Windows XP, Vista Help » Firewalls http://wvistathemes.com/windows Tips, Tweaks, Errors-Problems-Solutions Fri, 22 Aug 2008 16:44:53 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 en hourly 1 Best Windows Personal Firewall http://wvistathemes.com/windows/personal-firewall/ http://wvistathemes.com/windows/personal-firewall/#comments Tue, 12 Aug 2008 15:09:54 +0000 admin http://www.wvistathemes.com/windows/?p=53 Internet security is simply a part of life on the Internet, even after the release of Windows Vista. Today, firewalls are being incorporated into the Internet security suites more and more. However, this doesn’t mean that you can’t get a top notch, stand alone, personal firewall with all the features you’d expect. On the other hand, paying good money for a security suite doesn’t mean you are getting a firewall that will protect you system and personal information against all of today’s online threats.

For these reasons, I have listed only the best (as rated by software experts and testing companies), Windows personal firewalls for 2008. You can consider these the best of the best, whether they are free, paid, stand-alone, or included in a full security suite. I’m providing this information to help my readers quickly and easily determine the best firewall for their needs and budget.

Use the table to do a quick side-by-side comparison of features and pricing, and see below that to get some additional information on each firewall download. All links at the top of the table go directly to the software home site.

Personal Firewalls

Features & Specs Outpost Pro Online Armor Paid Version COMODO Kaspersky Suite
Host Protection
Email Protection check mark check mark
File Protection check mark check mark check mark
Registry Protection check mark   check mark
Network Traffic check mark check mark
Data Filtering check mark check mark
Stealth Mode check mark   check mark  
Application Monitor check mark check mark check mark
Automatic Updates check mark check mark check mark
Intruder Alerts check mark check mark
Intruder Log check mark   check mark
Self Protection check mark check mark check mark
Virus Protection     check mark
Prevents Tracking Cookies
Web Filter
Spyware Protection check mark check mark
         
32 & 64 bit Windows check mark   check mark
Windows Vista check mark   check mark
Windows XP check mark check mark check mark
Windows Server 2003 check mark check mark check mark  
Windows 2000 check mark   check mark  
Price $39.95 $39.95 Free $79.95

The Kaspersky firewall is actually include in their full 2009 security software suite. I included it in this list because it received a score of 85% after serious testing by matousec.com. The suite includes the quality, 2-way firewall, virus protection, configuration and privacy tools, personal information protection, parental controls, whitelisting, and much more. A great solution if you’re looking for an all-in-one package.

As you can see from the table above, COMODO personal firewall has all the features you’re looking for in a firewall and it’s 100% free. This is not a watered down or limited version. COMODO is able to do this by working with online merchants to help create consumer confidence when making online purchases. There are a few complaints, and you can read about those on our COMODO review page.

The Online Armore personal firewall received the highest score of 98% after matousec.com testing. They do offer a free version, but it is very limited compared to the paid version. There is also an AV version which includes virus protection, but it costs $30.00 more than the version priced above.

Outpost Pro personal firewall received a score of 98% and “Excellent” rating and offers the most features at the best price among paid firewalls.

There’s no need for “information overload” when shopping for a Windows firewall. This list is fairly short and you’ll only need to judge which one is best for you by considering your Internet use, budget, and possibly the amount of shopping and/or online banking you do. Good luck and feel free to ask any further questions below.

]]> http://wvistathemes.com/windows/personal-firewall/feed/ 0 COMODO Free Firewall 3.0 Software Review http://wvistathemes.com/windows/comodo-free-firewall-software-review/ http://wvistathemes.com/windows/comodo-free-firewall-software-review/#comments Sun, 03 Aug 2008 16:48:27 +0000 admin http://www.wvistathemes.com/windows/?p=49 There aren’t many free firewalls available for PC users, but the ones that are available may give you all the protection you need. COMODO offers a host of free security software applications. You might expect the free version of COMODO to be a stripped down version of its paid counterpart, but that’s not the case here. This is a feature rich application with providing all the protection you would expect from a firewall with a yearly subscription.

So how does COMODO make money like this? Their philosophy is that by providing quality security for consumers, they are more likely to make purchases online. This provides a great incentive for online business to purchase COMODO security software for their end. A win win situation for consumers and businesses.

comodo free firewall

Features of the free firewall include:

  • Complete protection from Hackers, Spyware, Trojans, and Identity theft
  • Malware prevention
  • Asks for approval before allowing applications to be installed on your system
  • A Malware scan prior to installation

The user interface is clean and user friendly and COMODO updates its self automatically.

I found few complaints before downloading and installing this firewall, but one gave caused a slight hesitation. One user stated the firewall had a problem remembering when told to allow and remember. Most firewalls, when first installed, have to learn what what applications the user wants to allow access the Internet or network. Despite this, I decided to give it a try. Once installed, I had little problem with it at first. I didn’t downloading any software right away, but when I did this memory problem became apparent.

When an application tries to install, COMODO pops up a little box asking you if you want to allow it, block it, or treat it as an application along with some information about the file performing the actions. There is also a little check box where you can tell COMODO to remember your answer so it (supposedly) doesn’t have to ask you again. Although I had this box checked every time, the firewall seems to ignore it. I’ve installed several applications since and it’s the same thing every time – check allow and click OK over and over and over and… well you get the picture.

This is not only a nuisance, it causes a real slow-down when installing software. I’ve installed software that normally would take no more than 30 seconds but ended up taking several minutes because of COMODO. The more I have to go through this the more I am considering going back to Sygate or some other firewall. This is disappointing because I know COMODO is giving me quality security and totally free.

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