Free firewalls

[Doomgaze]

What's the best one?

[Yamaneko]

http://smb.sygate.com/products/spf_standard.htm

I don't like ZoneAlarm. The interface is too chopped up.

[Citizen Bleys]

All free firewalls suck. Get a router.

[MecaKane]

Everyone I know, with a router, has a horrible connection. x_X

[crono_logical]

Probably because they haven't set it up correctly, or well enough, at least :p

[Doomgaze]

maybe once i get something faster than pony express to carry my packets :(


but, for NOW...?

[Citizen Bleys]

Software firewalls will slow your surfing down WAY more than any router ever will. Even a high-end commercial software firewall.

[Dr Unne]

iptables. Oops, that's only for Linux. I think Linksys routers even run iptables internally, so it's probably pretty good. If you're on Windows, just don't even bother.

[Citizen Bleys]

iptables on a gateway, yes. iptables directly on the client machine, no.

Firewalls consume processing power, no matter what. For that matter, any service at all does, and having that directly on a client machine is bad.

(Plus, if you have a dedicated gateway--such as a $10 Cable/DSL router--you can use NAT to hide your IP address from the internet. It's an added layer of security I'd not be without)

[Yamaneko]

I still get my 150kbps per second with it on, so I'm happy. :)

[Dr Unne]

<i>iptables on a gateway, yes. iptables directly on the client machine, no.</i> --Bleys

How about both? I never noticed a performance issue. I also find it sometimes necessary to poke a hole or two in the firewall on the router, so it makes me happy to run a firewall on my PC.

[Yrkoon]

i agree with unne have both the hardware firewall and the software one the soft ware firewall's dont affec t perforance of ur computer just have both running to be safer :)