TSGL: Online Armor Personal Firewall

Tue Dec 18 16:55:15 EST 2007

Ron said, <<I also have a hardware router/firewall for my home network. 
Everything I've read indicates the hardware version trumps any software 
firewall rather handily and there are quite a few writers who think adding a 
software firewall to a system with a hardware one is just a waste of system 
resources.>>

Ron, I too have a hardware router and was wondering if I am wasting my time 
messing with software firewalls.  I have always used it in conjunction with 
ZoneAlarm Free on my old XP computer.

Don previously said, <<The ultimate form of firewall is a hardware firewall, 
but that's another story and beyond most of us.>>
Don, if you are referring to a router, I don't understand why you feel it is 
"beyond most of us."  I am not real computer savvy, but had no problems 
getting mine going.  I have been using the router along with ZoneAlarm and 
AVG Free for a couple years on my old PC and never had any kind of 
infection.

Now that I have a new Vista PC I have been looking into other security 
software just to see if there is something better than what I used with XP. 
I plan on sticking with Free versions.  That's why I'm looking at Avast 
Virus Scanner and the Armor Firewall.

Thanks to all who responded to my original post.  For those wondering about 
the firewall ratings I previously mentioned I made another post about where 
you can find and read the study.
Mike

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <rbrunton at accesscable.net>
To: "Tech Support Guy Mailing List" <list at tsgserver.com>
Sent: Tuesday, December 18, 2007 6:50 AM
Subject: Re: TSGL: Online Armor Personal Firewall

> Actually the Vista firewall, unlike the XP version, will monitor outgoing 
> traffic, but that is turned off by default. I don't recall the steps for 
> turning outgoing monitoring on, only that it is a bit involved. When I get 
> back home (I'm in a hotel room right now) I'll see if I can find those 
> details.
>
> My XP systems all use ZoneAlarm, but I have not been able to make 
> ZoneAlarm and Vista play nicely together, despite the claim by ZoneAlarm 
> that it's now Vista compatible. I also have a hardware router/firewall for 
> my home network. Everything I've read indicates the hardware version 
> trumps any software firewall rather handily and there are quite a few 
> writers who think adding a software firewall to a system with a hardware 
> one is just a waste of system resources. I had purchased ZoneAlarm Pro for 
> my XP system, but ZA has not released a Vista friendly version of ZA Pro.
>
> HTH
> Ron
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Russell W. Coover" <coover at fastmail.fm>
> Date: Monday, December 17, 2007 9:53 pm
> Subject: Re: TSGL: Online Armor Personal Firewall
>
>> Mike,
>>
>> I don't know a thing about the Armor Personal Firewall except what
>> I read in
>> your post. However, I do know something about the Windows Vista
>> Firewallwhich you said "I understand is not much good anyway."
>>
>> Windows Vista Firewall may not be the best Firewall available for
>> Vista. But
>> for most of us, it is enough to keep you safe. Actually, it is a
>> pretty good
>> firewall. It's main weakness is that it (like previous Windows
>> Firewalls)does not stop applications on your computer from
>> "calling home". That is, it
>> monitors incoming internet communication, but it does not monitor
>> outgoinginternet communication. At least that is the way it acts
>> as a default. It
>> also, by default, will not allow you to create a log of attempts
>> to contact
>> your PC from the outside.
>>
>> The Vista Firewall, is, however effective if you are careful about
>> what you
>> download on the internet, and, frankly, I use it on all three of
>> my Vista
>> machines. In addition, it is possible to go into the firewall a
>> change it's
>> configuration to block outgoing messages. Microsoft did not make
>> it easy to
>> do so because they (probably correctly) felt that novices may be
>> terrified.It is done by opening up the Search box, and typing in
>> "wf.msc" without the
>> quotes marks, of course) and then dowuble clicking the result. Or,
>> if you
>> have added "Run" to your Start Menu as I have, you can type it in
>> there.
>>
>> Using that applet, you can configure your computer to stop
>> software from
>> sending outbound communication and you can make Windows log all
>> attemptsfrom the outside which you can read with Notepad.
>>
>> The Windows Vista Firewall is good, and can be made very good.
>>
>> Russ Coover
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: list-bounces at tsgserver.com [mailto:list-
>> bounces at tsgserver.com] On
>> Behalf Of Mike Ferrell
>> Sent: Monday, December 17, 2007 3:03 PM
>> To: Tech Support Guy Mailing List
>> Subject: TSGL: Online Armor Personal Firewall
>>
>> I recently saw a rating of several paid and free firewalls.  At
>> the top was
>> the free Online Armor Personal Firewall so I decided to try it
>> out.  After
>> installing I immediately had PC shutdown problems and had to
>> reboot in safe
>> mode.  Ultimately, I ended up uninstalling it and doing a System
>> Restore to
>> alleviate the problem.  I just recently bought this new PC with
>> Vista.  It
>> came with Norton trialware so I have turned off the Windows
>> Firewall which I
>> understand is not much good anyway.
>>
>> Does anyone here have experience with this Armor Firewall in
>> combinationwith Vista, or do you have any suggestions or comments
>> for me?  I understand
>> that two different firewalls sometimes don't play well together,
>> but I did
>> not have the opportunity to turn Norton off before I had the
>> problem.  The
>> Armor installation software shut down the computer after finishing
>> up and
>> before I turned off Norton, and that's when I ran into the shutdown
>> problems.  I don't know if the Armor/Norton issue is what caused
>> my problem
>> or not.
>>
>> I'm thinking about trying again.  Just what procedure should I use
>> to safely
>> get on the internet, download and install Armor, and meanwhile
>> turn off
>> Norton.  I'm afraid to turn Norton off before going on the
>> internet.  I
>> would very much like to use Armor if I can.  Note, in the past
>> with XP I
>> always used Zone Alarm, but it was rated "very poor" in the same
>> study.
>>
>> If anyone is using Armor Firewall please let me know how you like it,
>> especially if you have Vista.
>>
>> Meanwhile, I also found a couple free virus scanners that I am
>> thinkingabout using in conjunction with my AVG Free.  These are
>> Avast and Avira.  I
>> know one antivirus won't find everything, so I would like to have
>> at least
>> two.  Any comments about Avast and Avira?
>>
>> Thanks,
>> Mike
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> -- 
> No virus found in this incoming message.
> Checked by AVG Free Edition.
> Version: 7.5.503 / Virus Database: 269.17.4/1188 - Release Date: 
> 12/17/2007 2:13 PM
> 