RE: Personal Firewalls

[Eric Brown <ericbrow () ziplip com>]

I'd like to chime in here becuase I've used Sygate (both personal and pro), Zone Alarm (both personal and pro) and 
Agnatium (both personal and pro).  I've had both good and bad expirences with all.  I liked the personal version of 
Agnatium best.  I feel it was incredibly easy to use, but I could also get deep into the nitty gritty of it if I 
wanted.  The pro version did not work, telling me a driver could not be loaded.  

Of the pro versions I like ZoneAlarm best.  I use this for my home network.  It's also very easy to configure, but it 
doesn't quite have all the functionality that most firewalls do if you really want to get into the details.  I can just 
make it work the best of all of them.

I read many great things about Sygate.  The personal edition caused my computer to hang (this was probably more my 
problem than anything).  On my home network, the pro version was almost too overwhelming.  First thing I did not like 
was the fact that it did not log everything.  After 2 weeks, it said I had been scanned only twice, when I know I 
scanned it a dozen times from various external networks.  Second, you have to buy another product in order to share 
your internet connection, and this was iffy at best.  Finally the reason I gave up on it was that it was told to allow 
a program to go through, and absolutely refused.  I even set it to the most open setting, told it specifically to let 
that program out, and it wouldn't.

That's my two cents.
Eric

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Rory [mailto:nazgul () csn ul ie]
> Sent: Thursday, April 10, 2003, 9:02 AM
> To: Craig Searle <craig.searle () sift com au>
> Cc: 'Sridhar J' <sridhar.jayaraman () wipro com>,
> security-basics () securityfocus com
> Subject: RE: Personal Firewalls
>
> Mmmmmmm i'm curious i'm use zone alarm on a computer at home and am quite
> happy with it. I ws just wondering what caused you to pick Sygate over
> zone alarm. I'm quite happy with zone alarm but if there is something that
> is better I wouldn't mind knowing why.
>
>
> On Wed, 9 Apr 2003, Craig Searle wrote:
>
> > I have used all three in the past and found Sygate PRO to be the best by far
> > (I haven't tried the free version, but I have been told it is quite good
> > too).
> >
> > The logging features will also help you to better understand what is going
> > on while you are "connected".
> >
> > Having said that, ZoneAlarm is also very good- a close second to Sygate.
> >
> > Best of luck,
> >
> > Craig Searle
> > SIFT Pty Ltd
> > www.sift.com.au
> >
> > P (02) 9236 7276
> > F (02) 9236 7271
> > M 0402 914 077
> > E craig.searle () sift com au
> >
> > Level 67, MLC Centre,
> > Martin Place, Sydney NSW 2000
> >
> > [ABN 42 094 359 743]
> >
> > This correspondence is for the named person's use only. It may contain
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> > correspondence if you are not the intended recipient. Any opinions expressed
> > in this message are those of the individual sender, except where the sender
> > expressly, and with authority, states them to be the opinions of SIFT Pty
> > Ltd.
> >
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Sridhar J [mailto:sridhar.jayaraman () wipro com]
> > Sent: Wednesday, 9 April 2003 05:27 AM
> > To: security-basics () securityfocus com
> > Subject: Personal Firewalls
> >
> >
> > Hi
> >
> > I have a PIII 550 m/c running Win98. I need a personal firewall for it. I am
> > looking at Zone Alarm, Sygate and Tiny Personal Firewall as my options.
> >
> > My intention is not only to protect my systems, but also to learn something
> > about logs and analysing them. In light of this, which do you think would be
> > ideal?
> >
> > No, I don't have a *nix system and don't intend to use it now.
> >
> >
> > ----------
> > Regards
> > Sridhar J
> > ----------
> > "What you do in this world is a matter of no consequence;The question is,
> > what can you make people believe that you have done." --Sherlock Holmes in
> > "A Study in Scarlet"
> >
> >
> >
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