10 replies to this topic

[Calicoo]

I'm in need of a firewall and these two seem to be the favorite, so I wanted to get pros/cons of each and hopefully some insight into which one is better.

[chiaz]

I saw similar threads elsewhere:
http://www.tweaktown...ead.php?t=17511
http://www.techsuppo...e-vote-now.html

Personally I use ZoneAlarm, but on the other hand there are a few bugs in version 6. So if you do choose ZoneAlarm I would advice you to download version 5.5. If you can't find the 5.5 download link, just ask.

[Budfred]

ZoneAlarm has become a bloated mess... Sygate has been purchased by Symantec which is planning to discontinue it...

Better options: Kerio from Sunbelt or Outpost...

If you use the Search function, you will find several other topics and a few polls that have asked the same questions...

[YaB]

I saw similar threads elsewhere:
http://www.tweaktown...ead.php?t=17511
http://www.techsuppo...e-vote-now.html

Personally I use ZoneAlarm, but on the other hand there are a few bugs in version 6. So if you do choose ZoneAlarm I would advice you to download version 5.5. If you can't find the 5.5 download link, just ask.

I looked through the websites that were posted and most of them said zone alarm (I choose Zone Alarm since i've been using for couple years now). I didn't even know that there were bugs in version 6. What kind of bugs were there on zone alarm?

[radeon]

yup eversince sygate got owned by the bloatware norton, outpost has been the best alternative.

[josbd]

Sygate firewalls are superb. I was pretty hacked off when Norton took over Sygate, and immediately killed off the freeware version. I should imagine that they will have to continue to support the Pro version, since people have paid for it. I am hanging on to mine until it proves unstable in someway, but since Firewalls rarely change (and I have had my version since 2000) there shouldn't be much to worry about.

Sygate, in my opinion anyway, is by far the best at completely cloaking a pc. When my ISP wanted to ping me a while back, they couldn't see my pc, so I had to switch the firewall off!

I really hate Norton for taking just about the best firewall there is off the market, simply so they can flog their crap bloatware to more unsuspecting users.

Shame on them!

Edited by josbd, 19 March 2006 - 12:47 PM.

[mastermind1022]

One complaint I have with zonealarm is that sometimes it will deny a connect from one of my home computers to another. If I map a network drive on my sons computer and tell it to reconnect at login it seems like everything is fine until you drive to access the drive. If I turn off zonealarm and reconnect the drive map it's fine again. I even entered my sons IP address into zonealard and tried to grant that IP all the permissions but still a no go. I'm thinking of switching if this keeps up.

[Bmwboy]

I would have to say Sygate.
I also agree that Norton is bloated crap, it hogs RAM, and has the slowest scan ever on AV.

[Budfred]

Sygate is now owned by the same people who bring you Norton and will soon be joining the dodo in extinction, if it is not already gone...

[Armodeluxe]

Free Sygate version 5.6 is still being hosted at Simtel for download:

http://www.simtel.ne...rs.php?id=53687

[MrTamborineMan]

Zone Alarm for me. Forever stealthed. Never a problem with it. Set it and forget it.