How good is XP's firewall?

[Maggotry]

Some of you that have been using XP for a while.......Do you think XP's firewall is good enough or do you recommend an additional product like Norton Personal Firewall? I've got cable internet and need something reliable. Some linkage to reviews would nice too.

Thanks!

 

[rip22]

Inside XP: Internet Connection Firewall

Review: Windows XP's Built-in Firewall

IMO, Its good as a base level firewall but i would recommend another one additionally as a complement.

 

[Maggotry]

THANKS! Especially for the linkage!

 

[AkumaBao]

It's alright. I still like my ZoneAlarm Pro better though.

 

I'm using Sygate's personal firewall, and I like it all right. The have a bunch of scans on their webiste
that will show you what ports are opened and whatnot (ala grc.com). I ran it thru both of sites scans
and was pretty happy with the results.

Zone alarm is good, but I just didn't like the way it looked (I know, petty - sue me )

 

[btvillarin]

Windows XP's built-in firewall is good enough to keep your computer protected from attacks from the internet. The only problem is that it can't protect you from sending unwanted information out of your computer. So, you need a 3rd party firewall to monitor outgoing connections.

If you want to see what I'm talking about, go to Steve Gibson's Shields Up! website, and scan your machine. Then download LeakTest and see that your connections can be sent out without your knowing.

I've had problems with the recent version of ZoneAlarm, so I've been using Tiny Personal Firewall. It's smaller, just as good, but a little more cryptic.

 

[MrCoyote]

For people that don't know what a firewall is, it is better than nothing! But I've been using ZoneAlarm which is a good firewall. Also it is free for personal/student use. I think I may upgrade to Pro pretty soon, since I like it so much.

 

[Maggotry]

Thanks for the help all. Basically, it looks like there are several favorites, but everyone agrees that more protection is needed than just XP's built-in firewall. This is the kind of information I was looking for.

Thanks again!

 

[slowbutsure]

Also there is a problem with XP's firewall. You cannot use it if you have your computer connected to a lan. The firewall will block file access from any other computer. It has to be disabled for a lan to work.

 

[btvillarin]

<< Also there is a problem with XP's firewall. You cannot use it if you have your computer connected to a lan. The firewall will block file access from any other computer. It has to be disabled for a lan to work. >>



Hey, that's nice to know. I'll be sure to stick this on my site for future reference. Thanks!

 

[c0rv1d43]

But the firewall can be enabled / disabled by the adapter, so you can use one NIC without the firewall enabled on it to communicate internally with the LAN and another NIC with the firewall enabled on it to communicate with the Internet. Also works that way, of course, with modems.

- Collin