Anyone Using ZoneAlarm for Firewall?

[lazerbeam]

I’ve been using the free version Zone Alarm for about 8 months or so.. It work flawlessly.. In fact to good sometimes. The only “problem” I’ve had with it is my ISP (AT&T Broadband/Road Runner-cable modem service) attempts to update the floating/leased IP address and zone alarm blocks it. The work around is easy, turn off ZA, then run winipcfg under the start menu and release/renew the IP address, then turn ZA back on. Unfortunate, ZA does not allow you directly add a particular IP address as a pass thru (at least the free ware version doesn’t.. don’t know about ZA Pro which cost $29~$39 depending when they have a “special” on it). What I do know is it was very scary the first couple of weeks after I installed ZA. I had no idea that there were so many atempts to try and get into my computer until I installed ZA. During the incident with the Navy P3 aircraft and China, there were numerous attempts by sites in Hong Kong & from inside China trying to get into my system. Oh, BTW when I first used ZA it was a dial-up modem connection & not broadband. In another words it doesn’t matter how you connect to the internet, everyone in vulnerable! Oh, one other thing, you might be shocked to find out how many programs you may have already installed in your computer are trying to send information out to unknown destimations without your knowledge.. ZA detects these attempts and blocks them unless you enable them, and it will ask you. There is a freeware program from Gibson Research, called OptOut that will scan you computer and identify many of the common applications that will surreptitiously gather information about your, your files, program usage, etc., and send it off without your knowledge. It will help you to delete these little buggers too! I’m not a paranoid person, but it really is scary out there on the internet. If you don’t use ZA, try BlackIce or some other “brand name” firewall. The internet is not really is not a "safe" place to be without some protection!!!

[prttybean]

Thank you for your response. I will have to keep in mind the IP lease changes. One of the ladies I work with said she thought that it renewed every 6 months on hers.(road runner) Seems like an awfully long lease period to me. I definately like the free part about Zone Alarm.

[Mortis]

Highly recommend ZoneAlarm (very easy to use also), and the commercial version will allow you to set trusted zones. OptOut is good for detecting spyware, but I prefer AdAware as it covers more types of spyware.

[Jedi]

Latest version of ZA (the free one) allows you to specify IP addresses in your local Zone - Specify the IP of line lease agent and set local Zone to minimum security and then there will be no probs.

Download the update you existing ZA users - it's a great improvement on an already fab product.

Hats off to Zone Labs for making it freeware - Nice to have a Bullet proof Jacket given to you in a riot http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif

[prttybean]

I have been using ad-aware and I love it. I am not paranoid but I do value my privacy and find the advertising communities constant attempts to invade it very irritating.

[JnMHayes]

I've used all the freebies, ZA, Sygate Personal Firewall and Tiny Personal Firewall. All highly rated, but I've found ZA gives me as a new user better information about what's going on. I understand what it's doing and how to use it. Sygate comes slightly better rated but I couldn't understand all the gobbledygook.

[prttybean]

I am finally getting broadband at home and need a firewall. Zone Alarm comes highly recommended. Anyone have any opinions or other offerings?

[wyvrn]

I was playing Everquest last night and my computer kept rebooting. This has been running fine for over 6 months. I installed ZA for my cable connection and less than 2 minutes later I was getting port probed. Abot ten times in 2 minutes, from 2 different IP addresses. WOW! Anyway, finished my EQ game without any reboot issues. Guess I didn't realize how many bad people live in cyberspace. So I also installed McAfee Virusscan and updated my already installed Innoculate IT definitions. Check out Sysopt's Freeware guide to Internet Security (http://www.sysopt.com/articles/freesecurity/index.html) written by Robert Richmond. Great read!

[club_med]

I would like to support ZA too, I have been using it for about 4-5 months now and I have experienced no problems, I'm quite happy with it.

cm.

[prttybean]

I think I will download Zone Alarm. Black Ice Defender was recommended as well, but I saw some rather cryptic comments during my research that indicated that it wasn't as secure as reported.

[korgul]

I recently got a cable modem and downloaded the newest version of ZA. I could not beleive the number of attempts that tried to get to my computer. ZA blocked them all.


I had been using ZA for about 8 months and then stopped using it for some unknown reason. ( brain ****)One day when surfing the internet some one tried to access my A:\ . Since I have a home network I asked my wife if it was her. She said no. I check with the netwatcher program and sure enough there was some one in my PC. I disconnected ( dialup at this time) reinstalled ZA and then reconnected. With in 20 secs. they were back trying to get in. I did a ping to the address and then a tracert to the address. I can't remember where it was coming from. It stopped after that.

If you notice that a certain address keeps tring to access your PC, put it back on them. Constantly ping, tracert, anything you can think of to hit their PC. It usually stops pretty quick.

Just here to praise ZA.

