Free Firewall Scores High

[detailer]

For those of you using,or looking for a firewall,check out the new rating for PC Tools free firewall at Matousec .This is a huge step up for them.And Max,you'll be very happy to see that your favorite CIS is holding its own.For newcomers,Matousec is regarded as one of,if not the most respected source of independent testing and ratings.In their house,you don't win because you had the most money to throw at them.I recommend bookmarking that site and checking it periodically,as this PC Tools firewall improvement seemed to come out of nowhere.Perhaps Symantec is doing some good for that line after all. :shock::shock:

[Maxxwire]

Detailer- The general rule for this kind of testing is to use 'out of the box settings' which is fair and makes the testing field level. With many firewalls it takes the proper advanced settings to reach its highest state of protection which will not be reflected in a generalized test like this.

 

Comodo Internet Security is at its highest state of protection when it is using its Proactive Security Configuration with Image Execution enabled and customized Monitoring settings all of which are user selectable and only require a few simple tics in the right boxes to fully enable which are not engaged when the default settings are being used in a test like this and only less than a minute to configure.

 

That said, CIS will not pass the Comodo Leak Tests with its default settings as I said it must be set up properly in order to pass with a 340/340 score which is not a bad return on less than a minute's effort on the user's part. OTOH PC Tools Firewall when tested with its new .69 version with its highest settings scores only 180 / 340 on the Comodo Leak Tests which is an insight that can only be gained through private testing by end users with the ability to obtain test results using each Firewall's highest settings. BTW PC Tools Firewall is based on Zone alarm and not Symantec software.

 

Nevertheless CIS did fail to pass three of the Matousec tests namely: crash7, sss and SockSnif which took Comodo out of first place in the Matousec tests for the very first time in a long while and a discussion of how to make sure to pass these tests with CIS v4 which will also include the Comodo Time Machine later this year has already begun.

 

~Maxx~

[itsmejjj]

nice site ---i just spent 2 hours checking all there results!

to say the least i am a bit dissipated in my fire wall results--now here is the problem WIN 7 one cannot at the moment use the top end free version fire

or paid version --wall

on this OS --

comodo - it just failed to install ---

out post not supported-pc tools yes!

works

but you cannot use some other ip blocking programs as the use of similar type

filter system that clashes with the fire wall--now downloading as i type online armor see how this will run--its a real struggle at the moment--but i dare say it will come {support for win 7)

any one know --is there one bar lookNstop --that is fully supported ?

i would like a list for me to try---

thank you -and i have bookmark the link-a very good find!

 

 

online armor not supported!!!

 

 

itsmejjj

[detailer]

itsmejjj

 

See if you have any luck with UAC (user account control) disabled in Win7.

[detailer]

Max

 

So if PCT firewall gets one of the top scores running "box stock" as we say in racing,you're saying it doesn't stack up against the others when they are all running at top user configuration? Seems to me,if my new car runs a 13 second quarter mile from the factory,and I work a little tweaking under the hood,I've still got a damn fast car,even if your "tweaked" car is faster than mine,don't you think? In other words,you are talking apples to oranges,or default vs. tweaked.My point was simply that PCT firewall is now serious competition for "the big three" in terms of "user ready" out of the box.I meant nothing derogatory regarding your prized CIS,simply that I saw it still among the top.I did not mean to infer that PCT firewall had surpassed CIS,only that it showed such dramatically marked improvement as to deem it worthy of serious consideration,especially for the novice user for whom this information was primarily intended.For those of us who change software like underwear,there simply isn't time for a firewall that needs to be wet nursed to do its job.I think this one fits that bill.But hell,what do I know-I don't even run a softwall :roll:

[itsmejjj]

See if you have any luck with UAC (user account control) disabled in Win7.

 

dear sir i have just about every thing thats we could possibly rip out of this os --in or cut version --and disabled all we can in the full version -

problem is 99% of fire wall- just do not install. the ones that do the OS run in eclectically fits--only one so far is the one i use -that works with no problems what so ever--but its not that hot as is is vulnerable to some attacks-

what helps is the ip blockers --and be leave it or Not IOBITT!!!

the combination we tested for leaks --using 5 different client testers

we get a average of 80%-to 90% --windows 7 fire wall only 15% ---passes

that why i asked if any one knows if there are that are -and install with 7

i have no doubt that this will change soon --any how thanks for you advice

and thoughtfulness

 

 

for the novice user for whom this information was primarily intended.

i also back you up on tis statement --this is what all the posting is about

what we the older users some times forget is, we have the know how in most cases i say most --

 

its the new PC user that we Aime at with our advice? and not the pro user

my self try to point out basic standard ideas -simple plane --than let the new pc Pearson go from there --

also it comes down to the fear of using a system as you do --i myself would

panic! the idea of a router doing it all! and nothing els--- ehhhh

 

itsmejjj

[Maxxwire]

Detailer- I hope that you didn't think that I was trying to diminish the magnitude of PC Tools' recent rapid improvement of their Firewall to surpass Comodo's score by 2% for the first time ever on the Matousec Tests because this is a monumental achievement on their part!

 

As someone who obviously prefers his cars not just fast, but tweaked to full race I'm sure that you have an appreciation for the difference between the value of a car that is stock and can be modified to achieve those blisteringly fast speeds off the line in the blink of an eye and a car that is extremely fast for stock and can win against other totally stock cars but unfortunately does not have the ultimate potential to be tweaked by a seasoned mechanic to compete in the full race category on any track on any Sunday and win consistently.

