Decision Between Zone Alarm or McAfee

Hi all, Need to check with you gurus out there. I was previously using the freeware version of Zone Alarm. Quite a good product. However, recently I purchased the McAfee Internet Security Suite 2006 which came with their McAfee FireWall Plus. Zonealarm alerted me that both software have compatibility issues co-existing, so I need to remove one away.

Should I remove Zonealarm or McAfee Firewall? Any advice is appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Reply to
RSKT
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Yes.

Yours, VB.

Reply to
Volker Birk

Reply to
RSKT

As suggested, you should only have one running (and if so, hopefully you also have Windows Firewall disabled if you're using Windows XP). Since I've not used the McAfee personal firewall, I really can't make the comparison you request. I will still offer three thoughts as a non-guru:

-it's certainly possible that McAfee's product will work more smoothly with the other components of the McAfee suite than ZA will.

-I'd think (with no justification whatsoever) that McAfee's product would offer more than the *free* version of ZA. On the other hand, if you've been using ZoneAlarm *Pro*, you'd need to check to see which offers more--or offers what you prefer. I'm not clear from your post which ZA product you have been using.

-Finally, since you've used ZA previously, you may be more familiar with its configurations and things--and that's worth something. Starting anew with a new personal software firewall will restart the learning curve. There were a couple times in the past few years that I was upset with a new version of ZA Pro but I didn't switch since I figured (correctly, as it turns out) that they'd resolve the issue I had with them shortly in a future ZA release--and if I just stuck with them a while, I wouldn't have to learn a new product's operation...and, of course, being the frugal fella that I am, I was paid up with ZA Pro for several more months and didn't want to lose future paid updates ;-)

Craig

PS--please note that if you're new to this newsgroup that some folks here don't much care for personal software firewalls except possibly the Windows Firewall that's built into Windows XP. If you're like me and want and plan to use a software firewall, you can bypass those who really aren't answering your question (which of two possible choices to use) but instead suggest you not use either one.

Reply to
Craig

Craig schrieb:

Hopefully you have it enabled, because it keeps you from wasting time thinking about this other stuff.

Well, it seems to be hard to understand "I was previously using the freeware version of Zone Alarm"

This is a really complex way of saying "see, I understood, but I don=B4t care". Well done.

Regards Thomas

Reply to
Thomas

Yes. At best both of them.

Yours, VB.

Reply to
Volker Birk

Thanks for all the replies, fellas. Strangely, I DO have windows firewall enabled and now ZA seems to be functioning well with McAfee Firewall as well, so I will leave it at that until they give me problems. Only issue is when there is a request, both Mcafee and ZA ask for my direction as to how to handle them but that;s not really a pain in the bum as far as I am concerned. Cheers

Reply to
RSKT

Hi RSKT,

As Craig said, you really shouldn't run both ZA and McAfee Firewalls at the same time. They do have compatibility issues, and who needs the resource drain? When your OS starts freezing up, and crashing, you'll know why. I don' know about the Windows Firewall. Earlier versions were not compatible with other firewalls, but yours may be.

As to which to keep, that's your choice. Personally, if I'd paid for a firewall, with added features, and I liked it, I'd keep it until the subscription runs out. I like ZAPro myself, but it has features added. Free ZA is just the firewall. Three firewalls running at the same time is trouble.

charlie R

Reply to
charlie R

Hi Charlie, Thanks for the advice...will make the changes.. Cheers

Reply to
RSKT

Hi I was curious so did some checks on both firewall's performance. Zone Alarm reported 1732 attempts to hack into my system (past few months) the same period, McAfee Firewall only reported 68 for the past few weeks. Can anyone comment on the discrepency?

I also understand zone alarm has stealth mode and ability to hide part of the IP address. But I can't find similar settings for McAfee...Does McAfee do it in the background?

Thanks in advance.

Reply to
RSKT

Yes. Both numbers are equivalent, because both are completely nonsense.

You're fooled by advertizing nonsense. There is no such thing as "stealthing your IP address", and this never will work.

Yours, VB.

Reply to
Volker Birk

Hi RSKT,

The number of attempts blocked depends on your configuration settings. I'm not familiar with McAfee, though. In ZoneAlarm, check the settings on the Firewall page, and the Alert Logging page. Since I have ZAP, the options would be different, so I can't tell exactly. The McAfee number is very low, so I'd say ZoneAlarm is winning the race to block the gate.

