DIGIT-ARC read-only archive · snapshot: July 23, 2026

Which Firewall??

61 posts · originally from https://geek.digit.in/community/threads/which-firewall.28018/

samrulez
samrulez Original post #1
May 10, 2006 at 9:57 PM
Can any of u tell me which is the best Firewall.Is it Zone Alarm Pro/Segate/Kerio or some other???
phatratt
May 10, 2006 at 9:58 PM
Zone Alarm does a pretty decent job,I did sygate long tiem back,it use to crash quiet a lot.
dIgItaL_BrAt
May 10, 2006 at 10:18 PM
undoubtedly it's Zone Alarm. .
~Phenom~
May 11, 2006 at 12:03 AM
yeah , its ZA for sure.
Its better than the best.
anandk
anandk #5
May 11, 2006 at 7:29 AM
za gets my vote toooooooooooooooooo
kalpik
kalpik #6
May 11, 2006 at 8:32 AM
ZoneAlarm has many issues.. Its bloat too. Try and take a peek into their forums.. For the best firewall, you can try Outpost (paid), Jetico (free)..
forever
forever #7
May 11, 2006 at 8:58 AM
ZA takes a lot of processing memory.
@kalpik
i have heard of outpost , is it light on resources ?
and can i run 2 firewalls or antivirus at the same time, wont that coz a conflict, ive never tried it tho..
mohit
mohit #8
May 11, 2006 at 9:51 AM
dont try running 2 security products such as 2 a/v and 2 firewalls at the same time .. they will definitely conflict and also we guys cant cope with 1 single solution due to the high resource consumption .. dont know how slow 2 of each will make ur system.

Firewall = ZAP > Outpost ... both are good but ZAP is a lil easier to configure.

By the way if you are using ZAP and if by chance your antivirus is Kaspersky then you might have some issues with system stability. I have never been able to use ZAP + Kaspersky together without facing probs. and I have seen numerous people having that same problem.
digiFriend
May 11, 2006 at 7:37 PM
my vote also goes to zone alarm .i am using it without any problem.
QwertyManiac
May 11, 2006 at 8:20 PM
Does ZA work well with Avast? Else I can use it...
Neways, try Jetico :)
santu_29
santu_29 #11
May 11, 2006 at 11:17 PM
ZA and Outpost are the best.....
~Phenom~
~Phenom~ #12
May 11, 2006 at 11:36 PM
ZA and avast are intercompatible.
S
sakumar79 #13
May 12, 2006 at 12:14 AM
Zone Alarm is an excellent firewall for amateurs but for advanced users (by which I mean those who understand complex details of IPs and ports, etc), there are better software which give more configurability. I have heard that Outpost is one such excellent software but I am not an expert. Even for amateurs, I would recommend Kerio Personal Firewall over Zone Alarm because it is more configurable. For instance, it is easier to get Kerio to work with P2P software such as eMule than with ZA... However, to use Kerio it is better to have a basic ideas of IPs and ports and the like which is not that essential for ZA (more of a layman's tool)

Arun
MysticHalo
May 12, 2006 at 1:11 AM
I think Outpost is gr8, though ZA isnt bad at all. Currently, I am using Outpost Pro 3.51, and i find it superb It takes a bit of knowledge to craete custom rules for the firewall, but thats not a Herculean Task. also, Outpost provides a better UI than the YELLOW UI of ZA. Also, its not much on the firewall, but more on the user as to how he configures it....thats what i feel
dIgItaL_BrAt
May 12, 2006 at 1:23 AM
@qwerty:ZA runs perfectly well with Avast
H
hermit #16
May 12, 2006 at 2:37 AM
outpost or kasperskey firewlls r the best
S
Soorya #17
May 19, 2006 at 12:41 AM
Another vote for ZA. If you've a single computer connected to network, just the Personal (free) edition is good. But when you need to share two systems, you need to get pro version.
G
GARY~GEEK #18
May 19, 2006 at 2:53 AM
Zone alarm is not at all the recommended one. the best option i recomend is to go for Norton internet security. Once it has been installed and if u r using windows xp make sure u r able to browse. if every thing is fine, make sure you update the u,r Norton internet security regularly and also install MS anti spyware. as the Norton internet security is not only the secure one allways try to to do an online virus and spyware scan. u can try from the following web site............................


