Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.newusers (
More info?)
I would like to reply and say that I use XP firewall and
free Zone Alarm at the same time. Zone Alarm helps me to
keep track of all outgoing things. I use the version of
Zone Alarm 4 as I have had troubles with version 5.
>-----Original Message-----
>Greetings --
>
> Well, WinXP's built-in ICF is certainly better than
nothing, but
>it's no substitute for a real firewall.
>
> WinXP's built-in firewall is _adequate_ at stopping
incoming
>attacks, and hiding your ports from probes. It doesn't
give you any
>alarms, or any other kind of indication, to tell you
that it is
>working, though. Nor is it very easily configurable.
What WinXP also
>does not do, is protect you from any Trojans or spyware
that you (or
>someone else using your computer) might download and
install
>inadvertently. It doesn't monitor out-going traffic at
all, other
>than to check for IP-spoofing, much less block (or at
even ask you
>about) the bad or the questionable out-going signals.
It assumes that
>any application you have on your hard drive is there
because you want
>it there, and therefore has your "permission" to access
the Internet.
>Further, because the ICF is a "stateful" firewall, it
will also assume
>that any incoming traffic that's a direct response to a
Trojan's or
>spyware's out-going signal is also authorized.
>
> ZoneAlarm, Kerio, or Sygate are all much better than
WinXP's
>built-in firewall, and are much more easily configured,
and there are
>free versions of each readily available. Even
Symantec's Norton
>Personal Firewall is superior by far, although it does
take a heavier
>toll of system performance then do ZoneAlarm or Sygate.
>
> Running two or more software firewalls
simultaneously is
>unnecessary and can sometimes cause conflicts, possibly
negating the
>protection of both. In any event, having two firewalls
running
>simultaneously is most certainly an unnecessary drain on
system
>resources.
>
>
>Bruce Chambers
>--
>Help us help you:
>http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm
>http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html
>
>You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever
count on
>having both at once. - RAH
>
>
>"Nicole" <anonymous@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in
message
>news:ED354758-F0A5-48FE-8149-
31150F2B1CA7@microsoft.com...
>> As a user of XP, I am also a user of XP firewall. I
have read so
>much good about Zone Alarm firewall that I am wondering
whether I
>should make a change over, or is it possible to use it
as well as XP.
>I believe using 2 firewalls usually lead to trouble.
Thanks for any
>advice or opinion.
>
>
>.
>