ZAP has the option to hide Private Header Information, and High Internet Security is in Stealth Mode. In Closed Mode, other computers can see your computer, but no access is allowed. Read the Help Files in both Apps to understand their differences, and how to configure.

Hope this helps.

charlie R

: >> Hi RSKT, : >>

: >> As Craig said, you really shouldn't run both ZA and McAfee Firewalls at : >> the same time. They do have compatibility issues, and who needs the : >> resource drain? When your OS starts freezing up, and crashing, you'll : >> know why. I don' know about the Windows Firewall. Earlier versions : >> were not compatible with other firewalls, but yours may be. : >>

: >> As to which to keep, that's your choice. Personally, if I'd paid for a : >> firewall, with added features, and I liked it, I'd keep it until the : >> subscription runs out. I like ZAPro myself, but it has features added. : >> Free ZA is just the firewall. Three firewalls running at the same time : >> is trouble. : >>

: >> charlie R : >>

: >

: >

: :

Reply to
charlie R

Thanks Charlie.. The freeware ZA does not seem to have those options you mentioned. I did a check on McAfee and seems their log is reset daily and archived. For today, I have zero alerts. I only got some when I disabled ZA, so I guess ZA is out in front blocking them all, so none actually reached the McAfee firewall..?

Reply to
RSKT

Are you saying that with ZA you can actually configure how many attempts you want to let through? ;-)

What race? - The bragging race?

If I logged every packet that I did not allow through my packet filter I might very well be able to come up with an even bigger number. It would'nt have any influence on my security, though.

/B. Nice

Reply to
B. Nice

RSKT,

Check out the link below.

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charlie R

: > The number of attempts blocked depends on your configuration settings. : > I'm not familiar with McAfee, though. In ZoneAlarm, check the settings : > on the Firewall page, and the Alert Logging page. Since I have ZAP, the : > options would be different, so I can't tell exactly. The McAfee number : > is very low, so I'd say ZoneAlarm is winning the race to block the gate. : >

: > ZAP has the option to hide Private Header Information, and High Internet : > Security is in Stealth Mode. In Closed Mode, other computers can see : > your computer, but no access is allowed. Read the Help Files in both : > Apps to understand their differences, and how to configure. : >

: > Hope this helps. : >

: > charlie R : >

: >

: > : >> Hi RSKT, : > : >>

: > : >> As Craig said, you really shouldn't run both ZA and McAfee : > Firewalls at : > : >> the same time. They do have compatibility issues, and who needs : > the : > : >> resource drain? When your OS starts freezing up, and crashing, : > you'll : > : >> know why. I don' know about the Windows Firewall. Earlier : > versions : > : >> were not compatible with other firewalls, but yours may be. : > : >>

: > : >> As to which to keep, that's your choice. Personally, if I'd paid : > for a : > : >> firewall, with added features, and I liked it, I'd keep it until : > the : > : >> subscription runs out. I like ZAPro myself, but it has features : > added. : > : >> Free ZA is just the firewall. Three firewalls running at the same : > time : > : >> is trouble. : > : >>

: > : >> charlie R : > : >>

: > : >

: > : >

: > : : > : : >

: :

Reply to
charlie R

Hey, B. Nice,

Be Nice! Surely V.B. will be along to argue with you soon.

charlie R

Reply to
charlie R

I am - I told you and the o/p in the nicest way that these numbers make absolutely no sense.

A poster having 3 firewalls running at the same time needs some good advice.

Hopefully. It's important to have some seconds opinions to the ones you present (which I respect but strongly diasgree with) brought forward also.

Reply to
B. Nice

Thanks agian, charlie If only they also included the popular freeware ZA as a guide as well.... But looks like I should keep ZA and shutdown McAFee FW..

Reply to
RSKT

RSKT,

This link compares the ZoneAlarm versions to the Free version.

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Click on the links in the left hand column for an explanation of the features. Keep in mind that 98SE/ME are no longer supported. For this reason, I use an older version, 4.5.594. I like the Pro version because of it's Privacy features. It blocks Mobil Code, Ads, Cookies, Scripts, etc., and can be configured on a site by site basis. It also has a Cache Cleaner, which allows you to keep the cookies you want. It's possible McAfee does this too. Which to keep is your decision.

charlie R

: > Check out the link below. : >

: >

: >

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>

: >

: > charlie R : >

: >

: >

Reply to
charlie R

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