I’m using a GesWall firewall as I was unable to get Zonelabs, which I normally use, to install after a reformat of the hard drive and installation of W2K rather than XP Pro (in hindsight I don’t think I had the necessary Windows updates or something like that). http://www.shareup.com/GeSWall-download-40198.html
Does anyone know if it’s any good? I was recommended it but having succumbed to the DCOM Exploit thing (that I’m now rid of thank god, bloody nuisance thing it was) almost as soon as I started using the pc I’m beginning to wonder.
If you want to lock up your system and not change it in any way, this might be good.
It's on the right track and if you want your system to stay exactly like you installed it, this would be a lot better than getting the usual firewall, because that is basically how it stops everything, it simply doesn't let anything change! However, in my opinion that is unworkable for me. I need change, I could eat Alvin Toffler books for breakfast. I need access to my own computer.
I’ve also read that it’s a nightmare to remove if you change you mind.
Sorry
hi invocation(see statement at bottom first)
i just installed GesWall from gentlesecurity.com…which is a outbound only firewall…let me know if or you know anything about it…leave this and my router security on and windows off and see
Hi Doc
Never heard of "GesWall" or "gentlesecurity.com" until
your post. Did a Google search, which revealed :
http://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?s=53cfcecd658bd8d4169040d35031943d&t=131931 .
Did you read through at least some of this thread before
installing this product ? Appears GesWall/gentlesecurity
is very new, maybe even a "Beta" product, which I avoid.
If you are interested in a proven firewall, consider Sygate
best downloaded from www.majorgeeks.com/Sygate_Personal_Firewall_Free_d3356.html . There's a "Setup Guide" at www.kotiposti.net/string/SPF_eng/SPFGuide.html .
This topic should have been posted in the "General" forum
thanks for the help spiritsongs and everyone…i just downloaded comodo personal firewall(comodo.com) and it is working great…along with the wep and spi firewall in my wireless router…i now have the outgoing protection i thought i had with my previous set-up but did’nt and windows security center recognizes comodo as a firewall after turning windows firewall off…
and i took off that GesWall…it was a beta…have a good one avast world!
hi invocation …this is from the above link that spiritsongs posted and i am the one she helped…
i now have webroot(maker of spy sweeper)firewall on my laptop…but comodo free firewall when i had it was a very good firewall…good with that one :o
+++TAKE OFF GeSWALL+++
hope this helped
Thanks everyone for the heads up re GeSWall. Someone on here said it’s a nightmare to remove but drhayden you say you removed it and installed a different one. Was it a nightmare to remove? Does it not just uninstall via the control panel’s add/remove program feature?
Another thing I’m still unclear about is that as someone with a ‘normal’ desktop setup (speedtouch ADSL PPP modem) running Win 2000 what’s a good firewall for me to install with incoming and outgoing protection, if that’s the right term (GesWall apparently only providing outgoing protection)?
And do I need to turn off my Windows firewall (embarassingly I didn’t even realise it had one :-[ ) Would I be fully protected with the Sygate or Comodo firewalls as I’m unsure what you mean by a router (is this just another name for the modem?) - I’ll look it up obviously when I leave this thread but your right I shoudn’t have just taken the recommendation I should have looked into it further before going ahead but I trust(ed) the guy who recommended it.
Thanks again all.
Edit: I’ve just read that the windows firewall came by default first with XP so it looks like I don’t have one anyway.
(row´ter) (n.) A device that forwards data packets along networks. A router is connected to at least two networks, commonly two LANs or WANs or a LAN and its ISP’s network. Routers are located at gateways, the places where two or more networks connect.
Routers use headers and forwarding tables to determine the best path for forwarding the packets, and they use protocols such as ICMP to communicate with each other and configure the best route between any two hosts.
Very little filtering of data is done through routers.
OK so now I know what a router is and no I don’t have one or rather any need for one more to the point. Apologies for the long post.
Hi Invocation, I have used comodo personal firewall for a long time now.Since you seem to be rather new, comodo has the ability to approve safe apps if you tell it to,that is if you’re not sure about alot of popups that a firewall will give after installation.I believe comodo is the only free firewall that can do this, plus it’s probably the most secure of any free or paid fw’s. Just my .02 cents.Hope this helps.
i didn’t have any trouble uninstalling geswall on my laptop via the control panel & yes turn off your windows firewall if you have one like comodo(you will be fully protected) 8)
just like anti-virus programs…shouldn’t have 2 installed on your computer- they will conflict with each other
Well I did uninstall GeSWall without any apparent problems but I couldn’t get comodo to install and the sygate symantec thing required the filling in of much formage and a message telling me I’d be contacted in 3-5 days re: god knows what, hopefully confirmation that I can use their firewall for free. Anyway I finally installed zonealarm which at first told me there was a conflict with the web shield on avast but I was given the option to correct that (by turning off the web shield I think which it did automatically) so now I have avast, ewido anti spyware and zonealarm running. Is this sufficient do you think?
Does anyone know why comodo wouldn’t install (I’d removed GeSWall before i tried to install it but maybe I didn’t remove some hidden files or something although there were some hidden devices labelled GeSWall within the remove/install hardware section of the control panel as well as bits in add/remove programs - all of which I removed but maybe I should check C:Programs for a GeSWall file that needs removing as well?
When you tried to download the Sygate firewall, did you
click on my "majorgeeks" link ? If yes, hopefully, with
about 6 or more sites to download it from, you did NOT
select the 1st listing, which was the "Author's site" !?
That "choice" no longer works because Symantec has
"abandoned" the Sygate firewall they bought, probably
to remove a competitor to their not-so-good firewall !?
If still interested in the Sygate, try one of the other
choices on the majorgeeks site or :
www.filehippo.com/download_sygate_personal_firewall/
P.S. To increase the chances that a program has been
COMPLETELY removed, it is best to use your computer's
"Search/Find" feature, using the appropiate search
"term(s)" and deleting all it finds; may also need to use
a SAFE registry cleaner to remove entries there .
Anyway I finally installed zonealarm which at first told me there was a conflict with the web shield on avast but I was given the option to correct that (by turning off the web shield
If you use the FREE Home version of ZoneAlarm, there isn't any conflict.
There is only a confict if you use the Pro version due to additional security software installed in that version only.
and no I don’t have one or rather any need for one more to the point. Apologies for the long post.