McAfee Firewall versus Windows XP Firewall

[Guest]

Recently, after downloading several windows updates I lost the ability to send Outlook mail. I could receive but not send. After much research I tried changing all my McAfee Firewall controll settings from 'filtered' to 'allowed'. That worked once before but didn't this time. Then I enabled the Windows XP Firewall and disabled the McAfee Firewall and rebooted. Not only did that solve my Outlook problem but it also solved my ongoing booting up problem. For a long time my boot up freezes if my broadban cable is connected to the computer and the McAfee Firewall is enabled. So for many months I have booted up after disconnecting the cable from the computer and then reconnecting it after boot up is complete. I have always suspected this problem was caused by my firewall. So anyway I am concerned that Windows Firewall is not as good a firewall as McAfee's. Of course, I am not so sure McAfee's Firewall is that great since I have still ended up with a couple of viruses not to mention copius spyware parasites. Am I safe leaving the McAfee Firewall disabled and the Windows Firewall active? And/Or what is the best firewall to have?

 

[Raoul]

To answer your last question....perhaps one of the better ones (and highly
rated) is Zone Alarm Pro from zonelabs.com

Recently, after downloading several windows updates I lost the ability to

send Outlook mail. I could receive but not send. After much research I
tried changing all my McAfee Firewall controll settings from 'filtered' to
'allowed'. That worked once before but didn't this time. Then I enabled the
Windows XP Firewall and disabled the McAfee Firewall and rebooted. Not only
did that solve my Outlook problem but it also solved my ongoing booting up
problem. For a long time my boot up freezes if my broadban cable is
connected to the computer and the McAfee Firewall is enabled. So for many
months I have booted up after disconnecting the cable from the computer and
then reconnecting it after boot up is complete. I have always suspected this
problem was caused by my firewall. So anyway I am concerned that Windows
Firewall is not as good a firewall as McAfee's. Of course, I am not so sure
McAfee's Firewall is that great since I have still ended up with a couple of
viruses not to mention copius spyware parasites. Am I safe leaving the
McAfee Firewall disabled and the Windows Firewall active? And/Or what is
the best firewall to have?

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Greetings --

WinXP's built-in firewall is _adequate_ at stopping incoming
attacks, and hiding your ports from probes. It doesn't give you any
alarms to tell you that it is working, though. Nor is it very easily
configurable. What WinXP also 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 ICF 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 Symantec's Norton
Personal Firewall is superior by far, although it does take a heavier
toll of system performance then do ZoneAlarm or Sygate.

I cannot say how WinXP's firewall compares to the McAfee product
because it's been several years since I've been tempted to try McAfee
products. Their quality seemed to take a steep nose-dive after they
were acquired by Network Associates.


Bruce Chambers

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