Need some firewall advice...Comodo alternatives?

Hey all. I'm a big fan of the free Comodo firewall and I use it on my laptop and both my husband's laptops as well. I've never had a problem with it, until recently. After a virus issue on my in-law's machine (an HP business desktop w/XP Pro) I had to do a format and reinstall. My plan was to return the system to them with new anti-virus AND a firewall. Turns out that Comodo is locking their system up...took me two complete OS re-installs to figure out that Comodo was my problem culprit the first time I reinstalled and things were acting up.

On this system, Comodo makes everything hang. Can't do anything at all. It doesn't completely lock up because I can still hit "start" and tell it to shut down or something, but it doesn't do it! Finally, I removed Comodo and the machine is fine.

Does anyone have any recommendations for another free Firewall? Anyone with positive feedback on the free Outpost firewall? What is great about Comodo is that it is pretty much install and forget it (also not a resource hog), and that is exactly what I need for my elderly in-laws!

Thanks!

 

Firewall reviews:

http://www.matousec.com/projects/proactive-security-challenge/results.php

Outpost Security Suite Free 7.0.4.3418.520.1245.401FREE

 

Thanks samtal, I've seen that. The reports on it look good. But, it doesn't tell me whether it's going to eat the hell out of system resources, or be a nuisance as far as use/maintenance.

Guess I'll give it a try, these guys need a firewall. At the very least, it'll keep me from having to do as many virus cleanings...

 

I'm using Comodo firewall, too. Now you have me worried, Insan_art.

What do the Major Geeks have to say about this? We'd like your input.

 

I wouldn't be worried. I've been using it on all my computers for nearly a year (combined with Avast for anti-virus) and I've had zero problems with it. I hardly even know it is there and I LOVE that, on my personal system particularly because it could really use a bit more RAM.

The system in question that Comodo is messing with never had a firewall before (and had AVG free) - add in two elderly users that accidentally click on things they shouldn't - thus, the virus issue.

This system has actually given me problems from right out of the box in 2009 - as soon as I updated to XPSP3 the system failed. I had to actually return it and get another one - now it runs only with XPSP2. This is the third system I've had fried by XPSP3 - they all have AMD processors and if I remember correctly, this may have had something to do with the XPSP3 issue.

I was wondering actually if the Comodo issue had anything at all to do with the AMD processor, or the fact that the system is only running with SP2. I've installed Comodo a dozen times and did nothing different this time. I'm thinking all the other XP systems I've put it on had SP3...

 

insan_art, create a restore point, install it and if you notice a slow down, use your restore point to remove it.
It is impossible to predict how software will react on any computer.
Example: I had three identical Dell Dimensions, model 2400. I had AntiVir running on all three. Two it worked fine. On the 3rd one, it took more than a minute for the Program listing to open and another minute for the right click menu to open.
I had no idea why. It was easier to remove it and install a different program.

 

Thanks, I've already done that essentially with Comodo - it was definitely the problem unfortunately, because I love Comodo otherwise...

...and I'm about to do that with Outpost...

 

My machine is about 5 years old now, has an AMD Sempron 3400+ and came with XP Home SP2 installed.
I've been running SP3 for quite a while now.

Even though you have installed Comodo numerous times now, you might find something helpful here:
How to Install Comodo Firewall

An alternative to Comodo firewall is PC Tools Firewall Plus which is still an MG Pick on the MG Firewall downloads page.
I have been using this for well over a year.
The only issue are the popup alerts for permission to allow a program to connect to the internet.
These occur the first time you run a program that PC Tools Firewall does not already recognize and also when
a program has been updated, you will often get an alert that the program's "binaries have changed",
and you need to reaffirm or deny internet access.
Since it monitors all out going traffic, that is to be expected.

I have also seen favorable remarks about Privatefirewall which you already saw got a good rating at matousec.
I have thought of trying Privatefirewall myself.
Brighthub: Privatefirewall Review: Personal Firewall and Intrusion Defense for Windows

 

PC Tools Firewall sound excellent, but it conflicts with Comodo Dragon, which also serves as my browser. Is PC Tools Firewall also a browser?

 

Hi Lavender.

No, it's just a firewall.

 

Thanks. I refuse to use IE or Firefox so I guess I'm stuck with Comodo Dragon.

 

There are other browsers available, as you can see on the MG Browsers page.

Among those are Opera and K-Meleon, both of which I have installed and I like both, although Opera is my favorite.

Don't forget that Privatefirewall is an other good option.

 

Comodo would not have allowed the virus in, the person using the machine would have allowed it. Also, a Firewall does not stop virus and baddies, that is what Anti-Malware software is for, such as a good Anti-Virus. In turn, even with the protection of a good Anti-V, a machine can still retain stuff, and be infected.

Also, just changing to Firefox itself is not enough. I run the following Add-ons: AdBlock Plus, Ghostery, WOT. Some add on to that, NoScript and a few others. There is also the add-on BrowserProtect, that stops Hijacks on the browser, no matter if you use IE, FF, or Chrome. Just the three I use and being pro-active in not going to weird sites, do enough along with running Comodo in Real-Time protect my machine.

 

Thanks for the updated link. I'm a fan of Matousec, and their review/s have convinced me to change from Zone Alarm Free a long time ago.

I went from ZA to Comodo firewall (+ Avast AV) to Comodo Internet Security (CIS). CIS combines their Firewall and their Anti-Virus program.
I am very happy with CIS. It's available at http://majorgeeks.com/Comodo_Internet_Security_d6234.html
Size: 34.6 MB
License: Freeware
Requires: Win7/Vista/XP
Downloaded: 35567 Times
Rating: 4.63 (152 votes)

I know the OP is not happy with Comodo Firewall but I suggest to the OP, and others, to try CIS.

