Zonealarm Pro renewal is now $30 a year ... good alternatives?

I've been happily using Zonealarm Pro now for the past 5 years. My subscription is about to run out and they're asking $29.95 for a one year subscription. Three years ago I got two years for that price. Also, when you go to their site to renew they have options checked by default that would add another $10 to $15, such as one year for program downloads. What? I'd thought that'd be convered in the 1-year subscription. It seems like they're trying to milk users now. I'm looking for a good alternative to Zonealarm Pro in the $20 / year or less range. Any suggestions?

By the way, I dumped Norton AV several months ago in favor of avast home (which is free) and I've been exteremly happy with it. It seems that Zonelabs is doing to Zonealarm Pro the same thing that Symantec did with Norton AV a few years back.

Get a firewall router. You pay once and that's it. No software to play around with and get in trouble.

I am now suing Windows Live OneCare, which is normally $50 a year for Firefall, AntiSpyware, and AntiVirus but you can find it cheaper then this.

Let me say this, I'm very pleased so far. Just make sure you have a valid version of Windows because the Antispyware part is still downloadable from their website and therefore checks.

Originally Posted by rkr1958

It seems like they're trying to milk users now. I'm looking for a good alternative to Zonealarm Pro in the $20 / year or less range. Any suggestions?

If you look in their forum you'll find that they were recently purchased by another company. Most of the threads point to it being all down hill from there including an update that botched up a lot of computers....

You could take a look at the Comodo Firewall. It's free and in this review at PC Magazine, the reviewer seemed to like it. I haven't tried it personally because my xp computers aren't allowed on the internet, but that's the only reason I haven't tried it.

If someone feels like test piloting it, maybe they could post back what they think of it.

Thanks all. Both Kerio Premium and Comodo look interesting.

lordsmurf, In checking out Kerio premium I noticed that there's avast! 4 for Kerio (which costs $15/yr). Do you use avast? If so, do you use the one for Kerio? Advantages of this version over the free home one?

VegasBud, I checked out Comodo and it certainly looks promising. In providing rationale why it's free the developers / company use the same logic that the developers / company of avast free home use, to create a safe on-line environment. Directly from the Comodo website,

Originally Posted by Why is it free?

You must be wondering - how can we stay in business by giving away high quality solutions that all other software vendors sell. Simply, Comodo's main revenue comes from authenticating web business with SSL certificates (e.g. we put the padlock on websites). The more consumers are comfortable being online and shopping online, the more businesses that will be created that will need our services.

Thanks again.

I'm also using Kerio that now is owned by Sunbelt. I havent actually updated the basic version to the new Sunbelt variant and it is still fine. If you already have pop up blocking browser, and some other protection basic is may be fine. Their price is also lower than the original Kerio and before AVG to make their own firewal they were having bundles together.
BTW you might check AVG too as many people are happy with its free antivirus.

Regarding MS Windows Live OneCare, Agnitum has a very harsh review about it.
(http://www.agnitum.com/news/onecare.php)
They claim it failed all but the simplest leak tests.
walter

Originally Posted by pepegot1

Get a firewall router. You pay once and that's it. No software to play around with and get in trouble.

I second that. Pay once for better protection.

PC-cillin. Works well, and if you buy it from a licensed reseller on ebay, it's about $20.00 or so.

Originally Posted by walter4h

Regarding MS Windows Live OneCare, Agnitum has a very harsh review about it.
(http://www.agnitum.com/news/onecare.php)
They claim it failed all but the simplest leak tests.
walter

I agree it's worthless,the only one that works is the Live online scanner.
I run all freeware on my systems and they work:
ZoneAlarm free,Avast free,Crap Cleaner and Ad-Aware.

Originally Posted by walter4h

Regarding MS Windows Live OneCare, Agnitum has a very harsh review about it.
(http://www.agnitum.com/news/onecare.php)
They claim it failed all but the simplest leak tests.
walter

The firewall IS very simple, but the fact of the matter is if you have broadband you should be behind a firewalls router also. Between the 2 you should be perfectly fine.

Originally Posted by pepegot1

Get a firewall router. You pay once and that's it. No software to play around with and get in trouble.

I'm running a DI-624 (D-Link) router with 128-Bit WEP enabled. Does that consitute a firewall router? Or are you referring to something else?

By the way, after checking around I went with the $29.95 for another year Zonealarm Pro updates. I just couldn't pull the trigger on something else.

Originally Posted by rkr1958

I'm running a DI-624 (D-Link) router with 128-Bit WEP enabled. Does that consitute a firewall router? Or are you referring to something else?

I would use WPA(if you have WinXP),turn off SSID and use MAC filtering.You can also adjust the firewall settings:
http://compnetworking.about.com/od/wirelesssecurity/tp/wifisecurity.htm

Code:

I'm running a DI-624 (D-Link) router with 128-Bit WEP enabled. Does that consitute a firewall router? Or are you referring to something else?

Most modern routers use NAT technology which makes your router a pretty good firewall, on top of that the windows xp sp 2 has a more than good firewall by default, if you installed sp-2. I don't think you need a extra firewall. Only if you use a laptop and connect to the internet wireless you would have to care for a software firewall, if you are using a router already.

If you are concern you can go to www.grc.com and test your connection for vulnerability using Shieldsup.

And please change you security encryption to WPA, you are not secure running WEP, which can be crack too easy!

I stopped using Zone Alarm over a year ago. I couldn't do anything on the internet withour ZA blocking my access with cable internet.
I've been using a router since then and have had no problems.

@MOVIEGEEK

I thought of this link that will explain everything for you about NAT and Firewall routers:

http://www.grc.com/sn/SN-003.htm

I use the older Sygate Personal Firewall. Sygate's been assimilated by Symantec, who has the competing "Norton Internet Security", so it's pretty clear that SPF is dead, but you can still find the free personal edition out there. It still works fine though. I tried Kerio before and it crashed my PC silly, and won't uninstall cleanly either.

This is in addition to the NAT firewall built into my router.

Some say you don't need two firewalls, I say you do, mainly to protect against app hijacking, and just to see if any of your apps are sending packets behind your back. My SPF warns me when 1) a certain program wants to access the Internet (just set it and tell it to remember, and it'll NEVER ask you again, changeable later), 2) when a certain program has been changed, like upgrade, or virus infected, and that program loaded, 3) a certain program launched by some OTHER program wants to access the Internet (possible hijacking). So, it's still here.

Originally Posted by VegasBud

You could take a look at the Comodo Firewall. It's free and in this review at PC Magazine, the reviewer seemed to like it. I haven't tried it personally because my xp computers aren't allowed on the internet, but that's the only reason I haven't tried it.
If someone feels like test piloting it, maybe they could post back what they think of it.

It works okay, but I think they are issuing non-working "free license" to bug you every week, to make you eventually buy it.

SingSing,

To help my sister (over the phone) with Comodo, I ended up installing it on one of my xp computers. The problem you're seeing is probably caused by not registering it. If you enter the activation code they included in the e-mail confirmation they sent you, it will register. They don't have a for-sale version of Comodo, only the freeware version, so it doesn't make sense for them to be trying to get you to buy a product they don't sell.

Originally Posted by Abbadon

I used to configure the firewall-routing using an application called "GuardDog".

I'd suggest smoothwall instead.

http://www.smoothwall.org/