*www.trendmicro.com/en/home/us/home.htm
aryayush
aryayush #19
May 19, 2006 at 3:06 AM
ZoneAlarm is undoutedly the best one, man. Go for it! :)
shovik
shovik #20
May 19, 2006 at 4:50 PM
Kaspersky Anti-hacker is the best you can get out in the market.

Regards,
Shovik.
shovik
shovik #21
May 19, 2006 at 4:52 PM
go for Kaspersky Anti-Hacker, its the best till date..

Regards,
Shovik.
Vishal Gupta
May 19, 2006 at 5:43 PM
Zone Alarm... :)
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Aniruddh
Aniruddh #23
May 20, 2006 at 3:51 PM
well i hav been using zonealarm since last 2 yrs and its preety decent.i'll suggest u zonealarm.
mariner
mariner #24
May 20, 2006 at 5:22 PM
mohit said:
if you are using ZAP and if by chance your antivirus is Kaspersky then you might have some issues with system stability. I have never been able to use ZAP + Kaspersky together without facing probs. and I have seen numerous people having that same problem.

well buddy i have been using za pro plus kaspersky since last one year without any issues !
mohit
mohit #25
May 20, 2006 at 5:25 PM
mariner said:
well buddy i have been using za pro plus kaspersky since last one year without any issues !

are u using a dsl broad band connection ???
ashisharya
May 24, 2006 at 10:19 AM
Outpost and ZA are very good firewalls
47shailesh
May 24, 2006 at 10:59 AM
ZA is uncompareable & i vote 4 it.....................................
ashfame
ashfame #28
May 24, 2006 at 1:38 PM
I use Avast 4 Pro antivirus & Windows xp sp2 in-built firewall.
Earlier i had used norton so no other need for me.
But for now, whts ur review about windows firewall.
Suggest me the best firewall thats light on resources in two categories :
1. freeware
2. trial-ware
Is there any firewall better than ZA.
thanks in advance
S
sakumar79 #29
May 24, 2006 at 3:44 PM
The best free firewall is Kerio Personal Firewall recommended by experts... It is even better than ZA (may be not better than ZA Pro though)... Among Paid firewalls, ZA Pro is the best. This info was in a comparitive study-review I read recently, will try to post the link if I find it again soon...

Arun
prankie
prankie #30
May 24, 2006 at 3:49 PM
ZoneAlarm :)
though not recommended on slow machines...
ashfame
ashfame #31
May 24, 2006 at 6:36 PM
@prankie
mine is a P4 2.8Ghz with 256MB DDR RAM & run win xp sp2.
I use avast 4 pro, Will ZA slow my pc to some extent?
nishant_nms
May 24, 2006 at 10:57 PM
I am sure nobody here is going to love my choice
I use Windows XP SP2 firewall on my BB connection. It has been working fine for me for more than 1 year with Avast. And I am able to do some basic configuration.
Importanly it the most light and 90% of users use only basic options of a firewall meaning that it is best suited to many of us out there
aryayush
aryayush #33
May 26, 2006 at 2:14 PM
ashfame said:
@prankie
mine is a P4 2.8Ghz with 256MB DDR RAM & run win xp sp2.
I use avast 4 pro, Will ZA slow my pc to some extent?
No, it won't.
ZA takes a considerable time to load when you boot the PC but uses negligible amount of resources once it is up and running. :)
ashfame
ashfame #34
May 26, 2006 at 8:41 PM
is it worth upgrading from win xp sp2 firewall to ZA.
if yes, how?
aryayush
aryayush #35
May 26, 2006 at 9:56 PM
Yes, of course!
I mean, the Windows XP SP2 firewall is NOTHING when compared to ZoneAlarm. ZoneAlarm is the best firewall at present. And that's why it's worth upgrading to it.
If you have DIGIT's 'Fast Track to Virus Proof your PC', have a look at what they have to say about ZoneAlarm Security Suite (it was the second fast track).
gary4gar
gary4gar #36
May 26, 2006 at 10:47 PM
ZoneAlarm rules here
bet u can also poll on it
wizrulz
wizrulz #37
May 26, 2006 at 10:51 PM
Zone alarm rules.......over digit provides updates every month.......so headache of getting form net :)
V
May 26, 2006 at 11:45 PM
for 256mb RAM think before u buy it (if at all u will...)