 

With PC Tools Firewall's recent stellar showing in the Matousec Tests there is now an additional top rated free Firewall program for people to choose from which is perfectly suited for those who are looking for a very highly effective, install and forget software Firewall program which has done very well on these tests without any advanced state of the art security features which more seasoned users would look forward to taking advantage of in the many security situations which this set of tests does not include.

 

~Maxx~

[Ted]

For those of you using,or looking for a firewall,check out the new rating for PC Tools free firewall at Matousec

Downloaded and installed. Using the default settings..... See how we go.

 

I see that this is actually the Demo version which is usable for an unlimited time.

 

My poor, faithful old Windows Firewall has now been relegated :-((

[detailer]

Firewall

 

Hi Ted-That appears to be the latest version of the free firewall.There is much information to be found at PC Tools forum ,along with some open Beta programs.Max,no worries,I believe we're on the same page :wink:

[Maxxwire]

Ted- You might also be able to get some more information at the PC Tools Firewall Plus Help Page.

 

~Maxx~

[Ted]

Hi, detailer and Maxxwire,

 

Thanks for those links. Interesting reading.

 

It does say FREE Firewall on the download advice and the Licence Agreement does say it's a Free Trial Version, but usable for an unlimited time, so I guess that's that.

 

I uninstalled it and installed C.O.M.O.D.O, but I much prefer PC T Firewall for its simplicity of use, so reinstalled and updated it. Hope there are no conflicts with IOBit Security 360.

[Maxxwire]

Ted- I know what you mean about getting Comodo set up because the Firewall and its Defense+ HIPS have to learn every one of your programs' interactions with the internet and the registry in their respective Safe Modes and in some cases there can be a few pop-ups requiring operator approval and that does take some time to set up, but once Comodo is set up its pretty quiet until a program or action comes along that it doesn't recognize in that HIPS is default deny.

 

I used to run PC Tools Spyware Doctor with Antivirus, but not this new and improved Firewall and I am curious as to how large the RAM footprint of their Firewall is to get an idea of how they would work together in terms of resources used?

 

~Maxx~

[Ted]

Hi, Maxxwire,

 

Yes, I'm far more comfortable with PC Tools Firewall. I used to use COMODO BOClean, but gave it up a while ago. Does the screenshot help with your footprint question?

[detailer]

Ted

 

Glad to see you using Anvir Task Manager.I'd trim that start-up list if I were you.Just sayn'.....

[Ted]

Hi, detailer,

 

Glad to see you using Anvir Task Manager.

Yes, it's a pretty snazzy little tool.

 

I'd trim that start-up list if I were you.Just sayn'.....

There you are, I've got the all the information at my fingertips, but not taking heed!

Must sort through the list and see what I can put the brakes on.

[detailer]

Ted

 

Everything except security-should be all you need-all I ever run...

[Maxxwire]

Hi, Maxxwire, Does the screenshot help with your footprint question?

 

Yes it does and thanks for the trouble that you went to in recording and posting it for us!

 

I have come to prefer to use Sysinterals Process Explorer to get a more accurate and expanded idea of how much Memory is being used by a program than I could get from Task Manager.

 

Here's how much physical memory the entire free Comodo CIS Suite which includes the Firewall, Defense+ and the Antivirus usually uses...

 

http://i468.photobucket.com/albums/rr44/Maxxwire_Photos/Album%202/ProcessExplorer.png

 

A second measurement a few minutes later revealed these results although it did momentarily peak at 1,400k, but it was too fast to capture a screenshot of before it went back to its resting rate...

 

http://i468.photobucket.com/albums/rr44/Maxxwire_Photos/Album%202/ProcessExplorer1.png

 

I agree with Detailer in that with the great security that the PC Tools Firewall now offers your computer you could now afford to selectively trim down your start menu a bit although if you run Vista then the tiny IObit Smart RAM is very much worth keeping.

 

~Maxx~

[Ted]

Hi, detailer and Maxxwire,

 

Thanks for the information. I'll start a serious pruning session.

[Ted]

Okay, I've done it.

 

Ive also changed a couple of services from Automatic to Manual ( PLFlash Device IoControl Service and Macrium Reflect Image Mounting Service ). I don't think they need to be running all the time.

[Maxxwire]

Ted- I recently was able to cut back or disable 90 services in my Vista OS by using the expert guides which define each of the services and their various dependencies for any of the Windows OS's at BlackViper.com which subsequently cut 50 seconds off of the boot time.

 

~Maxx~

[Ted]

Ted- I recently was able to cut back or disable 90 services in my Vista OS by using the expert guides which define each of the services and their various dependencies for any of the Windows OS's at BlackViper.com which subsequently cut 50 seconds off of the boot time.

Yes, I've read a lot of good reports about BlackViper.com

[Maxxwire]

Ted- I tried using 2 different software programs which were designed to cut back on Services based on operator usage information, but they just didn't do as radical a job as I was hoping they would do. So I finally broke down and dedicated about 3 hours at BlackViper.com going over and evaluating each of the 137 services on my Vista computer and how I wanted them to run or not to run and the results have been more than worth the time I spent slashing Services with the expert and highly detailed descriptions of each service they offer there.

 

~Maxx~