4 replies to this topic

[thephatp]

I've always been under the assumption that using a security suite is the best route to go...that is, until I actually started researching it.

So, I'm looking to protect my machine with free apps recommended on this site. However, I need a little clarification.

I came across this post first with great information from screen317. I compared the information with the current results on matousec and am also referencing the So how did I get infected in the first place? thread.

Many people (and not just on this forum) have recommended Comodo Personal Firewall, but most of the posts I've found were a little out-dated (mid-2008). Comodo not only allows you to download Comodo Internet Security, which also includes AntiVirus software. Thus, I'm seeking advice on what the best combination would be.

Matousec rated Comodo Internet Security as the second best in their most recent tests. However, it seems as though they really only tested the Firewall, which means I don't know how the AntiVirus software from Comodo actually performed. (Is my assessment accurate?)

So, here are the questions I've come up with:

• Is Comodo Internet Security worth getting for both Firewall and AntiVirus (haven't seen any mention of the quality of the AntiVirus software)?
• Can I disable the AnitVirus part of the software in Comodo to use only the firewall?
• Is there a better alternative than dealing with this packaging of Firewall and AntiVirus from Comodo? If so, what should I get? (See my thoughts below)

I know I should only run one Firewall app and one AntiVirus app, and I want to make sure I make the best selection. If it's not worth dealing with Comodo, I'm not quite sure what firewall I should get. I was originally thinking Online Armor or PC Tools, but I'm running Vista x64 and neither of these support the 64-bit OS. And for the AntiVirus, I'm considering Avira.


Could someone please help me by clarifying the best route to take here?

Any help is greatly appreciated!

Edited by thephatp, 21 January 2009 - 09:14 AM.

[thephatp]

So, here are the questions I've come up with:

• Is Comodo Internet Security worth getting for both Firewall and AntiVirus (haven't seen any mention of the quality of the AntiVirus software)?
• Can I disable the AnitVirus part of the software in Comodo to use only the firewall?
• Is there a better alternative than dealing with this packaging of Firewall and AntiVirus from Comodo? If so, what should I get? (See my thoughts below)

• The firewall is very good, about the anti-virus i am not sure, but i think it's good
• Yes
• If you have Vista, the Vista Firewall is good for basic protection, if you have XP, then the XP firewall is included, but the XP Firewall does only the incoming traffic, if you don't want to use Comodo, then you can use Online Armor or another firewall

Thanks for the info. I just got a clean install on my system with all the apps I wanted installed (sans the protection) and I didn't want to deal with installing and uninstalling the Comodo Firewall if I was forced to use the Anti-Virus as well.

[Budfred]

If you look down to the bottom of the Comodo page, there is a link to download just the firewall... I would go with just the firewall without having a lot more info about the antivirus and they do not provide that... I doubt they built it from scratch and that means they are probably using someone other company's engine with it customized for Comodo... If you can find out whose engine they are using, it will give you a better idea of quality... Comodo has a forum, so you could look there for more clues...

That said, I like Kerio and Outpost has had a lot of good press... Any of them will do the job, so it will probably come down to what you are most comfortable with...