Well. I still can not vote for kerio… So maybe that one is used by 3960 members…
Peter
added Kerio to the list
Ok, dispell this myth for me then. I have always been told not to use a software firewall with a hardware firewall as this was slow your connection to a crawl.
True or False?
Why?
don’t think so…i’ve been using both very long time…works fine for me…
in fact i prefer using both…should be safer i guess ;D
1100 plus views only 40 votes, YUCK
Let me know if I have missed any. This poll will help everyone trying to decide which one to use with Avast. Which one do you like best and why?
well said, I have found this forum a wealth of info for YEARS
from the product itself to any question
I agree it seems this question is always popping up what better way to direct
people in the future asking then having a Poll result to look at
Rick
Basically TRUE
Because they both have to check traffic before allowing it. As a hardware firewall is very fast, you won’t really notice anything, but if yo uwould check down to the microseconds, it will be a delaying factor. It’s not that a hardware firewall and a software firewall will slow each other down, you just have another process that is doing basically the same. So a packet comes towards you, the hardware firewall will check if it can pass, it gets to your software firewall which checks if it may pass and then it gets to where it’s supposed to go.
Peter
Trigger, that was my understanding.
here’s another reason to hate Norton!
I think the problem is in the Subject Title, ‘Best Free Firewall for use with Avast.’ I believe it should simply be Which Firewall (Free or otherwise) do you use with Avast!
People may not know if their firewall is best for use with avast, hence the lack of votes.
As far as I am aware there is no conflict, if something gets through the hardware firewall the software one then may catch it. If the hardware one catches it there is no extra overhead as the software doesn’t have to check.
Also I believe that (many/most) hardware firewalls only blocks inbound traffic, in which case a software firewall is advisable.
I have been using Zone Alarm for many years.
Last April on my return from oversea where I was gone for 4 years,I connected with the telephone Company here and took the firewall and Anti-virus for 2 weeks.It is called Freedom.
I ended up with Long Distance phone calls to Sao Tomé and a bill of nearly $1,000.
I rushed back to Zone Alarm and Avast :-*
My Cable Provider give F-Secure Antivirus Free with their hi speed service. I love getting an AV worth $50 a year free!!!
Sygates, interface is great. Gives lots of control.
ZA 4 pro with webfiltering, although the free version would give almost the same level of protection.
I agree with DavidR the title is part of the problem contributing to the lack of votes but I further think you would have alot more votes if you had included an “others” catagory that people could vote for. I 'm new to this forum and my computer. This is my first post. In selecting a thread to read and maybe post a response to, I selected this one because of two reasons. First, the title suggested to me that JAM-Computers was looking for a good “Free” firewall to install onto his computer–one that compatible and reliable–and that all the firewalls listed in the poll are “free” firewalls. But after having read all of the posts I’m unclear of: (1) is all of the listed software in the poll freeware or not? If not, then: (2) which is the good free vs good pay software on the list and/or out there on the net (3) When people say “Free” are they talking about a free short term trial demo or free like AVAST? I’m not very interested in short term stuff. Having just install a “Free” one year trial firewall a month or so ago I thought “free” firewall information and feedback would be good future reference/knowledge for when my registration comes up for renewal (maybe there some more trustworthy companies like this one that does sponsor and support truely free firewalls for non-profit home use?). Second, being technically challenged as Coho says, (By the way Coho I will keep you in my prayers on 2 Jun 04, hope all turns out well) I was looking for thoughts and opinions about my “free” firewall to see how it stacked up against the competition. My software is a third party CD software given to me by Microsoft when I requested security updates in CD form. They recommended both hard and soft firewall protection and said “If your not running an up-to-date antivirus and firewall software for your convenience, we have provided the enclosed free trial CD”. The name of the software is eTrust™ EZ Armor LE (industrial strength) by CA Computer Associates, which is has both an anti virus and firewall. While I feel overall good with my new firewall, I don’t want to get stuck/suck into it because of a misguided enhanced sense of security that if Microsoft sent it to me-which I take as a trusted endorsement-it must be pretty good. So far, my experiences with it have included no more ads/pop-ups without having to disable pop-ups, notifications of blocked inbound traffic IP address, permission and notification of changes in outbound application/programs, a privacy safe that stores and encyripts all personal data and that blocks/alerts you any time a program is trying to take personal info outbound over the net (I really like this feature do all firewalls have this or comparable?), and my only complaint slower start up and shut down. I think renewal would not be cheap so far all my online research reveals (1) Unable to find any reviews (2) the online vendors that sell Computor Associates products dont sell home additions just $2000-$5000 dollar systems for large corps. (3) home additions can purchased directly from the company as separate packages. I would love hear from some computer savvy people review/opinion on this. Anybody have it, read any reviews on it, or willing to give it a try? Thanks a bunch for sticking with me. I’ll go now and look to see if there is newbie section where newbies can introduce themselves. Then maybe we start a poll on different browsers. 
ZoneAlarm 4.5.594 with WebFiltering, and it seems to work quite nicely here, as well.
ZA is under 5.0.590.015 version right now 
I used kerio for about a year after i had some serious issues with zonealarm. I just purchased an alpha shield and love it. I wont go back to a software firewall again.
sygate
She`s simply the best!
I use sygate and seems to do the job i want, but I’m only a novice with computers.
Don’t know a lot about firewalls only what I’ve read.
Sygate was reccomended to me by a friend who said it was a great free firewall. :-[
crofty :o