Tiny (?) Personal Firewall

[TransformX]

Till yesturday I was happily using Tiny Personal Firewall version 2.x and was pretty happy with my configuration, set of rules etc.
For me, it was quite straightforward and easy to maintain.

After all those talks about viruses and sh*t I decided to check what's new on their site and proceeded with downloading and installing Tiny Personal Firewall 5.x



It's not tiny at all !!!
It's a monstrous thing that controls everthing from network access, file access, registry access and whatnot. It does so on process and group level with all kinds of extra rules
It's worse than an Anti-Virus ! The old AV's used to scan anything coming in and that's it. This beast monitors each and every process on your system and holds group and personal rules for each and every little piece of executable you've got.

Do people (remember, it's called "PERSONAL") really need that kind of security on their home machines ?

If you doubt me, you can download the manual (1MB pdf) and see for yourselves.

edit: you can see the online version here (click on the "Resources" link).

[a_h]

Yep, it's unbelievable. Same happened with my lovely, but buggy Kerio Personal Firewall 2 - v4 is a monster (besides there was no version 3).

[The PIT]

Out of interest how many ports are you blocking ???

[TransformX]

Now that I have the new version on ?
I have no idea

[gt40]

Maybe they call it 'tiny' for the same reason thec called Little John 'little'

I'm using Zonealarm and am happy with it.

[Gurm]

I'm using a little thing called a router. All my ports are blocked as effectively as (or MORE effectively than) with a "software firewall", with no CPU resources taken or network slowdown observed.

And the best part? It was no more expensive than a so-called "software firewall" and serves the dual purpose of being a router.

- Gurm

[gt40]

some of us use both - and the software firewall is free.

[TransformX]

Originally posted by Gurm
And the best part? It was no more expensive than a so-called "software firewall" and serves the dual purpose of being a router.

- Gurm

When you find a way to download free hardware, let me know

[Tjalfe]

Routers here can be gotten for as little as $13CDN after mail in rebates...
I am with Gurm on this one. With a hardware router, I see no reason to have any sort of software firewalls.

[Technoid]

I have a software firewall to keep those "ET phone home" programs OFF the net

[Kooldino]

Originally posted by a_h
Yep, it's unbelievable. Same happened with my lovely, but buggy Kerio Personal Firewall 2 - v4 is a monster (besides there was no version 3).

I'm still running 2.14...when did 4 come out? How is it, besides large?

[Kooldino]

Originally posted by gt40
Maybe they call it 'tiny' for the same reason thec called Little John 'little'

I'm using Zonealarm and am happy with it.

I used to swear by ZA, but afte the 10th time it screwed with my internet connection that I could NEVER get back - even if i uninstalled it - I had enough.

[Kooldino]

Originally posted by Gurm
I'm using a little thing called a router. All my ports are blocked as effectively as (or MORE effectively than) with a "software firewall", with no CPU resources taken or network slowdown observed.

And the best part? It was no more expensive than a so-called "software firewall" and serves the dual purpose of being a router.

- Gurm

I use both software and hardware. Hardware firewalls don't do jack if a trojan tries to go through a normal open port.

[isochar]

I highly recommend Sygate's software firewall... one of the few remaining ones that believe a firewall should only be a firewall.

[The PIT]

Originally posted by Kooldino
I use both software and hardware. Hardware firewalls don't do jack if a trojan tries to go through a normal open port.

True but some ports are only used by trojans might as well close them.

I only asked TransformX which ones he was blocking becuase he claimed he had a well configured firewall.