Author Topic: Agnitum is offering 3 for 1 (Read 14467 times)

Curt · « **on:** December 22, 2007, 04:38 AM »

They haven't cut down the asking price, but they are offering you to have three installations for the price of one license - no matter if you choose Outpost or the Security Suite. The offer is valid for a month or so:

Special offer:

1 license = 3 installations!

For the next month, Agnitum is extending the capacity of one-year licenses for both Outpost Security Suite Pro and Outpost Firewall Pro 2008. For as little as $49.95 and $39.95 respectively, for the period December 20, 2007 to January 20, 2008 you can protect three PCs for a full year!

http://www.agnitum.com/

While at it: check out your (zodiac) sign! Nice drawings and almost funny! I am a Virgo:

>>Virgo (24.08 - 23.09)
You are analytic and practical, and it’s not easy to lead you by the nose. You’ve deployed plenty of Internet protection from different vendors but sometimes you are too suspicious. Relax, you are on the right track.<<

mouser · « **Reply #1 on:** December 22, 2007, 04:52 AM »

As some one who has been a very early cheerleader for Agnitum Outpost, and a registered owner for the last several years (and paying a yearly update each time), I feel an obligation to say I have removed Outpost from all of my machines.

The last update was the straw that broken the camel's back for me -- it slowed down my network traffic and pc *significantly*.

It's clear they are doing some ambitious things with their firewall, and i don't rule out going back some day, but i've had enough of the instabilities and slowdowns.

Up until recently i've been using the free Comodo Firewall, which is *very* powerful, but just today i installed Eset's new Smart Security suite which includes a firewall, and i have to say i'm LOVING it. It gets the alerts "right" (it allows you to quickly approve/block/customize a rule) in a way that comodo doesn't.

Comodo is a bit complicated, Eset's is a bit over-simplified and lacking options, but then again i'd have to say that Eset may have one of the most promising first firewall releases i've seen. If they keep tweaking it the way they have their antivirus, this will be THE firewall. It's already good enough that i'm buying it and using it for now as my firewall of choice.

mouser · « **Reply #2 on:** December 22, 2007, 04:55 AM »

ps. we'll try to see if we can get some discounts on eset's suite for january.

Curt · « **Reply #3 on:** December 22, 2007, 05:10 AM »

Agnitum admitted there had been problems with Vista, but they tell that the updates in November and December have improved Outpost A LOT on Vista:

Edit: I am running XP and have had no problems at all with Outpost.

Outpost Firewall Pro History of changes:

Outpost Firewall Pro 2008 (build 6.0.2225.232.465.287)
Release date: December, 20 2007
The following issues are resolved (only significant ones are listed):

Most commonly reported crashes and freezes, among which are the following:
Freeze on process name verification
System memory could be corrupted on content filtering under Windows Vista
Possible crash on user answer to Rules Wizard prompt from already finished application
Folders could not be deleted because of SmartScan cache files presence
Error 14001 during installation
Entertainment mode false positives for Microsoft Outlook under Windows Vista
SmartScan technology is enabled by default on Windows Vista (if this is possible due to compatibility reasons)
Content of some web pages could be corrupted

Outpost Firewall Pro 2008 (build 6.0.2220.223.446.277)
Release date: December 5, 2007
The following improvements are introduced:

Multiple Event Viewer improvements, among which are the following:
New records are placed on top
Log configuration is preserved (column width, etc.)
Ability to copy record to clipboard
Ability to clear the log
Extended Anti-Malware log
Web Control events are logged at the default logging level
Port number is logged on detecting port scanning
Some advanced logs are not displayed by default
Multiple Network Activity improvements, among which are the following:
Ability to break connection
Ability to manually group/ungroup application connections
Ability to completely exit the product and stop the service using the Exit command
Animated product icon during system scan
System tray icon tooltip contains product version and system IP addresses
«About» command in the system tray icon context menu
Owner of the file digital signature is checked on network access request or system activity request
Ability to start Compatibility Wizard from the Start menu
Ability to select product operation mode (Normal mode to run at system startup, Background to run invisibly, and Disable mode to not run at system startup)
Ability to cure malware that is registered as LSP
Ability to cure malware that require reboot
The following issues are resolved (only significant ones are listed):
Possible service initialization error after installation (as a consequence – the system could be restarted from the second time only)
Ability to unload Outpost using Gmer anti-rootkit tool
If installing on the computer with KIS installed, klif.sys driver could not be detected
Critical registry keys were not controlled if the Optimal Host Protection level was selected
Rules Wizard prompt for svchost.exe on rawsocket access request
Possible crash on starting rootkit that loads the wincom32.sys driver
Real-time protection exclusions did not work
File could not be restored from Quarantine if the folder from which they were quarantined did not exist
Weekly scheduled tasks were not started
Sites’ content could be corrupted under Vista x86/x64
Attack Detection false positives on visiting several sites
Most commonly reported crashes
Multiple interface issues

Outpost Firewall Pro 2008 (build 6.0.2175.214.430.270)
Release date: November 16, 2007
The following issues are resolved (only significant ones are listed):

