!
Just one possibility:
You'd have to license your computer, which license would include
whether or not you needed reading glasses, and the computer would refuse
to run unless it knew for sure that you were wearing your glasses. And
then of course there would be a monitor to be sure you never took the
glasses off, or traded them for non-prescription or wrong-prescription
reading glasses. When you set up your OS, you would have to account for
your glasses prescription in the User Account Setup and no one else
would ever be able to use your access, even if they wore your glasses.
After 3 violations, you would receive a license suspension and for
aggravated license violation, the computer police would show up at your
door and remove the offending computer until you successfully passed yet
another computer licensing exam, both written and using. Followed of
course, by an Internet Use License if you wanted to go back on the
internet, and an E-mail Use License to allow you to send e-mails.
After succeeding at that you'd get your completely wiped computer back,
if you were lucky and didn't have any naked pics of anyone on it, or a
pic of a pile of dog doo-doo or whatever else may have been declared as
harmful to society at large.
Just think of all the new industries it could create!

But I digress ... and the police are at the door ...

 

[Anthony Buckland]

I was wondering why out-going traffic needed monitoring!
...

Ah ... ask a woman on the pill why she wants
a new male partner to use condoms. And ask
why a responsible man would of course agree.

Now substitute systems in this attention-grabbing
metaphor.

 

[Plato]

I've been using ZoneAlarm since before Windows had a fire wall.
Just continued after Windows option appeared.
Now I'm wondering if there is any reason to use ZoneAlarm or if the Windows
product is just as good.

I used Zonealarm for many years and was happy with it. Now, however, I
personally see no real need for it.