Sygate Personal Firewall

[Variable]

It seems I have a problem with sysgate personal firewall.

Although I set it under config=>Options=>Start-Up to Automatically the firewall isn't started. I don't see the icon in the taskbar nor do I see it when I press Ctrl+Alt+del.

The other problem is that when I start it manually I always have this annoying window open. If I remember cirrectly I only had the icon in the tray!

Any help? Suggestions?

cool°
Variable

PS: NO I will not use Zonealarm! It is the most !"§$%"§$%"§$%"§$%app around!

[HfdWolfPack]

All I can offer, is that the same thing was happening to me.
btw: Eventually, it wouldnt allow me access to the internet no matter what i did, and ended up uninstalling it http://www.sysopt.com/forum/frown.gif

[Variable]

That is what Zonealarm did to me!
I couldn't go on the internet, use iexplorer, use outlook etc.!
Before it ran fine....

[Variable]

I just did the test on their website and it seems only Ultra is really safe!
Even high leaves open the port used by Sub7 and other hacking-stuff!!!

Any help on my problems??? ^^^^

[daveleau]

Right click on the start menu and click Explore. Click Programs, Start up and add a shortcut of the Sygate exe file there. That will get it to start up every time on boot. For some reason it appears that yours is not setting that correctly when you chose the option. I have no clue as to why, btu this is an indirect fix.
Good luck
Dave

[Variable]

I ran msconfig and Sysgate Personal Firewall is listed there under Autostart!!
But it doesn't run!
And I really "§$%"§%&"$%& HATE this window floating around! I want an icon in the tray NOT MORE!

[Variable]

Hello?

[psyklone]

it's designed so that there isn't an icon in the system tray. because the icon's not there doesn't mean it's not running. actually i believe there's something in the documentation that tells you that there's not going to be an icon that shows up. check out this link for more info: http://www.sygate.com/support/technotes/ssd_sms/SS081500-02-NLER.htm

cheers,

psyklone

[daveleau]

Have you tried this: http://www.sygate.com/support/forms/ssreq_form.htm
Dave

[Variable]

Thank you very much guys, it really is running all the time (or at least my PC is protected...)

The only thing strange is: I have my security settings at Ultra now and still 1 port is open to attacks!

Protocol: ICMP Port: 9 Status: OPEN Additional Information: ICMP ping request. ICMP is used to "ping" your machine in order to test internet access.

Any ideas why?

[This message has been edited by Variable (edited 03-08-2001).]

[Variable]

seems like i have even more ports open!!!
And that running Sygate Pers. Firewall at Ultra security!!

[RobRich]

Something is way off in your settings, as I not even able to overcome Sygate's security during my testing for SysOpt's firewall comparison review. It literally sounds as if the firewall is not even running, but the the graphical interface is. Try completely un-installing and start over again. Also be sure to read the documentation carefully.

Robert Richmond

[Variable]

I already deinstalled and re-installed it once!
What is strange too is that almost all ports are listed as closed but not as hidden what is much much better.
I will try reinstalling it again.

As I said before I don't know if it is really running...
I don't see any icons in the tray, open windows and I don't see it running when I hit ctrl+alt+del.
But if I remember correctly it always had a little icon in the system tray and you could see it running when you hit crtl+alt+del.

[ZENYO]

I installed it after reading the review here at sysopt. It's been working fine. I Think. I don't see an icon on the taskbar and the floating box disappeared. But it's always spitting out IP warnings at me.

Al

[This message has been edited by ZENYO (edited 03-08-2001).]

[Variable]

How did the floating box disappear? Which floating box?
When I start my pc I don't see ANY indication that it is starting!
Although I just downloaded wintop and did a quick check and it seems to be running.
Also I don't get ANY warnings at all and my log shows absolutely nothing now (I think yesterday it said at least "starting..." or somthing like it)

Maybe this has something to do that I'm using 2 NIC's? One to connect to my DSL modem and one for my LAN.
But still it should work since I use a sort of Dial-Up to connect to the internet (WinPoEt: PPP over Ethernet).

[Variable]

I downloaded the newest version (mine was 2-3 months old) and did a reinstall.
But still most ports are only closed (not stealthed as they should be) and some are still OPEN!

I checked with winipcfg and the IP checked is really mine (at least the one of my ICSharing Adapter, but not of the NIC I use to go on the internet with DSL). Is this correct? Why is it visible at all shouldn't it be "hidden" or stealthed?

[This message has been edited by Variable (edited 03-08-2001).]

