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☖ Forums → Discussion Forum → Firewall Software
12
Firewall Software
2006-12-28, 9:15 AM #1
So, I think all these computer problems I've had lately are F-Secure Internet Security 2007's fault.

I could change to Norton, since my father has a spare copy of it somewhere, but I've heard it sucks.

So, any better suggestions?

(It disturbs me a lot to not have a Technology Forum where to post this thread)
Star Wars: TODOA | DXN - Deus Ex: Nihilum
2006-12-28, 9:34 AM #2
The biggest problem I had with Norton was that it would sometimes crash whenever a program tried to access the network connection and Norton tried to prompt me for a rule. I don't know if that was a problem specific to my installation or not.

I've been happily using PC-Cillin Internet Security 2007.
the idiot is the person who follows the idiot and your not following me your insulting me your following the path of a idiot so that makes you the idiot - LC Tusken
2006-12-28, 10:15 AM #3
I won't vote for any software to use because I don't use software firewalls, but I will vote against Norton. I know several people that have it, its a resource hog, and when things don't work, its hard to figure out exactly what settings are preventing program X from working.
Yet Another Massassi Map | Sadly I Have a Blog Too
2006-12-28, 10:34 AM #4
Quote:
PC-Cillin Internet Security 2007


Mmh, that one seems to have gotten bad reviews. :|
Star Wars: TODOA | DXN - Deus Ex: Nihilum
2006-12-28, 10:47 AM #5
Hardware firewall/router ftw.

2006-12-28, 11:21 AM #6
I just use windows firewall.
2006-12-28, 11:46 AM #7
I have McAfee thingy that came free with my internet, and I have never had a virus or spyware program on my computer since I got it. Or at least, McAfee and the other free things that I downloaded haven't been able to find any. I've had it for quite a while, too.
"You're only supposed to blow the bloody doors off!" Anyone who recognizes this quote is awsome.
2006-12-28, 11:48 AM #8
ok so here is another question. You guys that just use hardware firewalls can help me. Do I really need my software firewall at all if I have a router?
"You're only supposed to blow the bloody doors off!" Anyone who recognizes this quote is awsome.
2006-12-28, 11:50 AM #9
If the router has its own firewall (almost all do), then absolutely not.
2006-12-28, 12:34 PM #10
[QUOTE=The Mega-ZZTer]Hardware firewall/router ftw.[/QUOTE]

ftw

Anything but Norton, which will eat your computer from the inside out.
A computer's worst nightmare:
0010111010011110210011010001

HazTeam Website-=HT=
2006-12-28, 1:25 PM #11
[QUOTE=Cool Matty]If the router has its own firewall (almost all do), then absolutely not.[/QUOTE]

:downs:

Software firewalls do not do the same thing as hardware routers. Hardware routers close ports to regulate what traffic passes through them (as well as matching incoming data to outgoing requests, etc., etc.). Software firewalls regulate what programs on your computer have access to the Internet and the network. A combination of software firewall + hardware firewall is a pretty good bet (assuming that you correctly set up your software firewall rules) against any unwanted traffic.
the idiot is the person who follows the idiot and your not following me your insulting me your following the path of a idiot so that makes you the idiot - LC Tusken
2006-12-28, 1:33 PM #12
Hardware firewalls are all you need if you don't suck at the internet, in other words. Honestly, there's not a reason to get a software firewall if you're the only one using your PC--unless you like being annoyed unneccesarily.
D E A T H
2006-12-28, 1:56 PM #13
Not that it would often happen to a person, but your average hardware firewall will do nothing against, say, a DoS attack. Then again neither will your average software firewall. So I think the solution here, is download buy good firewall software.
Bassoon, n. A brazen instrument into which a fool blows out his brains.
2006-12-28, 2:02 PM #14
Quote:
So I think the solution here, is download buy good firewall software.


Being..? :P
Star Wars: TODOA | DXN - Deus Ex: Nihilum
2006-12-28, 3:13 PM #15
Originally posted by Rob:
I just use windows firewall.

.
$do || ! $do ; try
try: command not found
Ye Olde Galactic Empire Mission Editor (X-wing, TIE, XvT/BoP, XWA)
2006-12-28, 3:40 PM #16
I use PF.
[This message has been edited. Deal with it.]
2006-12-28, 6:11 PM #17
Originally posted by Emon:
Not that it would often happen to a person, but your average hardware firewall will do nothing against, say, a DoS attack.


