I need a good Personal Firewall for my PC, what would you recommend?

Which Personal Firewall is the best ? - Recommend some good firewall for my PC.
@vivek2006 (1418)
India
August 7, 2007 7:57am CST
I'm looking for a Personal Firewall for my PC. So which Firewall are you using, which one is the best of them all. I've tried Sunbelt Firewall,Comodo free firewall but i've heard Zonealarm is really good as well. On of my MyLot friends recommended Mcafee security suite and it has Personal Firewall too, so i will try that too. But for now i'm looking for your views as to which is the best of them all? Will it have any effect on the internet speed, like slow down the speed or anything else?
4 responses
@santuccie (3384)
• United States
7 Aug 07
Comodo and ZoneAlarm are HIPS (Host-based Intrusion Prevention Systems) firewalls. The only work they do at network level is control the ports, blocking unsolicited, incoming connections. When it comes to malware, Comodo and ZoneAlarm are more reactive than proactive, trying to block a Trojan after it executes. Firewalls like this can provide better outbound protection (minimizing the transmission of private information) in the event that you get infected, but they do little to prevent initial infection. The paid version of Sunbelt offers HIPS, but it focuses more on NIPS (Network-based Intrusion Prevention Systems). In February, when two top-level DNS servers were crippled with DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attacks, Sunbelt and BlackICE were two of the only firewalls that blocked the gunk. Of course, BlackICE costs as much as $40 a year, and the company was recently purchased by IBM, so I doubt it will be free anytime soon. Sunbelt does come in a free version. McAfee slows your connection down a bit more than Sunbelt, though not more than Comodo. But McAfee offers script blocking as well as NIDS (Network-based Intrusion Detection Systems). A lot of legitimate websites are being infected with JavaScript iFrames, which pack toolkits full of malware that target multiple vulnerabilities at once. McAfee provides a single, simple fix to this problem, by allowing you to prevent the iFrame itself from opening. If you decide to use McAfee SecurityCenter special edition from AOL, you won't be able to use another firewall or antivirus. SecurityCenter is consolidated into a single, contiguous unit; you cannot remove components separately. You can add a second antispyware if you like, otherwise, you'll have to replace the whole suite.
1 person likes this
@santuccie (3384)
• United States
7 Aug 07
I take that back. ZoneAlarm and Comodo can help you prevent infection if you correctly interpret every alert they throw up. Unfortunately, modern malware will try to use the permissions of well-known programs, rather than try to directly access the network themselves. This creates a huge problem, whereas the alert you see looks just like any other alert. If you answer incorrectly, you're infected. ZoneAlarm continues to be a problem (and now Comodo), as it was back in March of 1999, when enough users incorrectly allowed the Word document to "use macros" that the Melissa virus spread until the entire Internet crashed.
@vivek2006 (1418)
• India
7 Aug 07
What i have been hearing all the time is that Sunbelt Firewall is the best of them all. Also Zonealarm is equally good. Of all free firewalls Comodo has been regarded as one of the best. I know mdern malwares try to use well-known programs to access the Internet but it can be found out if one can carefully view the parent porgram for that particular program. Good that you informed about Mcafee security suite. I don't want a slow internet connection because of it. So i will check it for a while and then only get on some conclusion.
1 person likes this
• Italy
11 Aug 07
i use segate personall firewall and i have no problem
1 person likes this
@vivek2006 (1418)
• India
13 Aug 07
I haven't tried it, it is said to be good by many users but i think there are better firewalls out there. Its free so that an advantage for sygate firewall as most others are not free. So good for you as long as it stops every virus.
@vivek2006 (1418)
• India
13 Aug 07
I haven't tried it, it is said to be good by many users but i think there are better firewalls out there. Its free so that an advantage for sygate firewall as most others are not free. So good for you as long as it stops every virus.
@ayris77 (1301)
• Malaysia
7 Aug 07
I recommend that you use Comodo Firewall. Now i'm using it.It's free but you can also use regitered version.I used all comodo product.Free for a lifetime Antivirus and Firewall. If you want,you can visit: www.COMODO.com.if i'm not mistaken.you can also use search engine to find it! Try it and you will feel the different!
1 person likes this
@vivek2006 (1418)
• India
7 Aug 07
I used it but i experienced backdrop in the internet speed during that time so i stopped using it. But now i'm looking to have a go again. How well Comodo firewall has gone for you, is your internet speed normal ok ?
• Italy
10 Aug 07
well i sugest u to use kaspersky internet security for me is the best one. It's like a all in one program it has antivirus firewall mail antivirus privacy control, parental control, anti-spam....all u need and using few resurces from u'r computer.i'm using it from more than 2 years and never had any problems( i've entered even on sites with pron content and never got a virus) it's very easy to setup i recommand it to all the people;)
1 person likes this
@vivek2006 (1418)
• India
10 Aug 07
I have tried Kaspersky antivirus but never tried kaspersky internet security. I know its one of the leading antivirus in the market but its not free, am i right.... Anyway i will check your recommendation. For now i'm using separate antivirus, separate anti-spyware and separate firewall, So i really need to find some good complete package like the one you mentioned. I'm yet to try Mcafee internet security suite so after that i will check your Kaspersky too, lets see which one suits me the best and which one actually turns out to be the best.