Time to choose a x64 firewall

janlafata · #1 (**permalink**) 09-07-2008, 12:34 AM

Just got through installing a new ASUS motherboard and loading Windows XP x64 on it. It will not run Vista.

I'm still in the process of loading programs, but I decided it's time I get the firewall installation out of the way. I knew going into the whole x64 thing that there were few x64 firewall options. But I also run and soon will be loading Kaspersky Internet Security, which, of course has an option to run a firewall.

I say option because, in the past, when I ran the Kaspersky Firewall, I just didn't understand all of the options available when it is put in training mode. That's where you get to pick from a drop-down menu, the options for a service or program to connect, manually. I can't remeeber all of the options, but one of them was Web Browser, another was Custom. I always just chose "Any activity" but always wondered that by doing that, is the firewall secure enough. Your thoughts on that?

So in the meantime, at least until I get some repsonses to my post, I installed Comodo Firewall Pro 3.0. I've run it before, but when I did that Defense + part of it drove me crazy with alerts. So when I installed it this time I unchecked the "Install Defense +" option. Problem is, when I rebooted after install, it showed that Defense + was installed anyway, So I started fooling around with settings and I think I've got it set now where it won't aler me me anymore, though I'm still not sure if it's turned off.

And the Comodo Pro is a nice firewall. There's no doubt about that. But I thought I knew the basics of a software firewall untill I ran it. To me, it's just a little too complicated. So I am thinking of uninstalling it and going with the Kaspersky Firewall.

Just looking for some feedback.

owen · #2 (**permalink**) 12-07-2008, 01:26 AM

I had a discussion about Defense+ features with Bill recently (Digerati). Defense+ is a brilliant way to stop every possible infiltration into your system and prevent spyware and nasties from hooking into your system internals and hijacking programs. It does a brilliant job.

The only problem is, in theory Defense+ is brilliant, but in practise, it is simply an irritation and way to over the top. My general advice, is keep a clean computer with antispyware and antivirus software and use common sense when surfing the net and Defense+ would never be needed anyway.

I've never used Kaspersky software, so I can't really comment on that. I have seen the interface on a computer of a 3 year old version and it did look complex to configure, but of course 3 years is a long time in computers.

If you want, I could help you to configure Comodo to optimum settings that will keep your sensibly safe and turn off the annoying and confusing extras?

janlafata · #3 (**permalink**) 12-07-2008, 07:54 PM

Owen,

Thanks for your reply....I may very well take you up on helping me configure Comodo Pro, but because I needed some anti-virus also, so I went ahead and uninstalled it and put on my Kaspersky Internet Security, which is probably just as complicated to understand.

i guess I am going to have to face it, although I know computers, when it comes to networking and firewalls, I completey fall apart. Part of the reason for this is that I used to run the ZoneAlarm products for many years. They were always very user friendly, but even they have become more complicated now and also have snubbed x64.

But I always liked the simpleness of keeping on top of what was connecting inbound and outbound to the internet. With ZA, you would just get a popup asking for permission, you would then look over what was trying to connect to the internet, then choose either allow or block. That was it.

Now Comodo does that, depending on your security setting, but if you have Defense +, of course you have all kinds of other decisions to make. And like I mentioned in my first post, the one thing I didn't like about it was that when I initially installing Comodo, I specfically chose the option not to install Defense +. But after reboot, it installed anyway. That ticks me off. I like my software to do what it says!

But getting back to Kaspersky, you can set it to training mode and you'll get popup alerts, which I still would like to have, but then when the allow/block choice window comes up, you then have to choose from a drop-down menu of other options including web browser custom and any activity and a few others. None of which usually made sense, so I would always just choose any activity. But I asked a Kaspersky guy if that was enough security when you do that and he said it probably wasn't.

So currently I am running it in Low Security mode. That's where you get no popups. At that setting it allows the network actvity of all applications except those explicitly prohibited by user-defined application rules. Now I have no idea what that all means, but the next setting is either training mode, which I mentioned, or High Security, which blocks all connections not permitted by the rules. And you get no prompts.

So even though a firewall novice like me can see that the Kaspersky Firewall is a finely-honed product, it still is not as user-friendly as I would like. One more thing that bugs me about the program is that I like going into the main window of a firewall and seeing what exact applications have been given or denied permision.

With Kaspersky, there is a window called Rules for Applications. But not everything that connects to the internet or tries to connect to the internet is in there. For example i run program called Your Uninstaller, which I know from running past firewalls, that it will try to connect to check for updates. Well I recently tested it to check whether, first of all Kaspersky would allow it. It did. And I even checked for updates manually.

Then I went to check in the Kaspersky Rules for Applications and there was no listing of it at all. I mean like with Zone Alarm, I would see that listed and the setting of whether I allowed or blocked it. But with Kaspersky, all that's in there are alot of Windows services, a few mentions of Microsoft Office, Internet Explorer, Windows Live Messenger and so forth.

But I don't dare to write Kaspersky about all of this. They would probably give me an answer that would mess me up for life.

So as I write this, I still don't know what I'm going to do. Like I mentioned, you can tell that the Comodo Pro is good, but even it has some similiar things that bug me, like a Application window, which took me awhile to find. Defense + has one too and so does the firewall, but both are hard to discern. But it does show more than Kaspersky and that's important to me in a Firewall.

If I had my wish, I go either with the BitDefender Firewall in their Internet Security or ESET Smart Security's Firewall. Both are much more simple and straight forward as far as letting you know what applications have connected. But there's no budget for either of them right now, so I may just have to live with Kaspersky for awhile. I mean it is a good product. But I still would like to know why it doesn't list certain applications that I know for a fact connected to the internet. Could you weigh in on that?

By the way, if I do have you help me set up the Comodo again, how do I contact you for the help you offered? Through this thread or your website?

Thanks again