Windows firewall VS. the competition

[darvocet_outlaw]

Now I'm not much on relying on MS products for any type of security BUT, that being said.....
I recently ran the "shields up" app (on www.grc.com), Using Zonealarm Pro 5 and again with Zonealarm uninstalled and only Windows built in firewall on. The results were IDENTICAL. All probed ports were stealthed, however my comp did reply to a ping request, thus making my computer not "truely" stealth (I tweaked the settings in Zonealarm and never was able to correct this).
Now, I know that the ability to block programs from internet access is absent in windows firewall. But other than that I'm thinking that windows firewall is about as good as any others (as far as preventing unauthorized access). I'm running SP2, BTW.

What do ya'll think?

 

[Lord Kalthorn]

Windows Firewall has never failed me - and I've been using it for all 4 years and often without SP1. It works fine.

 

[darvocet_outlaw]

Since zonealarm, norton, ect. use extra system resources, I think I'm gonna stick with windows firewall.

 

[shouup]

The windows firewall is no good, no flame intended. I run Sygate personal firewall and i am on complete stealth mode, according to shields up, when i run it.

 

[Slaughter]

Were you under the impression that the windows firewall would do anything? Sygate is one of the firewalls that I run.

 

[Lord Kalthorn]

I only run Windows Firewall It hardly does nothing, it does everything any normal non-paranoid person would ever want.

 

[Giancarlo]

Windows Firewall is quite piss poor.

I operate Sygate Pro and it is very efficient. LK goes on with his delusions. You have to be paranoid about the net. After looking at my brothers computer which was hacked into (and he was using windows firewall), I came to the conclusion you cannot be safe without Sygate or the other major brand ones.

 

[shouup]

be carefull on which firewalls you use, black ice for example have proven to be spyware as well as a firewall.

 

[Giancarlo]

Yes I know about Black Ice. That's why I use Sygate, a very established firewall.

 

[~mr mixx~]

Windows firewall by itself won't protect you from hacker's..Since it's flawed.