Lightweight, easy-to-use firewall

General Topics
1

Dear Forum,

Could you kindly recommend a lightweight and easy-to-use firewall?

  1. The system is an older laptop from 2004
    = Therefore, the firewall must be light on resources

  2. Avast Free is the anti-virus software (of course)
    = Therefore, the firewall can be standalone

  3. The laptop’s owner is NOT good with computers
    = Therefore, the firewall must be easy-to-use

Thank you!

Avastfan1

PS: I would like to choose PCTools Firewall Plus Pro. However, the final release of version 7 is not yet completed.

2

Hi, is this win xp? If so just use the built in firewall.It doesn’t get any easier than that. :slight_smile:
If you must have a 3rd party firewall then an application based fw such as zonealarm free is easy, though I don’t know how light it is. Hope this helps.

3

Thanks for the reply.

It is indeed Windows XP. However, I believe the XP firewall does not monitor outbound connections.

Moreover, in my experience ZA was a resource hog. It was good in the old days, yet it became more bloated as time went on.

Any suggestions are welcome :slight_smile:

4
  1. True, forget about the XP firewall…!
  2. True again, ZA is crap now, imo…
  3. Use the Comodo FW. Just that, no AV/D+/sandbox/cloud/etc…
    asyn
5

If you aren’t happy with the windows firewall use online armor for ease of use and great extra layer of protection or privatefirewall which is extremely light on resources.

6

WHAT ABOUT FIREFOX’S FIREWALL , ARENT YOU GUYS SATISFIED WITH IT ?

7

Firefox does not have a firewall its a browser.

8

Firefox is a web-browser, and it does not function as a firewall!

9

@ Avastfan1,

I agree with all the above posters, but since this issue has been brought up so many times recently, you might be better off doing a search in the forum for your answer.

10

I am not trying to make commercial for comodo but this the firewall that I use and that I find best :slight_smile:

comodo firewall is full featured firewall that will give more protection than an other (in my view) like HIPS-technology and a cloud scanner. All that other wants to buy the pro version comodo doesn’t; CIS (comodo internet security) pro cost but has the same features like CIS but you pay for the LiveSupport.

Here is a video that you can look at if you choose comodo firewall http://www.youtube.com/languy99#p/u/20/Bj_Tg8EeY-s

Regards,
Tenko

11

Your video link is about cis and is not what the op has asked for, comodo firewall is also difficult to setup with alot of nagging and is quite high on resource usage. Online armor is probably the strongest and easy to use firewall with privatefirewall comming in 2nd place.

12

I think you will still get help by looking at the video or am I wrong, craigb?

Regards,
Tenko

13

Online Armor is good.

Comodo is heavy on resources like craigb says.

14

never felt that ToKenny

15

See

1. The system is an older laptop from 2004
= Therefore, the firewall must be light on resources

Therfore it is for XP with little room to run Comodo.

16

okey. I understand what you are trying to get at :slight_smile:

17

Thank you for the advice.

I installed Online Armor successfully. Rebooted and the system loads into Windows, but the screen freezes on the desktop and Avast has the yellow warning sign on the icon near the clock.

Booted into safe mode, uninstalled Online Armor and the computer is booting correctly.

Online Armor does not like the laptop (or Avast!).

Should I try Comodo? I really think the Laptop is too old to handle a 3rd party firewall and Avast.

It is an ASUS laptop Intel Pentium M Processor 1.6GHz with 1.0Gb Ram and a hard drive of 76Gb. Windows XP SP3 fully updated is loaded on the system!

Best regards,

Avastfan1

18

Tenko: Är du verkligen svensk? Var bor du i Sverige? Kan jag anta att du är 08? :slight_smile:

19

Only having 1gig ram is feesable as long as you dont have to many startup’s turned on, you can look at startup’s in msconfig/startup’s and see if there is anything there that you do not need, otherwise just stick with the windows firewall/avast/malwarebytes :slight_smile:

20

Ja, jag är svensk och bor i Tyskland för tillfället och jag är född 88 :slight_smile:

Jag föreslår att du försöker med Comodo firewall. Kopiera länken nedanför för att hämta comodo.

http://download.comodo.com/cis/download/installs/1000/standalone/cfw_installer_x86.exe

Jag rekommendera att du köper två 1Gb’s ram minne (jag antar att datorn har minst två minne-slots) så att datan har tillräckligt med minne; när jag var yngre då Vista var rätt så ny frågade jag en expert vad en dator ska ha för ram minne och han svarade: minst 1,5Gb.

MVH,
Tenko