Thursday Special: Top Free Firewalls

On last week’s special we talked about free antivirus solutions. But an antivirus isn’t the only piece of software you will need to counter the threats that lurk in the Internet. The companion of each antivirus is a firewall. Let’s see what options we have concerning the best free firewall products.

The firewall I personally recommend and use is the Comodo firewall. It is very stable, has a good interface and includes a intrusion detection system (IDS) as well as Vista compatibility. The downside is that it can conflict with some security products. The second is that many alarms keep popping out and thus inexperienced users are better choosing another product. But for someone who knows what he or she is doing, Comodo firewall is a very good. Not to mention that it has very good marks in the leak tests. One final note, when installing, be sure to do it in “Advanced” mode because it uses the HIPS. Also use the Defense+ setting.

Online Armor Personal Firewall V3 is another very good choice. The leak test results speak for themselves and it is regarded highly for it’s ease of use and performance. The downsides are that the free version doesn’t include Mail Shield (or spam filter) and automatic updates. Also, it can cause conflicts with F-Secure Antivirus. Online Armor is Vista compatible.

PC Tools Firewall Plus Free Edition is a powerful alternative for intermediate users. If Comodo scared you away, PC Tools Firewall Plus will gladly protect you and not nag with many alarms. But it is good for intermediate and advanced users alike. The interface is very clean and has a good performance. The downside is that it can sometimes hang or freeze your system but it doesn’t happen that often.

Of course, these products are not the only ones on the market and you are encouraged to keep in touch with the evolution of such software. Not to mention that a firewall is best used in tandem with some other form of protection like an antivirus, spyware and adware scanner and others. But it still is your first line of defence.

A piece of advice though. Do not try the free version of ZoneAlarm. Although in the past it was a very good firewall, it currently doesn’t live up to the paid version’s name. At least that’s what the leak tests show. The level of protection is basic at best and not comparable with the other firewalls presented in this article. You have been warned.

This being said, remember that no matter with how much security you surround yourself, the weakness doesn’t necessarily stand in the form of the software, but the persons behind it. Be careful where you navigate and where you click and there won’t be a need to put the firewall to the test. And maybe it’s better that way. But if that happens, you will have a strong line of defense.