See thumbnail from Matousec, about CIS and 3 other Free Firewall altenatives.

Bazza

===

 

I like CIS, too, but something worries me -is it wrong to have more than one firewall installed? Yesterday, I installed Privatefirewall 7 and it seems to offer things like logs where you can see the IP of anyone who tried to access your computer. Windows also has a firewall activated.

What do you suggest?

 

Firewalls, like lots of other programs, are usually a personal preference. Sometimes overriding their protecting ability, as Matousec shows in an earlier thread.

CIS should be overriding the Windows Firewall, as the default Firewall.
I haven't used PrivateFirewall 7, so can't comment.

Bazza

===

 

I guess what worries me is that having more than one firewall could be similar to having more than one anti-virus program. It they don't conflict, I'd love to keep CSI and Privatefirewall.

If that could cause problems, please let me know. Thanks.

 

Running more than one firewall can cause issues, and does NOT increase security.

I believe Comodo has firewall log files, though I haven't used them in awhile so I don't remember how that's all set up exactly.

 

Thanks. I suspected it could cause problems.

Although I love CIS, once the free trial is ended, I will delete it. I think Privatefirewall gives me what I need, once I learn to use it correctly, so Comodo Dragon will be gone, too, and I'll take another shot at installing PC Tools Firewall.

I will also check out the browsers mjnc mentioned earlier and install one before I boot Comodo.

 

CIS is FREE, AFAIK.

Comodo Internet Security 5.5
http://majorgeeks.com/Comodo_Internet_Security_d6234.html
Author: Comodo
Date: 2011-07-04
Size: 34.6 MB
License: Freeware
Requires: Win7/Vista/XP
Downloaded: 35598 Times
Rating: 4.63 (152 votes)

Bazza

===

 

Yeah, I'm betting Lavender didn't uncheck the option to install Geek Buddy, which IS a free trial bundled with CIS now. I never install Geek Buddy, I always uncheck it.

 

Make sure you have only One firewall Active.

Even if you don't Uninstall the others right away, they should be Disabled so that only one is active.

 

Personally, I maintain both hardware and software firewalls. However, one thing I don't understand, is why hardware firewalls are present in routers, instead of NICs. It would make much more sense to build that functionality into the actual computer NIC, instead of needing a router.

 

If it's free, I will keep it. I'm probably confusing it with Comodo System Cleaner. That is a fabulous program and it could well be on a trial basis. Pity, because it helps clean up privacy issues.

I might have included Geek Buddy. I don't think it's free to use, but what do I know.

My Windows firewall is disabled. I'll check on the others and disable or delete. I really like Privatefirewall, but if it conflicts with CIS I guess one of them has to go.

P/F sits in my sys tray and has alerted me to a few attempts to get into my computer. I'm not kidding! All I need is a certain IP to show up and I've got the hacker. It's possible CIS does the same thing but I'm too new to the program to know all the ins and out of it.

I've never heard of firewalls for hardware, I assumed firewalls protected everything so please give me more information.

 

I'll take your word for it because I can't find Settings. So that still works even when Windows firewall is off?

Sorry, I know nothing about the technical stuff. This computer is used for Word documents and everything else is background stuff I have to have to be able to use Word and communicate with others.

 

LOL Okay. I'll probably find a manual on line somewhere because it certainly didn't come with this computer.

 

Which, for someone as non-technical as I am, is not an easy decision. I'll talk to my Internet provider and see what they have to say.

Thanks for your help.

 

A couple of offerings for the cooking pot:

First off, PCTools Firewall is now discontinued. Official Notice

Secondly, having written much router firmware I simply have to voice my disagreement with Major Attitude who says:

The firewall in your router (often referred to as a Hardware Firewall) is more-often-than-not either a linux program called `iptables` or something very similar with some kind of browser-based GUI ...They are great tools and, if configured by someone who knows what they are doing, can be powerful in the fight against undesired network data.

BUT, because they are unaware of operating system specifics, they are NOT the solution to every problem because they know nothing about the issuer/recipient ...Let me give you a single example of how a Router-based Firewall leaves a big security hole:

My Machine: 192.168.0.100
Ruleset:
1. ALLOW: Source=192.168.0.100:*, Destination=*:80,443
2. DENY: Source=*:*, Destination=*:*
...This would allow My Machine to access any web site I wish to visit and block ALL other network traffic.

Now I can run my favourite browser and access MOST web sites (many web sites do not use ports 80 or 443).
Later I (unwittingly) run a malware program - this program builds a GET/POST request which contains my Credit Card number and sends it to a website (on port 80).
...There is no way a Hardware Firewall can detect this type of attack.

So you install a Personal Firewall - because it runs inside the OS, it can know which program is trying to access the internet and block on a per-app basis ...this means your Browser still works, but when your malware tries to access the internet the Personal Firewall pops up and says "Do you want to trust this program?"

To get around this problem the malware authors can access the internet by running your favourite browser ...This is another feature offered by many Personal Firewalls "unknown program is trying to run Firefox, allow/deny?"

I could witter for ages on this subject - but before it gets to "TL;DR" I shall sign off

BC

 

Are you using broadband? If so, the router may have a Stateful Packet Inspection (SPI) firewall. Some have a Network Address Translation (NAT) firewall, a bit less protection than SPI.

http://www.practicallynetworked.com/sharing/firewall.htm has a good explanation of how these work...

I rely on these, (my router has SPI), AV, some anti-malware apps and the built in Windows software firewall.

I don't have problems, because in addition to these steps, as brownizs suggests above, good practices is a large part of the protection equation.

 

Hate to ask, but isn't this an old thread?