Which free firewall uses least memory?

J

John Latter

Hiya,

I've just bought a cheap backup machine (P3, 866MHz, XP Pro) which
currently only has 128MB of RAM but I'm getting another 128 in the
next few days.

Initially I want to connect this machine to my main one using a
crossover cable but I also want it to connect to the internet should
my main machine go down.

I have AOL supplied McAfee Firewall on my main machine & I'm gonna try
and install it on the other. If this doesn't work, could anyone tell
me which freeware firewall uses the least memory/resources cos of the
fact that the second machine will only have 256 MB of RAM - until I
win the lottery of course, then I'll go mad & upgrade it to 384 MB.

--

John Latter

Model of an Internal Evolutionary Mechanism (based on an extension to homeostasis) linking Stationary-Phase Mutations to the Baldwin Effect.
http://members.aol.com/jorolat/TEM.html

'Where Darwin meets Lamarck?' Discussion Egroup
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/evomech
 
B

badgolferman

John said:
Hiya,

I've just bought a cheap backup machine (P3, 866MHz, XP Pro) which
currently only has 128MB of RAM but I'm getting another 128 in the
next few days.

Initially I want to connect this machine to my main one using a
crossover cable but I also want it to connect to the internet should
my main machine go down.

I have AOL supplied McAfee Firewall on my main machine & I'm gonna try
and install it on the other. If this doesn't work, could anyone tell
me which freeware firewall uses the least memory/resources cos of the
fact that the second machine will only have 256 MB of RAM - until I
win the lottery of course, then I'll go mad & upgrade it to 384 MB.
Click to expand...

My guess would be the built in one for XP or Kerio 2.1.5
 
C

Chief Suspect

Hiya,

I've just bought a cheap backup machine (P3, 866MHz, XP Pro) which
currently only has 128MB of RAM but I'm getting another 128 in the
next few days.

Initially I want to connect this machine to my main one using a
crossover cable but I also want it to connect to the internet should
my main machine go down.

I have AOL supplied McAfee Firewall on my main machine & I'm gonna try
and install it on the other. If this doesn't work, could anyone tell
me which freeware firewall uses the least memory/resources cos of the
fact that the second machine will only have 256 MB of RAM - until I
win the lottery of course, then I'll go mad & upgrade it to 384 MB.
Click to expand...
==============

I just don't like AOL for any reason! It has proven to me over and over
to be insidious, and weaves a web of entanglement all through your
registry. AOL in itself is a power hungry resources eater.

Suggestion: Visit www.majorgeeks.com, and take a look at the
recommendations there for various programs, including firewalls. They
have a rating system 1-5, with 5 being the absolute best. The most
popularly used firewalls by freeware junkies like me seem to be Kerio,
ZoneAlarm, Sygate. But, all of these still do not quite meet the
standard of a FULL FIVE (5) rating of the freebie Primedius Firewall
Lite. I used to employ Sygate until I found Primedius. Good Luck
 
B

Badgerbreath

John Latter said:
Hiya,

I've just bought a cheap backup machine (P3, 866MHz, XP Pro) which
currently only has 128MB of RAM but I'm getting another 128 in the
next few days.

Initially I want to connect this machine to my main one using a
crossover cable but I also want it to connect to the internet should
my main machine go down.

I have AOL supplied McAfee Firewall on my main machine & I'm gonna try
and install it on the other. If this doesn't work, could anyone tell
me which freeware firewall uses the least memory/resources cos of the
fact that the second machine will only have 256 MB of RAM - until I
win the lottery of course, then I'll go mad & upgrade it to 384 MB.
Click to expand...

I only have 128Mb RAM, and Zone Alarm seems fine for me.
 
R

Richard Steinfeld

Chief said:
I just don't like AOL for any reason! It has proven to me over and over
to be insidious, and weaves a web of entanglement all through your
registry. AOL in itself is a power hungry resources eater.

Suggestion: Visit www.majorgeeks.com, and take a look at the
recommendations there for various programs, including firewalls. They
have a rating system 1-5, with 5 being the absolute best. The most
popularly used firewalls by freeware junkies like me seem to be Kerio,
ZoneAlarm, Sygate. But, all of these still do not quite meet the
standard of a FULL FIVE (5) rating of the freebie Primedius Firewall
Lite. I used to employ Sygate until I found Primedius. Good Luck
Click to expand...

Tell me more about Primedius. I've never heard of it.

Problem:
My system is a 720 mhz running Windows ME. Memory is maxed out at 540 gigs.

I'm using Sygate (free), and have used two versions of it for a few
years. I've always found it powerful and exceptionally informative.
However, at least with the free version, I'm having a problem with all
the time slices that it's taking from my processor.

I've also been running Avast antivirus. I've dropped one Avast "service"
after another. Some services I don't need; others are questionable as to
their true protection for my situation. But Avast, too, uses lots of
processor slices, even with only the Standard Shield running. When I run
Filemon, I can see what appear to be dozens of the processes from these
two programs alternating with each other in groups sliding up the screen
at a furious pace. These processes appear to be running almost constantly.