[Variable]

Things get more and more freaky...

Now I get an abnormal program termination when it starts... (this started after I installed DirectCD)

I will try uninstalling and re-installing it.
This firewall is going to get on my freaking nerves! It doesn't work and gives all kinds of problems!

[RobRich]

Perhaps this is a good time to try an alternative software firewall package. Another excellent choice which rates extremely high is TinySoft's Personal Firewall. Here is a download link:

http://www.tinysoftware.com/pwall.php

The only issues I've noted with Tiny PF is that it does not support WinRoute or MicroSoft's ICS services.

Robert Richmond

[Variable]

That's bad because I'm using WinME's ICS...
Well I leave it running for now...
(the next re-install seems to be looming and maybe that solves my problems)

[Underclocked]

Sygate says the firewall software is incompatible with ICS.

[yammahoppy]

variable,

you might want to go to www.grc.com (http://www.grc.com) and have his shields up program test your system. it might help to have an un-interested party to probe your ports for you. i run the sygate personal firewall and on the grc site it shows all ports closed.

the yamminator

[Variable]

Well, even sygates website says i have open ports (and they should be interested in making believe that with a sygate firewall all my ports are closed!)
i will give it a try.

[Cryptic]

I tested at Sygate Grc and a couple of other sites. Blackice,Zonealarm,Mcafee,Sygate Firewall and a couple of lesser knowns. All within the past 3 months on winMe. Only one was 100% stealthed -Zonealarm. As mentioned even the Sygate firewall fails its own tests.Worthy of note stealthy ports are invisible to all , blocked ports say "Hey I'm here" Also Sygates tests say they mean stealth when they say blocked.
Along with tests, I read alot of firewall inf. Seems that there is or was an agreement to leave "ping port " open for the needs of isp's. Apparently ZA was first to disregard that. No software firewall is 100% but Za is easy and consistant. I do miss the info available when Blackice gets hit. Wish I could run both at once. Tried it. ZA just protected my BA ;-p

[Variable]

Well I just <FONT size="10">HATE</FONT s> Zoenalarm.
I wouldn't even let me access the internet (on all security levels). I couldn't run iexplorer, outlook and every other internet app.
What the "§$"§$" is it good for if it won't let you get on the internet at all?
After that I just killed it (gave me big trouble to uninstall and I had to do a win re-install) and vowed never to install it again.

[RobRich]

Mentioned even the Sygate firewall fails its own tests.

WTF, I can't break Sygate SPF's stealth protection when properly configured, and that is with a Unix 65k+ port NMAP scan! It is true I use WinRoute Pro for my LAN, but Sygate SPF has always proven reliable for my standalone systems. Perhaps the test system was not properly configured.

Also, in regards to mentioning WinRoute, Variable, your problem seems to reside at the ICS layer. WinRoute provides superior LAN inter-connectivity as compared to ICS, plus offers NAT level packet filtering and firewall port/connection protection. Might want to check it out, since the personal firewall route appears to have reached a dead-end.

Later,
Robert Richmond

[Variable]

Yeah, I might do that.

[Underclocked]

Does the latest Sygate support ICS??? Am I reading that page incorrectly?
Thanks.

[RobRich]

I have had success in installing older versions of SPF with ICS, but it did require quite a few changes to the advanced properties configuration. The new 2.1 version build 475 appears to be incompatible with ICS all together. Check out this page:

http://www.sygate.com/free/spf_download.htm

Robert Richmond

[Variable]

Well I have both running right now SPF and ICS but SPF seems to only block all (or most ports) not stealth them.

[Socio]

You might try Zonealarm again.

ZoneAlarm has program settings which you tell it which programs are allowed to access the internet. Theres also an advanced feature that when enabled, will ask you if you want the program you just launched to access the internet.

Also once installed you can right click on the task bar, go to toolbars and enable ZoneAlarm icons on your taskbar. Then you can see it running and see which program is accessing the internet at any given time.

ZoneAlarm is a great progy it passed sygate scans and the test at GRC with flying colors.

[Variable]

I will say it again: Although I allowed iexplorer (and others) to access the internet: NOTHING! ZoneAlarm wouldn't let them do anything!
This program seemed to me to have more bugs than code...

[ablang]

I did not like Sygate either. It asked me if I should allow AOL & ICQ to run, but didn't ask me about MSIE, so any website I tried to bring up didn't come up. Not to mention also that my system surfed more sluggishly than normal after shutting it down.