Free firewall ...

Advice please! I have had my pc completely cleaned and I am now reloading all my stuff (what a pain in the a*se). I need a firewall of some description so I don't have to do all this again .... can anyone suggest anything? I have the avg free edition, but apparently although this scans for viruses it won't actually stop them!

Thank you

The more popular firewalls tend to be the ones that geeks attack. Try www.download.com they have reviews and tell you whether they're shareware/freeware

TC, have a look at ZoneAlarm from CheckPoint Systems (formerly Zone Labs). I've been using it for years now and never really had any problems with it. It won't stop absolutely everything as I have managed to get a few trojans n stuff, but I got those thru MSN (grrrr!).

Alternatively, if you have a router, it may actually have a built-in hardware/software firewall, and if you Google it then I'm sure you would find sufficient information to be able to configure that (which IMO, would be a more secure way).

However, DO NOT think that using MORE THAN ONE firewall will be better ... it won't! In fact, if anything, using multiple firewalls can cause more problems than it prevents

HTH,
Pete

Thank you. Went on www.downloads.com and downloaded zone alarm .... thanks

Cool ... just one bit of advice ... when you start getting ZoneAlarm "pop-ups" about programs requesting access to the internet, etc. tick the box to say "Remember this setting" (or something like that), otherwise ZA will ask you EVERY time that program wants to access the internet

another vote for zonealarm here ive always used it with AVG anti virus and never had any problems.

[Luckypants]

Another vote for Zone Alarm. My company also uses it as the corporate firewall on every PC in the business (in excess of 20000).

I would recommend getting anti-virus software also, I have always used Norton Anti-Virus and generally have no problem with virus attacks.

Yeah zone alarm for me too, plus AVG, Crap cleaner, spyware terminator and eumig reg cleaner. I have the AVG set up to run a full scan every morning at 8 am.The only thing with zone alarm is that it seems to slow the system down a bit, there are better ones than zone alarm as well but they tend to need more setting up.

I've got a Mac...no clogging-up software here
*puts his smug-mac face on; the one he promised he'd never stoop low enough to get*

Another vote for zone alarm and avg here. Used both for a number of years. In addition I periodically scan with Spybot and Adaware to check for unwanted spyware and adware. Have also used avg anti-spyware.