Could you recommend a good firewall software? Also an anti-virus program. Free would be nice, but im willing to pay for something good. Im using winxp.
thanks
epic
thanks
epic
Suggestion on a good Firewall & Anti-virus software.
- Thread starter epicstruggle
- Start date
Avast is a good vs. Though it does noticably slow things down.
For a firewall, if you have a router do you really need on?
ZA would likely suite your needs, I don't know of any free ones. But the first place I look at for free software is sourceforge.
For a firewall, if you have a router do you really need on?
ZA would likely suite your needs, I don't know of any free ones. But the first place I look at for free software is sourceforge.
Bouncing Zabaglione Bros.
Legend
For a firewall, I use a hardware NAT router for inbound stuff, and if I want to investigate outbound stuff, I use Kerio's/Tiny firewall.
For virus stuff, I find Kaspersky Anti-virus to be excellent. Very configurable, and isn't hugely intrusive. Not free, but the personal version is about £20 a year.
For virus stuff, I find Kaspersky Anti-virus to be excellent. Very configurable, and isn't hugely intrusive. Not free, but the personal version is about £20 a year.
Outpost Firewall Pro have both free and commercial versions.
Here is a list comparing both versions and a heap of others too.
Here is a list comparing both versions and a heap of others too.
great stuff, on the firewall front. the av software is proving more difficult. Anyone use/try panda av?
later,
epic
later,
epic
I recommend Zone Alarm as a firewall. I've used the free version for a couple years.
http://www.zonelabs.com/
A good free antivirus program is AVG.
http://www.grisoft.com/
http://www.zonelabs.com/
A good free antivirus program is AVG.
http://www.grisoft.com/
1) Don't execute email attachments unless you're positive they're safe (including .zip files)
2) Run windows update and visit http://housecall.trendmicro.com/ once a week
3) If you're really paranoid, enable TCP/IP filtering in your network adapter settings and block all the ports you don't use.
Do those 3 simple steps, and you shouldn't need any expensive, resource intensive applications or intermediary hardware components. Hackers aren't something the average user needs to worry about, since they generally go after corporate hosts. Be smart about what you install and run and you shouldn't have any virus problems, either. And if you do get a virus, that free online scanner should catch it, and then you can usually remove it yourself. The only types of viruses you can't remove on your own are the kind that install themselves into your MBR, and I don't think that is a problem unless you're running Windows 9x.
2) Run windows update and visit http://housecall.trendmicro.com/ once a week
3) If you're really paranoid, enable TCP/IP filtering in your network adapter settings and block all the ports you don't use.
Do those 3 simple steps, and you shouldn't need any expensive, resource intensive applications or intermediary hardware components. Hackers aren't something the average user needs to worry about, since they generally go after corporate hosts. Be smart about what you install and run and you shouldn't have any virus problems, either. And if you do get a virus, that free online scanner should catch it, and then you can usually remove it yourself. The only types of viruses you can't remove on your own are the kind that install themselves into your MBR, and I don't think that is a problem unless you're running Windows 9x.
I run Norton AV 2004 and have no complaints whatsoever. It hasn't actually FOUND anything, but then again I don't download tons of funny stuffs either. 
The 2002 edition found a bunch of email worms for me when Melissa and such were doing the rounds on the web.
It is a bit of a RAM hog, but it doesn't slow down my system from what I can tell once it is actually running.
The 2002 edition found a bunch of email worms for me when Melissa and such were doing the rounds on the web.It is a bit of a RAM hog, but it doesn't slow down my system from what I can tell once it is actually running.
AVG - www.grisoft.com
Sygate - www.sygate.com (i think)
I haven't read the thread, so if someone else suggested this earlier I am just agreening. I used AVG for 2 years+ - it's great,
Sygate - I used Zonealarm, and one other ??? but switched to sygate as it is more user friendly, and seems to use less resources... kind of nicer to use, and Zonealarm bloats like Norton....
forgot to mention - both are free... look for the free version for personal use.
Sygate - www.sygate.com (i think)
I haven't read the thread, so if someone else suggested this earlier I am just agreening. I used AVG for 2 years+ - it's great,
Sygate - I used Zonealarm, and one other ??? but switched to sygate as it is more user friendly, and seems to use less resources... kind of nicer to use, and Zonealarm bloats like Norton....
forgot to mention - both are free... look for the free version for personal use.
I use Norton Antivirus 2004 and Zone Alarm Pro 4. I also have a wireless router firewall enabled and configured for an extra layer of protection. The only thing I would say is that if you don't want to spend some time doing configuration, don't get NA and ZAP. They're both nigh worthless imo at the default settings.
But once you get everything tweaked out, they're both powerful solutions.
But once you get everything tweaked out, they're both powerful solutions.
To resurect this thread.
I want an antivirus program that will leave me alone when I am not using it.
I had norton 2003 AV pro edition and I turned it off, I only use it to scan attachments, but it still runs and the CCAP.exe always causes issues...
Anyway I will try AVG, but I want to know which one is most efficient?
I want an antivirus program that will leave me alone when I am not using it.
I had norton 2003 AV pro edition and I turned it off, I only use it to scan attachments, but it still runs and the CCAP.exe always causes issues...
Anyway I will try AVG, but I want to know which one is most efficient?
