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Best free firewall for Windows?

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jp10558:
I'm also trialing Comodo v3. It seems nice for full HIPS, quieted down after a day. Downside, no way to import rules from other firewalls (well, none do this so I'm just not wanting to reset everything now that Outpost 3 has been working for so long  :-[ ) One issue, using some low level software like MS SFU or Emcosoft Remote Deployment Kit for a program capture caused a bluescreen.

Normal use of all windows apps, including running on CompuSec Free full disk encryption, and using Altiris SVS all worked fine, so I figure it's just buggy software above (and who but IT would use SFU or a snapshot pacakager anyway?).

provoker:
I am currently running Sygate Personal Firewall 5.6 (build 3408) and I have never really had a problem with it so far. Though I am not sure it will prevent intrusions and such as well as Comodo probably does...

Thing is I have tried A LOT of other firewalls but they always behave like shit on my PC.
Comodo -as an example- didn´t allow me to use uTorrent (or any other p2p-app) despite hours and hours of setting the rules according to expert guides. Now.. I REALLY want to like Comodo but...   :(

wilfrednilsen:
You need a firewall if you are using a laptop on insecure networks, but…

You do not need a firewall on a stationary PC if you are using a router since the router is already working as a firewall. By default, all services are blocked by your router. It is for this reason unnecessary having a firewall installed on a stationary PC protected by a router. Using a firewall on a PC behind a router is a waste of money, CPU, and memory.

mwb1100:
You do not need a firewall on a stationary PC if you are using a router...
-wilfrednilsen (January 16, 2008, 11:40 AM)
--- End quote ---

This is true if you trust that other computers (if any) on your LAN behind the router are not going to get infected with malware and if you are not interested in controlling outgoing connections (which is an interest of many people using software firewalls).

However, I agree that putting a router between your PC and the Internet is a very easy and important way to gain a lot of security.  I set up my Mom (who has only one computer) with a router  for this very reason.

f0dder:
You need a firewall if you are using a laptop on insecure networks, but…

You do not need a firewall on a stationary PC if you are using a router since the router is already working as a firewall. By default, all services are blocked by your router. It is for this reason unnecessary having a firewall installed on a stationary PC protected by a router. Using a firewall on a PC behind a router is a waste of money, CPU, and memory.
-wilfrednilsen (January 16, 2008, 11:40 AM)
--- End quote ---
XP SP2 comes with a firewall for free, which uses very little CPU and memory... it's a smart idea to leave it enabled, unless you never have friends visiting with a laptop. Also, not all routers protect you,  only if both of the following conditions are met:
1) the router does NAT'ing
2) your main PC isn't set up as a DMZ host / default traffic target.

A lot of broadband routers default to DMZ'ing your main pc, and some broadband routers are configured in bridging mode, where your PC gets the WAN IP...

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