Eh. One of MediaCom's nameservers was taken down (I think it may have been used as a proxy), and I was apparently on the receiving end of a DoS attack from it. Norton caught it.
the idiot is the person who follows the idiot and your not following me your insulting me your following the path of a idiot so that makes you the idiot - LC Tusken
2006-12-28, 6:49 PM #18
You can't "catch" a DoS attack.

Originally posted by Wolfy:
:downs:

Software firewalls do not do the same thing as hardware routers. Hardware routers close ports to regulate what traffic passes through them (as well as matching incoming data to outgoing requests, etc., etc.). Software firewalls regulate what programs on your computer have access to the Internet and the network. A combination of software firewall + hardware firewall is a pretty good bet (assuming that you correctly set up your software firewall rules) against any unwanted traffic.


And they all do a horribly shoddy job at it, too. Usually causes everything not to work, instead.
2006-12-28, 7:00 PM #19
[QUOTE=Cool Matty]You can't "catch" a DoS attack.[/QUOTE]

Er. Yes, you can, and, by catching it, you are able to stop it.

[QUOTE=Cool Matty]And they all do a horribly shoddy job at it, too. Usually causes everything not to work, instead.[/QUOTE]

Not running into any problems with any of my firewall'ed computers.
the idiot is the person who follows the idiot and your not following me your insulting me your following the path of a idiot so that makes you the idiot - LC Tusken
2006-12-28, 7:13 PM #20
Originally posted by Wolfy:
Er. Yes, you can, and, by catching it, you are able to stop it.



Not running into any problems with any of my firewall'ed computers.


How the heck are you supposed to "catch" something who's sole purpose is to fill up connections and bandwith? It's still gonna come through anyway, no matter what your Norton does. To really stop a DoS, you have to have a router down the line drop the packets completely.

And you are one of a lucky few, then.
2006-12-28, 7:20 PM #21
Originally posted by FastGamerr:
Mmh, that one seems to have gotten bad reviews. :|


Just to touch on this, most of the problems seem to have been due to a botched upgrade from 2006 to 2007 by TrendMicro; a fresh install seems to be fine.

[QUOTE=Cool Matty]How the heck are you supposed to "catch" something who's sole purpose is to fill up connections and bandwith? It's still gonna come through anyway, no matter what your Norton does. To really stop a DoS, you have to have a router down the line drop the packets completely.

And you are one of a lucky few, then.[/QUOTE]

http://www.pcquest.com/content/services/2006/106050503.asp

Quote:
We tested the firewall with DoS attacks and found it successful in detecting, blocking and reporting them in real time.
the idiot is the person who follows the idiot and your not following me your insulting me your following the path of a idiot so that makes you the idiot - LC Tusken
2006-12-28, 7:42 PM #22
Originally posted by Wolfy:
:downs:

Software firewalls do not do the same thing as hardware routers. Hardware routers close ports to regulate what traffic passes through them (as well as matching incoming data to outgoing requests, etc., etc.). Software firewalls regulate what programs on your computer have access to the Internet and the network. A combination of software firewall + hardware firewall is a pretty good bet (assuming that you correctly set up your software firewall rules) against any unwanted traffic.

:downs:

Last time I checked, PF can "close ports to regulate what traffic passes through" and "as well as matching incoming data to outgoing requests, etc., etc.", even though it is a "software" firewall. Same with ipfilter, iptables, etc.
[This message has been edited. Deal with it.]
2006-12-28, 7:50 PM #23
...and since when do hardware routers monitor and regulate what programs access the network from your personal computer? My previous statement stands true - a software firewall's main purpose is to regulate software, and a hardware's is to regulate what ports are open.
the idiot is the person who follows the idiot and your not following me your insulting me your following the path of a idiot so that makes you the idiot - LC Tusken
2006-12-28, 8:06 PM #24
Originally posted by Wolfy:
...and since when do hardware routers monitor and regulate what programs access the network from your personal computer? My previous statement stands true - a software firewall's main purpose is to regulate software, and a hardware's is to regulate what ports are open.

My "software firewall" (and many others) has the main purpose of regulating which ports are open. It cannot even regulate on a per process basis (nor does it need to), like the "software firewalls" which you refer to.

