Best Firewall

[bononos]

I like that the Bitdefender is $10 cheaper than Symantec Norton Internet Security 2014 - 3 PCs Download but don't know much about them. I want to protect my families PCs from hackers mostly, but do not know which to buy. I got Malware bytes installed but want to back it up with something that has a good firewall and AV. Is there better ones?

Some antivirus can be purchased as a complete suite - av, firewalls, HIPS. Or you can mix and match by purchasing one bit and using freeware for the others. Bitdefender has an AV only product or the 'total security' package which has everything.

 

[TheRyuu]

Unless you need some advanced feature, remind me again what's wrong with the built in one Windows comes with?

 

[bononos]

Unless you need some advanced feature, remind me again what's wrong with the built in one Windows comes with?

The problem is one of subpar performance and an MSE interview hinted that users should install something better.
http://lifehacker.com/microsoft-admits-that-third-party-antivirus-is-more-eff-1441135677

 

[ralfy]

I think the article refers to the AV and not the firewall.

 

[John Connor]

Unless you need some advanced feature, remind me again what's wrong with the built in one Windows comes with?

Programs add their selves automatically to Windows Firewall for one. It's just a basic firewall with no advanced features. Comodo has some firewall test Apps you can use and it will fail with the test apps.

 

[TheRyuu]

Programs add their selves automatically to Windows Firewall for one.

They still require elevated privileges to do so.

It's just a basic firewall with no advanced features.

I think I mentioned that already. As a basic firewall it should work fine. The only thing you could argue is that it's not really going to be blocking outbound traffic but most people are not going to be concerned with this anyway.

With most people behind a router even the inbound portion of it isn't going to really get hit with anything.

 

[John Connor]

SPI doesn't protect you when your App has already established a connection.

 

[game_boy]

I use AVG Internet security for almost two years and I'm very happy about it. I think its built-in firewall is just superb. You should try it. In case, you don't want to spend now money at all and download avg antivirus free, I think, you will be fine too.

 

[game_boy]

Almost to forgot. I've used zonealarm firewall too. It works fine too. Actually, it's really hard to say, which one is the best. It does depend on the amount of money, you are ready to spend and the level of protection you need. I'm ready to be even more descriptive, so you can contact me via PM if you want.

 

[feelingshorter]

The problem is one of subpar performance and an MSE interview hinted that users should install something better.
http://lifehacker.com/microsoft-admits-that-third-party-antivirus-is-more-eff-1441135677

That surprising. At the very least MS solution isn't annoyingly spammy. Even as tech savy as I am and how I am with keeping my computer clean, I get tired of firewall management.

 

[Ketchup]

Can you folks start mentioning what specifically you like about the third-party firewalls. I think it woukd be good for folks to know what they do better than the "stock" one.

 

[John Connor]

One thing I like about Comodo Firewall is it has an ARP cache protection, along with other features which I can't remember since I don't have it installed. Comodo Firewall Defense shield interferes with my Alcohol 120% virtual DVD drive. So I can't use Comodo. There is an older version that will work though because you can opt to not install the defense shield on install. It is the defense shield that interferes with the virtual DVD drive. The newer versions don't allow you to chose whether you want to install the defense shield or not.

 

[mikeymikec]

Programs add their selves automatically to Windows Firewall for one.

As can any program make changes to the configuration of any other program provided that it has sufficient privileges.

I get tired of firewall management.

I witnessed Comodo IS's firewall in action the other day, and I find it almost unbelievable that there are still firewall products out there that insist on spamming the average user with "allow this" messages. For some reason the "firewall" was getting involved (multiple times for the same program) when an uninstall program wanted to do things that had nothing to do with network traffic. I could understand it if the program had been specifically configured by the user to do that, otherwise it simply makes no sense because the average user has about as much knowledge regarding TCP/IP as a tea-leaf knows the history of the East India Company.

 

[John Connor]

As can any program make changes to the configuration of any other program provided that it has sufficient privileges.

You just answered your own statement below. Comodo, for example will ask for install, etc.

I witnessed Comodo IS's firewall in action the other day, and I find it almost unbelievable that there are still firewall products out there that insist on spamming the average user with "allow this" messages. For some reason the "firewall" was getting involved (multiple times for the same program) when an uninstall program wanted to do things that had nothing to do with network traffic. I could understand it if the program had been specifically configured by the user to do that, otherwise it simply makes no sense because the average user has about as much knowledge regarding TCP/IP as a tea-leaf knows the history of the East India Company.

With good security come cumbersomeness. If one were to operate exslusivly with a white list only then those crap ransomware viruses wouldn't even be able to execute.

No matter the security product there comes some sort of cumbersomeness. Even having to use passwords becomes a PITA.

 

[mikeymikec]

You just answered your own statement below. Comodo, for example will ask for install, etc.

I don't think you understood the point I was making there because your response makes no sense.

You were complaining that programs can add themselves to the Windows Firewall's "allow" list. I responded trying to explain that with sufficient privileges, any program can make changes to the configuration of any other program (Comodo included in case that needs to be pointed out).

With good security come cumbersomeness. If one were to operate exslusivly with a white list only then those crap ransomware viruses wouldn't even be able to execute.

No matter the security product there comes some sort of cumbersomeness. Even having to use passwords becomes a PITA.

There isn't any stretch of the imagination whereby good security results in asking a clueless user technical questions. As I said before, it makes more sense for a security program to have an option (not enabled by default) where it asks more verbose questions like the sort Comodo does by default so that users who think that they'll benefit from that sort of thing can do so.

In my experience a program (which needs to listen to a port and respond to incoming traffic) will ask if it can add itself to the Windows Firewall exception list, and to add it requires elevated privs. I honestly don't see why most people need it to be any more complicated than that, and it's difficult to make it any simpler.

 

[John Connor]

Have you used Comodo? When something like a simple registry edit occurs Comodo will ask you to allow. That's been my experience.

 

[PliotronX]

pfSense

[/endthread]

Dude check out opnSense, it's dead sexy.

 

[sourceninja]

Dude check out opnSense, it's dead sexy.

What are the main advantages over pfsense? Their website doesn't make a compelling argument.

 

[PliotronX]

What are the main advantages over pfsense? Their website doesn't make a compelling argument.

If a far better GUI is not your thing...