Zone Alarm vs. Windows XP Service Pack 2 firewall

[m3trj]

The SP2 firewall doesn't have any program control from what I can see. ZoneAlarm is a better choice.

 

[furtivefelon]

that's not spam, i disabled Windows Messenger Service first thing for any new installation.. you know when on hte taskbar, it usually pops up a ballon connected to one of the icons? well, this one is connected to the sp2 firewall..

it's definately not windows messenger window..

 

[Tyler1989]

I think thats spam....Windows messenger service

No incorrect. You open the security center and when you click on a link there saying you have no firewall it directs you to a site where you can buy microsoft recommended antiviruses. If your Wincows XP Security Center is spam well....

 

[Osiris]

I turned my firewall off, I dont see any libk to direct me. Give me exact instructions on how to do it so i can see for myself

 

[Pelican]

Firewall and Antivirus

Turn your firewall back on (win XP/start/control panel/firewall) and buy and antivirus. XP firewall is only good (barely) for incoming on the internet, and given Windows track record for "holes" - would you really want Windows to supply the antivirus to keep you safe. I use both Windows firewall and an independent software firewall as well as a hardware firewall and antivirus software. You only need to get hit once and lose (or corrupt) your hard drive and have to start over to be convinced.

 

[Trotter]

You only need to get hit once and lose (or corrupt) your hard drive and have to start over to be convinced.

Been there, done that. That's why I say to use a firewall, antivirus, and multiple antispyware.

Once bit, twice shy.

 

[tribalsun]

I posed this same question a few months back when Zone Alarm was giving me headaches. Taken from my original post on 3-30-05.

XP SP2 Firewall?

Zone Alarm was giving me some problems so I uninstalled it for a reinstall. Out of curiosity I enabled XP SP2's built in firewall and went to GRC for Shields Up. To my surprise it passed Shields Up with flying colors, something that other, even pro version of firewalls have failed at.

So my question is this. Is Windows XP SP2 built in firewall sufficient? I trust GRC wholeheartedly. I realise that XP's SP2 firewall may not have all the bells and whistles of certain other firewalls but I really don't need all that extraneaous stuff to begin with.

Comments welcome, thanks.

Update - Has passed Sygates Security Scan as well.
Update #2 - Has passed HackerWatch.orgs security test also.
Update #3 - Has passed pcflank.com security test.

So far I'm impressed. I may reinstall Zone Alarm anyway as I'm so accustomed to using it over the years.

Update #4 - Reinstalled Zone Alarm and initial problem was resolved. I'm still impressed that XP SP 2's firewall performed as well as it did with the various test.

It's actually quite a nice little firewall.

 

[Pelican]

It's fine for incoming, but if you have other PC's on your network with permissions to share files internally it's good to have something inside that looks for things that may have been introduced from a "trusted" computer. A software firewall (set up properly) also looks for problems embedded in packets that you allow in through the Windows firewall. Again, 1 is good, 2 is better and a combination of hardware and software is better still.