it mainly depends on the kinda activity u do on the net

and if u have always on BB then maybe

i would advice against it..if u have no plans to upgrade ur RAM
busyanuj
busyanuj #39
May 27, 2006 at 8:36 AM
try BlackICE PC Protection.

It's a good firewall.


and preferably run just one firewall at a time. running two won't exactly doubly protect you from probes.
N
Najesh #40
Jun 3, 2006 at 10:56 AM
Can we have windows xp2 firewall and ZAlarm both ,without any conflicting issues?
mohit
mohit #41
Jun 3, 2006 at 10:58 AM
^^not at all recommended... as anuj already said using 2 firewalls want doubly protect u .. instead u may face issues.
S
sakumar79 #42
Jun 3, 2006 at 8:14 PM
Having two firewalls is not necessary... Unless there are some features that you NEED in each that is not available in other... The main problem with having two firewalls is that everytime you will get double queries... That is, if you install a new program and then it tries to access the net, you will have to allow it on both firewalls to allow it access... This is only an inconvenience and not really a major issue...

Currently, I have PC-Cillin Internet Security as well as Kerio Personal Firewall (I am not convinced with PC-Cillin's Firewall protection... I guess I could turn it off but I have 512 MB RAM and dont find the performance pinch) Also, things work fine in general without conflicts...

Arun
Vyasram
Vyasram #43
Jun 3, 2006 at 9:21 PM
i use kaspersky is 6 and zone alarm 6.1.xxx with kaspersky anti hacker firewall disabled.
S
sanju #44
Jun 4, 2006 at 9:49 AM
sure za
Gaurav
Gaurav #45
Jun 4, 2006 at 10:14 PM
zonealarm version 6 is not compatible with windows xp professional sp-2. After install it generates a validation error and doesnot load into the system tray and does'nt protect the system after the error. There's a solution for this on their forum but that too does'nt work.
Shifted to Outpost and satisfied :). it's better than zonealarm.
royal
royal #46
Jun 4, 2006 at 11:23 PM
hey Gaurav

I've been using ZA Pro 6 for quite some time with XP Pro SP2...But I have not faced any such problem :confused:
ashisharya
Jun 5, 2006 at 2:19 PM
ZA and Look 'n' Stop are good.
A
Jun 6, 2006 at 12:15 AM
ZoneAlarm n nuthin else..
here is the latest update link for it if u hav instaled a lower version..
all the best
*www.zonelabs.com/store/content/company/products/zass/whatsNew.jsp?lid=home_whats_new
Gaurav
Gaurav #49
Jun 7, 2006 at 12:36 PM
Attaching the screenshots of the problem which i faced after installing ZA v6 on my machine havnig winxp pro with sp-2. Please have a look at those errors, and suggest me whether to install it or not (currently using outpost firewall v3.5)
L
lyroj #50
Jun 7, 2006 at 12:58 PM
GARY~GEEK said:
Zone alarm is not at all the recommended one. the best option i recomend is to go for Norton internet security. Once it has been installed and if u r using windows xp make sure u r able to browse. if every thing is fine, make sure you update the u,r Norton internet security regularly and also install MS anti spyware. as the Norton internet security is not only the secure one allways try to to do an online virus and spyware scan. u can try from the following web site............................