Most commonly reported crashes
The same reports were sent several times
Links in the main windows did not work
Several localization and interface issues

Outpost Firewall Pro 2008 (build 6.0.2172.214.422.270)
Release date: November 14, 2007
The following issues are resolved (only significant ones are listed):

Outpost monitor and Outpost Feedback were not registered in startup entries
Outpost Firewall could block installation of services
Information about crashes could not be sent to Agnitum
Rules autocreation did not work on 64-bit systems for applications from ProgramFiles (x86) and SysWOW64 folders
Most commonly reported crashes (including crash on content filtering)
Error 14001 during installation
Rules were applied incorrectly in some cases
Address macros could be incorrectly resolved in rules
Leaktests SPT 15 and SPT 16 were failed on Vista64
Error while importing LAN settings from Outpost Firewall 4.0
Web pages content could be blocked/corrupted (GZIP decoding issue)
Outpost Firewall now cannot be installed over Outpost Security Suite

Outpost Firewall Pro 2008 (build 6.0.2168.211.415.268)
Release date: November 2, 2007
Improved compatibility with the following third-party products:
KAV/KIS 7 (Vista32, Vista64, XP32, XP64)
NOD32 (Vista32, XP32)
Dr.Web (Vista32, Vista64, XP32, XP64)
McAfee VirusScan Enterprise (Vista32, Vista64, XP32)
G DATA AntiVirusKit/IS AntiVirusKit (Vista32, Vista64, XP32)
Panda Antivirus (Vista32, Vista64)
CyberHawk Antivirus (Vista32, Vista64)

The following issues are resolved (only significant ones are listed):
Most commonly reported crashes
Configuration import issues
Anti-Malware engine issues
Outpost Firewall Pro could freeze on Windows Vista
Hung connections in Network Activity
Outpost Firewall Pro could crash on Registry changes on an x64 platform
Optimized control of Registry changes on an x64 platform
Suspicious objects were blocked automatically
Outpost Firewall Pro could crash when filtering content
GZIP encoded pages could be blocked
Improved blocking of some types of leaktests

Known issues:
Outpost Firewall Pro could conflict with G DATA AVK Firewall

Grorgy · « **Reply #4 on:** December 22, 2007, 10:21 AM »

ESET in Australia anyway, have good academic pricing, students get 50% off, makes it affordable, you do need a student id number and preferably an email address for the institution you are at where the licence can be sent.

(Edit was just to make it a bit clearer, even i was having trouble with it lol time for bed he says as 3.30 rolls around again)

Darwin · « **Reply #5 on:** December 22, 2007, 11:55 AM »

I've had a ZoneAlarm Pro licence for years (6 to be precise) and have kept it up to date. However, I'm behind a wireless router most of the time and have recently removed ZA (and the Webroot Firewall which I was playing with as well) from my machine. I can see the necessity of having a software firewall when I'm on a public network, but is there any argument to be made for continuing to run a software firewall (other than the one that comes with XP) when behind a hardware firewall, MAC address filter, and WEP encryption (router doesn't support WPA

)?

Curt · « **Reply #6 on:** December 22, 2007, 02:18 PM »

Hey Darwin. I wish I was the one who could answer you, but frankly I don't know what you were talking about - you know.. Some people have a way with words about IT, other people,... oh... have not way .. and I for one have no idea about what a router is or can do, not to mention a wireless one of the kind, but I find the subject exciting! Please forgive me for displaying my ignorance againagain - but I am truly looking forward to read the other members' answers to your question - maybe they will also reveal what is the meaning of terms like "WEP encryption" and "WPA", or explain why a MAC address filter probably has nothing to do with a MAC?!

... is there any argument to be made for continuing to run a software firewall (other than the one that comes with XP) when behind a hardware firewall, MAC address filter, and WEP encryption (router doesn't support WPA)?
-Darwin (December 22, 2007, 11:55 AM)

Darwin · « **Reply #7 on:** December 22, 2007, 02:37 PM »

WEP and WPA are two standards (the first older and less secure than the second) for protecting wireless networks. Basically, you have to have a "key" (much like a software licence key) to connect to the wireless access point (router). The router is the thingie (that's a technical term) that allows more than one computer to access the internet through the modem. This is usually used with a broadband connection. A lot of these routers (mine included) come with a built in "hardware" firewall that functions much like a software firewall. Finally, your MAC (Media Access Control) address is a semi-unique string that identifies your ethernet adapter cards. In the case of MAC filtering on a wireless network, you restrict access to the network to those cards for which the MAC address is recognised.

Hope this helps!

Lashiec · « **Reply #8 on:** December 22, 2007, 04:37 PM »

Darwin, are there many geeky teenagers with too much free time in their hands living in your area?

Darwin · « **Reply #9 on:** December 22, 2007, 04:58 PM »

Don't know about "geeky", but lots of disaffected youth slouching by the front door...

Curt · « **Reply #10 on:** December 22, 2007, 06:46 PM »

Thanks for answer, Darwin - yes it helped for now; the problem is if I can remember it when needed...