[prttybean]

Ok, I said I wasn't paranoid, but the security considerations of a broadband connection make me feel paranoid. http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif

[jadison]

To add to the already list of supporters, I must say it's a great product. Coming highly recommended by Gibson Research (www.grc.com) it proved impenetrable by their Port Tests. Getting it for free is the best deal, and since I've been using it for well over a year on over 30 different computers, i've found no other like it.
Also, OptOut can no longer be downloaded for free http://www.sysopt.com/forum/frown.gif but I've been using Ad-Aware for about 3 months now and it seems to work flawlessly. I admit, I use about 2-3 Spyware progs.: Getright, a media player, and ComTry Mp3 Downloader, and maybe another one...just for convenience.

As soon as I get my new computer I'll buy a licensed copy of Zone Alarm...

-=jd=-

[n715dp]

<--- Former RR employee...

Here is how the IP lease works... Your computer requests an IP from your cable modem when it is turned on. Here in Tampa, the lease is 24 Hours. This means that if your computer is turned off (releasing the IP), no one will be able to claim that IP for their computer until your computer has not requested an IP for that amount of time. If your computer stays on all the time, Windows will attempt to renew the lease on the IP every so often (I am not exactly sure how often this happens). There are two ways this happens, depending on whether you have a Legacy or DOCSIS modem. With a legacy, the Network Operations Center (NOC) computers remember the serial number of the modem and the node it is plugged into. With a DOCSIS modem the MAC address of the network card (or router) plugged into the modem is remembered by the modem and, in turn, the NOC. I am not sure about the Zone Alarm program and how it deals with this problem. My reccomendation is to do one of two things:

1. Buy a Linksys Cable/DSL Router to serve as a firewall, this will also allow youto hook multiple machines to one connection without paying for additional IP addresses. I use one at home and to this day, after extensive trying I have not been able to hack any of my computers. These boxes go for about $160 at Best Buy or CompuUSA I think.

2. Turn off all file and printer sharing in the network stack. Also, in the properties of TCP/IP turn off NetBios.


Hope this helps a little.

P.S. DOCSIS stands for Data Over Cable System Industry Standard or something close to that.

[prttybean]

I have been considering the router possibility and definately turning off file and print sharing, etc. However, I've never had good luck with Linksys products so I want to check on other brands.

[shadow]

You can safely use the file & print sharing but use NetBEUI as your internal LAN protocol, an un-routable protocol.

If you are using Win9x, take a look here for details: http://grc.com/su-rebinding9x.htm

[n715dp]

Shadow is right on File and Printer sharing, if you have a network of some kind, you would want to use NetBEUI as the internal protocol. I was assuming that you only had one computer. As for the trouble with Linksys products, I too, have had nothing but trouble with their hubs and network adapters, howere, I have set up several routers for friends and relatives adn even my office and not a single one has givin me trouble. Just some food for thought.

[prttybean]

I am probably going to look for a Netgear product. We have been using Netgear NICs, hubs, and switches at work with out any problems. Plus the prices are generally reasonable.

The whole extent of my internal network right now is just a Win98 box, a linux box, and a 4 port hub. I had forgotten about Netbeui. Thanks.

[Andy_L]

I agree about updating your Zonealarm, mine was probably about hmmmm 10 months old I think, once I got a stable version i stopped updating until last month, wow, it is better.

[TOAD6147]

Zone Alarm is definetly the one and I finally sprung for the $30 Pro version which allows for more tweaking and configuration. Also, as far as routers go, give the SMC Barricade due consideration as it has a few extras the others don't and is a very good piece of equipment. By the way, if you want to check your security, download LeakTest from the GRC website and run it to see if your fire wall is REALLY secure and can stop the nano prob. They recommend that you even rename it to a trusted program that accesses the internet regularly to see if your firewall can detect the difference. ZA got the nod for this one, when it's properly configured.

[the_deacon]

i've been using ZA for the past year or so, pretty darn good just doesn't cut it. got a bit scared when i realized how many people were actually trying to get into my system.

[club_med]

Hey deacon, did it pay off to have ZA or were any attackers able to cause damage ?.
cm

[MTAtech]

ZoneAlarms consistently is ranked number one among personal firewalls. For additional protection you may consider a router ($150) that will do the same thing in hardware.

[beaver]

I was using a linux box as server/firewall until this week I got a good deal with NETGEAR RT314, being sold at CompUSA @49.99 after rebate. RT314 is a gateway/router with 4-port switch. It's working like my former server, more convenient but the firewall sounds less stronger than that of the linux box (pmfirewall, or freesco).

I am using att@home and heard a lots of secuirty issues on cable internet.

[captpete]

ZA, thankyou. So what's with these Chinese sites, anyway? ZA blocked there attempt, but this is spooky, if not down right scary.

[LiLRiceBoi]

A lot of people use ZA here and so do I. I'm satisfied w/ it, and its free.