*www.trendmicro.com/en/home/us/home.htm

norton is system hungry!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ZA is a freeware and does a pretty good job.
its pro version(paid one) is good one to go for.
the latest version with anti-spyware is the one to go for.
if you have a genuine winXP OS,then go for installing WINDOWS LIVE ONE CARE with windows defender. this is free for 90 days. available on microsioft website.
kalpik
kalpik #51
Jun 7, 2006 at 4:16 PM
Gaurav said:
Attaching the screenshots of the problem which i faced after installing ZA v6 on my machine havnig winxp pro with sp-2. Please have a look at those errors, and suggest me whether to install it or not (currently using outpost firewall v3.5)
You already have the best firewall installed (Outpost) dont even think of switching to ZA. ZA is crap.
royal
royal #52
Jun 8, 2006 at 10:24 AM
kalpik said:
You already have the best firewall installed (Outpost) dont even think of switching to ZA. ZA is crap.

you really think so ? :confused:

I have been using ZA 6 pro for quite some time now and without any problem :D ... I was thinking of shifting to ZA pro 6.5

b4 doing that I would like to give outpost a try ... after all it never hurts to have a better product :p
Gaurav
Gaurav #53
Jun 8, 2006 at 10:54 PM
royal said:
you really think so ? :confused:

I have been using ZA 6 pro for quite some time now and without any problem :D ... I was thinking of shifting to ZA pro 6.5

b4 doing that I would like to give outpost a try ... after all it never hurts to have a better product :p

You know why people prefer ZA because it's UI is very simple and easy to understand., outpost is also a good firewall(but it's UI is not that easy to understand). I was using ZA 5.5 earlier but after upgrading to winxp pro sp2 I had to shift to outpost because ZA was giving this validation failed problem.
mohit sharma
Jun 8, 2006 at 11:38 PM
~Phenom~ said:
ZA and avast are intercompatible.

sorry but still till date , they r incompatible , my ZAP doesn't recognise AVAST .

but still i use both and in terms of protecting my PC , it's the best combination , because it is least resourse hungry plus i use spywareblaster and regularly scan my pc with spybot and adaware ,,, so my computer , i hope is 100 % secure now , even though i had migrated back from win xp sp2 to simple win xp without any special pack to keep things light !!!!!
TechGuru#1
Jun 9, 2006 at 3:30 AM
ZA doesNOt gell with my Macafee AntiVirus Suite.....Not compatible!

So what Best Firewall for Macafee AntiVirus users??

Curently using Macafee Firewall but that is a TRIAL!
godsownman
Jun 9, 2006 at 5:00 PM
I would recommend Zone Alarm only.

Right now I am using the all in one Zone Alarm Internet Security Suit. ( Firewall, anitvirus, Spyware).

Its good.
TechGuru#1
Jun 12, 2006 at 2:05 AM
TechGuru#1 said:
ZA doesNOt gell with my Macafee AntiVirus Suite.....Not compatible!

So what Best Firewall for Macafee AntiVirus users??

Curently using Macafee Firewall but that is a TRIAL!

Repeating that. HELP yaars!
L
lyroj #58
Jun 12, 2006 at 11:52 AM
TechGuru#1 said:
ZA doesNOt gell with my Macafee AntiVirus Suite.....Not compatible!

So what Best Firewall for Macafee AntiVirus users??

Curently using Macafee Firewall but that is a TRIAL!


i use ZA pro with mcafee virusscan enterprise 8.0,i dont have problems with it.it works well.
i u find problems u can shift to outpost,it is a good firewall bt u need pretty good knowledge to config it.
S
sakumar79 #59
Jun 12, 2006 at 6:43 PM
A very good easy to use firewall is Kerio Personal Firewall...

Arun
JGuru
JGuru #60
Jun 12, 2006 at 10:09 PM
ZoneAlarm is the best firewall. ZoneAlarm Pro is a trial version (will run for 15 days).
Although it consumes lot of resources , it protects you well enough. No second thoughts!! ZA is the best.
QwertyManiac
Jun 12, 2006 at 10:39 PM
It should be best if some anti-virus and some firewall companies combine and roll out thier products, that way people wont have trouble with compatiblity issues.

Current firewall - Windows native :)