But no-one answered your question. Maybe you should start a new thread? People might not look here if they don't want a Outpost license right now...

edbro · « **Reply #11 on:** December 22, 2007, 06:55 PM »

is there any argument to be made for continuing to run a software firewall (other than the one that comes with XP) when behind a hardware firewall, MAC address filter, and WEP encryption (router doesn't support WPA )?
-Darwin (December 22, 2007, 11:55 AM)

I doubt it. I am also behind a hardware firewall (my router) and I have never used a firewall, not even XP's. I have never had a problem. For that matter, I have always had antivirus for the past 10 years but I've never had a virus for it to block.

Lashiec · « **Reply #12 on:** December 23, 2007, 06:55 AM »

Don't know about "geeky", but lots of disaffected youth slouching by the front door...
-Darwin (December 22, 2007, 04:58 PM)

Oh, no problem with those then. It's better to be a rebel teenager (it's the time to be so) than to steal the Wi-Fi connection from the neighbouring family (WEP is easily defeatable with the appropriate tools) and brag about it (huh, what an achievement...).

Isn't there a firmware update for your router that could bring WPA along with it?

With a well configured hardware firewall, I'd say that there's no need for a software one, unless you want total control over what's accessing the Internet on realtime, or you want to catch sneaky things after infecting your computer. Running the Windows' Firewall won't hurt, though.

Darwin · « **Reply #13 on:** December 23, 2007, 07:14 AM »

Heh, heh - I suspect you're right, Lashiec. I already run the Windows Firewall so *think* I'm safe. Regarding a firmware upgrade to provide WPA... I've given up waiting/checking for one. However, it's been about a year, so what have I got to lose! Router is 5 years old though... (D-Link 614+).

Curt - the question was a bit off the cuff and might be better placed in a separate thread BUT there's already several that deal with this issue.

I was thinking of the first one as I wrote my post above - I'm going to read it and the others now:

https://www.donation...dex.php?topic=7576.0
https://www.donation...dex.php?topic=3068.0
https://www.donation...dex.php?topic=1686.0
https://www.donation...dex.php?topic=3711.0

Darwin · « **Reply #14 on:** December 23, 2007, 07:26 AM »

Nope. There IS a firmware update I wasn't aware of (from 2006!) but all it does is correct an issue I'm not having with NTP... I have a DI-614+ Rev.A router WPA is offered on the DI-614+ Rev.B router

It's probably high time to get a new router... I've been thinking this for a couple of years now, because of the WEP vs. WPA issue. Have to see what the Boxing Day sales bring!

Curt · « **Reply #15 on:** December 23, 2007, 08:11 AM »

"Firewalls - What you need to know" by PhilKC seems very ~~enlightening / relevant~~!

Edit: "striketrough", as the 'problem' was somewhat outdated

SKA · « **Reply #16 on:** December 25, 2007, 08:00 AM »

@mouser : do you face any issues using Eset Security Suite with Outlook ?
Frankly yours is first positive reference I see for ESS , on Wilders most say its firewall part not that great.
I use Outpost 4.0.1025 now but find it buggy esp for IM , Skype & P2P apps

@Darwin: I am looking for a "best" router with WPA2 (in fact even a wired router is OK- currently use a Billion Bipac 7300G.
If you have time in this busy Christmas season and know of any top brands/models you recommend please do PM me <grin>
For all routers its important to reset/ change default pasword for admin as precaution.

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year to all you great DC guys(and gals !)

SKA

Darwin · « **Reply #17 on:** December 25, 2007, 08:20 AM »

I'm going to have to do my "due diligence" on this as well, SKA! I haven't really paid much attention to routers in about 18 months so will need to figure out which way to jump. Linksys and Netgear *used* to be highly rated, so I'll probably start there. However, my sense is telling me that there are a lot more players today...

Good tip about the admin password - not having one set up (default is blank) is asking to have your network broken into!

Lashiec · « **Reply #18 on:** December 25, 2007, 02:38 PM »

Don't forget about D-Link and 3Com, and some other one I'm missing right now...

Darwin · « **Reply #19 on:** December 25, 2007, 03:45 PM »

Yup. I have a D-Link from 2003. At the time, D-Link were very highly thought of and I've no complaints with it beyond lack of WPA support and an incredibly poorly organised GUI for the admin console. However, my impression is that as of 18 months ago, anyway, they'd slipped in 'esteem'.

For cost effective solutions, Trendnet and Belkin are worth a look, too - though I've no idea about quality, etc.

Grorgy · « **Reply #20 on:** December 25, 2007, 07:13 PM »

Ive been using a little belkin wireless router for 18 months or so, works wellfor me, though i do usually plug in rather than use it as wireless, but the wireless hasn't let me down when i've needed or wanted it. It has WPA and all that stuff (I'm a bit like Curt, i dont understand a lot of it but i got it all turned on anyway lol) and the price was right, considerably cheaper than most of the others. I did have to get the first one replaced after a few weeks, they had received a bad batch of them apparently, and 1 phone call and I had a new one, so no complaints with their customer service from me.