A router cannot monitor and regulate processes on your PC since it probably has no clue what processes are running on your machine. It just so happens that when you run a firewall on your PC, you tend to have more flexibility when deciding how you want to block traffic.
[This message has been edited. Deal with it.]
2006-12-28, 8:20 PM #25
Then I retract my previous statement; I wasn't aware that iptables and the like were classified as firewalls.
the idiot is the person who follows the idiot and your not following me your insulting me your following the path of a idiot so that makes you the idiot - LC Tusken
2006-12-28, 8:22 PM #26
Originally posted by Wolfy:
Then I retract my previous statement; I wasn't aware that iptables and the like were classified as firewalls.

Well, I guess you could call it a packet filter if you would like, but I consider them the same since they do the same thing.
[This message has been edited. Deal with it.]
2006-12-28, 8:33 PM #27
[QUOTE=Cool Matty]To really stop a DoS, you have to have a router down the line drop the packets completely.[/QUOTE]
And how will the router distinguish between DoS traffic and legitimate traffic?
Bassoon, n. A brazen instrument into which a fool blows out his brains.
2006-12-28, 10:33 PM #28
Originally posted by Emon:
And how will the router distinguish between DoS traffic and legitimate traffic?


It wouldn't, until it was discovered as such and a ban put into place. That's why it's so freaking effective?
2006-12-28, 10:58 PM #29
Enter proxies, DDoS, etc. But to be fair, to bring a DDoS attack upon yourself, you would have to do something pretty stupid. It would be akin to getting your finger cut off because you made a very big bet with very powerful people and couldn't pay up.
Bassoon, n. A brazen instrument into which a fool blows out his brains.
2006-12-28, 11:54 PM #30
Wow, a stupid debate which actually has nothing to do with "Firewall Software".

More suggestions, please.
Star Wars: TODOA | DXN - Deus Ex: Nihilum
2006-12-29, 12:05 AM #31
Originally posted by FastGamerr:
Mmh, that one seems to have gotten bad reviews. :|

From whom? PC-cillin's anti-virus is great, and I've been using their internet security suite on a couple machines without issues.
Bassoon, n. A brazen instrument into which a fool blows out his brains.
2006-12-29, 12:23 AM #32
Well, I've checked from random places (mainly Internet shops with reviews, though :|) and they seem to have problems with PC-cillin using a lot of resources... like my F-Secure seems to do now. :|
Star Wars: TODOA | DXN - Deus Ex: Nihilum
2006-12-29, 12:57 AM #33
Like what, 30 MB of RAM? PC-cillin's anti-virus is known to be pretty damn fast. If you really want you can turn down or turn off the auto protection.
Bassoon, n. A brazen instrument into which a fool blows out his brains.
2006-12-29, 1:00 AM #34
I'm sure I'm gonna try that instead of Norton, though.

Thanks. :)
Star Wars: TODOA | DXN - Deus Ex: Nihilum
2006-12-29, 6:24 AM #35
what's wrong with the free zone alarm?
i've had the same xp install running for 9 months with only zone alarm as any kind of security. no viruses or spyware. then again i don't surf while drunk clickety clicking on naked girly sites.
2006-12-29, 8:44 AM #36
[QUOTE=Darth Evad]what's wrong with the free zone alarm?
i've had the same xp install running for 9 months with only zone alarm as any kind of security. no viruses or spyware. then again i don't surf while drunk clickety clicking on naked girly sites.[/QUOTE]

Zone Alarm is worse than Norton. It just bombs your internet randomly, forcing you to reinstall windows.
2006-12-29, 8:58 AM #37
what do you mean "bombs"?
i've never had a problem with it. more than anything i use it to restrict access from what i consider suspicious apps.
2006-12-29, 9:01 AM #38
Simple. It just stops working one day. And you can't get on the internet, at all. Even uninstalling it leaves you with no internet. Only a reinstall of windows fixes it. It happens quite often, which is why very few people use it anymore.
2006-12-29, 2:44 PM #39
I've been using it for years and never had a problem with it at all, much less something that caused Windows to need reinstalling. Never heard of anyone else having that problem either, got a link to some info on the problem?
Little angel go away
Come again some other day
Devil has my ear today
I'll never hear a word you say
2006-12-29, 3:57 PM #40
Whooooaaa Evad.
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