Surprisingly, in many cases, software runs with acceptable speed on my
system. I notice some drag when using two applications that run in Java,
since they're running in an operating system sitting on top of the
Windows OS. But where these security routines get in my face is when I'm
downloading MP3 radio programs off the web. Then, there are occasional
annoying skips (momentary cutouts) -- I've traced this problem to these
security programs running in the "background."

I know of no way to slow them down.
I'd like some advice about how to either slow down these programs, or
find less-vigilent alternatives.

Anyone have ideas?

Thanks!

Richard
 
R

Richard Steinfeld

Chief said:
==============

I just don't like AOL for any reason! It has proven to me over and over
to be insidious, and weaves a web of entanglement all through your
registry. AOL in itself is a power hungry resources eater.
Click to expand...

Seconded!!!
Agreed totally. I mean completely.

"The only company I hate more than Microsoft is AOL"
Former data processing chief for a major US city.

I, too, have learned to give any and all AOL products a wide berth. A
couple of times with new computers, I've idly clicked either the AOL or
the Netscape icon on the desktop. Thereupon, there commenced a furious
sequence of automatic installations of many programs -- both from AOL
and also their "partners." Almost all of this was unwanted garbage
services. And it took reformatting the hard disk to get their crap off
my system. It's in the same class-of-shame as Real Player.

I learned to completely expunge this garbage from my systems, deleting
entire directories, icons, registry entries -- all of this nightmare
provided by Microsoft or the computer manufacturer (I don't know which)
for a kickback.

I've also been underwhelmed with McAfee, which dates from my earliest
use of their difficult interfaces both at home and on the job. And the
job, two separate projects for a major telephone company, was where I
brought home the nastiest and mostest viruses. With this antivirus
software on the job, maintained by IBM, these nasties got through and
even took down the office, once, for two days.

I learned the hard way that "small is beautiful" when it comes to much
software and all internet providers. And that's one of the main reasons
why you'll find me on this board.

Richard
 
J

John Latter

On Thu, 28 Jul 2005 21:20:17 +0100, John Latter

Thanks everyone :)

I've used kerio 2.1.5 before but I'm going to have a look at Primedius
too.

And from what Richard says, I might have to find an alternative to
Avast.

--

John Latter

Model of an Internal Evolutionary Mechanism (based on an extension to homeostasis) linking Stationary-Phase Mutations to the Baldwin Effect.
http://members.aol.com/jorolat/TEM.html

'Where Darwin meets Lamarck?' Discussion Egroup
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/evomech
 
J

John Corliss

Chief said:
I just don't like AOL for any reason! It has proven to me over and over
to be insidious, and weaves a web of entanglement all through your
registry. AOL in itself is a power hungry resources eater.

Suggestion: Visit www.majorgeeks.com, and take a look at the
recommendations there for various programs, including firewalls. They
have a rating system 1-5, with 5 being the absolute best. The most
popularly used firewalls by freeware junkies like me seem to be Kerio,
ZoneAlarm, Sygate. But, all of these still do not quite meet the
standard of a FULL FIVE (5) rating of the freebie Primedius Firewall
Lite. I used to employ Sygate until I found Primedius. Good Luck
Click to expand...

The download from Major Geeks seems to be an archived copy of a program
that Primedius no longer offers. Primedius is now more interested in
getting a person to subscribe to their anonymizer service. But hey, if
the archived firewall
(http://www.majorgeeks.com/Primedius_Firewall_Lite_d4146.html) works,
what the heck.

Otherwise, here is a list of the freeware firewalls which have a
MajorGeeks rating of 5:

Primedius Firewall Lite

(link above)

and:

Securepoint Personal Firewall & VPN Client 3.6

http://www.securepoint.cc/products_pcfirewall_en.html

It would be nice if there was an easy to find explanation of what the
MajorGeeks rating is based on. I looked but couldn't find anything.
Maybe somebody else will have better luck.
 
C

CharlieDontSurf

J

John Latter

The download from Major Geeks seems to be an archived copy of a program
that Primedius no longer offers. Primedius is now more interested in
getting a person to subscribe to their anonymizer service. But hey, if
the archived firewall
(http://www.majorgeeks.com/Primedius_Firewall_Lite_d4146.html) works,
what the heck.

Otherwise, here is a list of the freeware firewalls which have a
MajorGeeks rating of 5:

Primedius Firewall Lite

(link above)

and:

Securepoint Personal Firewall & VPN Client 3.6

http://www.securepoint.cc/products_pcfirewall_en.html

It would be nice if there was an easy to find explanation of what the
MajorGeeks rating is based on. I looked but couldn't find anything.
Maybe somebody else will have better luck.
Click to expand...

Thanks John :)

--

John Latter

Model of an Internal Evolutionary Mechanism (based on an extension to homeostasis) linking Stationary-Phase Mutations to the Baldwin Effect.
http://members.aol.com/jorolat/TEM.html

'Where Darwin meets Lamarck?' Discussion Egroup
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/evomech
 

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