What is a firewall for windows 7. Other firewalls and firewalls for Windows

It's no secret that most users to protect their computer are limited to installing an antivirus, forgetting that in addition to threats of infecting a PC, there is a threat of using the victim's computer as a bot machine.

Therefore, for more complete protection of your computer, in addition to installing antivirus, we recommend installing a firewall, firewall or firewall - these are all names of the same software.

Ashampoo firewall

The first in our review will be the product of German developers - Ashampoo Firewall.

The product is activated by entering the code that comes to the user's mailbox after registering on the developer's website.

Immediately after installation, you will be prompted to configure the program according to the existing simplified "Easy Mode" or advanced mode "Expert Mode".

The principle of operation of the firewall is as follows: for each application, an allowing or denying rule must be created, which is processed by the firewall.

If an application that does not have a rule assigned to it tries to establish a connection, the firewall warns the user - offering to create a rule.

This statement is true when the firewall is in training mode.

If this mode is disabled, applications for which no rules are assigned will be automatically blocked.

Advantages:

Free;

Low consumption of system resources;

Friendly user interface;

Setting in semi-automatic mode is possible.

Disadvantages:

Not compatible with some antivirus software;

The firewall is installed without entering any passwords or registering, as is the case with the Ashampoo Firewall.

Rules for application access are created manually.

We recommend not to postpone this procedure until later, because after installing Ashampoo Firewall may remember some applications and programs as untested, as a result of which the latter may not work correctly or not work at all.

Advantages:

Free;

Simple and reliable.

Disadvantages:

Lack of updates;

Lack of a Russian-language interface;

Setting in manual mode.

Comodo Firewall

Unlike its predecessors, we have in front of us a rather powerful, multifunctional firewall, which is paired with an antivirus - Comodo Antivirus.

The firewall database is quite impressive and contains information on more than 13 thousand programs with security risks.

The set of functions is standard - protection against Trojans, malicious scripts, support for monitoring incoming / outgoing traffic, as well as for network activity of installed programs, DLL libraries, the ability to hide a computer on the network, control during software and driver updates.

Note! Additional functions are a detailed reporting of system events, integration into the Windows Security Center, the ability to run applications in a dedicated environment for their safe execution - a sandbox (Sandbox).

Despite a wide range of different settings, the firewall has not lost its friendly interface, each option has a corresponding description.

Advantages:

Free;

Possibility of batch installation of firewall and antivirus;

Simple Russian-language interface with tips.

Disadvantages:

Increased loading time of the operating system, loss of PC performance;

The program is not correctly removed from the system, leaving behind a lot of "garbage".

Outpost Firewall Pro

Software product from the Russian company Agnitum. To get acquainted with the capabilities of the firewall, the developer provides a free 30-day version.

The price of a licensed copy for home use for a year is 899 rubles, a license for 2 years will cost 1399 rubles.

A distinctive feature of the firewall is the ability to detect both known malicious programs and new ones that are still missing from the databases.

This function is possible thanks to a multi-layered approach, which implies the use of proactive blocking based on the analysis of program behavior and signature-based methods for detecting network activity.

In addition to the organized function of self-protection of the firewall against complete or partial disabling or modification by malicious code, the program also provides this protection for the operating system and installed programs and applications.

In general, the firewall is good enough, having spent some time on proper configuration in the future, you can forget about its existence, the program will provide a sufficiently high degree of protection for your PC.

Advantages:

Layered security approach with proactive protection;

The speed of the PC after installation remains the same;

The presence of a Russian-language interface with tips.

Disadvantages:

SpyShelter Firewall

The program is available for review within 14 days after installation, during which time the user must decide whether the program is worth his money.

The annual license of the program will cost 25 euros, although the company provides such an advantageous offer as buying a lifetime license for 55 euros for 1 PC.

There is also an offer for 5 PCs - the licensing price is 65 and 165 euros, respectively.

The cost of the license includes technical support for the product. The language for communication is English.

Note! In addition to the standard functions inherent in other firewalls, incl. the presence of proactive protection, it should be noted and more advanced features - protection from malware creating screenshots from the screen, webcam, sound recording from the built-in microphone. There is a function for encrypting keystrokes.

Advantages:

The presence of proactive protection;

Installing the program does not affect system performance;

Disadvantages:

The need to purchase a license;

English interface.

Windows 7 Firewall

Firewall for Windows 7: an overview of the best programs

What is the best firewall ( Firewall) for Windows - this question torments many Internet users, paid or free, software or hardware. This question can be answered immediately and almost unambiguously: the best firewall ( Firewall) this is a hardware but, very, very best firewall ( Firewall) this is the one that is adjusted with straight hands ...

As previously mentioned, the best firewall ( Firewall) is a hardware device, the prices for which sometimes reach 50-70 thousand cu. but, today's topic will be a brief analysis of software firewalls ( Firewall) for Windows in terms of reliability / performance ratio ...

Firewall (Firewall) an important element in your PC's security arsenal. Unfortunately, the standard firewall ( Firewall) for Windows does not provide the desired functionality and blocks or allows only incoming connections, and all outgoing connections are allowed by default, although the reliability of the built-in Windows firewall (Firewall) without doubt.

The most popular firewalls today ( Firewall) for personal PCs it is:

It is necessary to determine what is the decisive factor for you when choosing - usability or reliability / performance ?! Above given list of the most common firewalls (Firewall) for Windows, in the order of their preference by our citizens. We will not delve into the details of each product, but consider only the highlights of the first two ...

Agnitum Outpost Firewall Pro

Agnitum Outpost Firewall Pro development of domestic programmers and is the most preferred firewall ( Firewall) among ordinary ordinary domestic users who almost never look at " Task Manager". Agnitum Outpost Firewall Pro more convenient to use and provides more extensive information about the ongoing network events around your PC ..

Easy to use and provides good statistics about what is happening on the network, but usability does not mean reliability / performance! The convenience of use " Agnitum Outpost Firewall Pro"costs the user an overuse of system resources and in some places in the regular BSOD... So for example the combination NOD32 v4.0 + Outpost Firewall 2.x caused regular BSOD, Outpost Firewall older ones are more gluttonous of system resources, and especially when downloading large files through a fast network connection and from servers with good feedback!

The versions " Outpost Firewall"above the 6th in which the process" acs.exe"while downloading large files over a fast network connection and from servers with good impact it devours from 15 and before 50% system resources, and sometimes even higher! And here it does not matter setting the rules or disabling all additional features - it devours system resources ( CPU + Memory) in spite of everything and even in an idle state ( CPU 8-15%) !!! In version " Outpost Firewall 7.5"named" Performance Edition":)) "acs.exe"when idle, it behaves less aggressively, but the time it takes to download large files over a fast network connection and from servers with a good return eats everything from 15 and up to 50%

Version " Outpost Firewall 4"not so gluttonous, but, often crashes were observed when changing user accounts and not only! No offense to the company's programmers" Agnitum"but, they are still very far from such products as" Comodo Firewall Pro", "Comodo Internet Security" or " Checkpoint Firewall-1"! How not cool, but Western developers are making great strides in the field of software than domestic ...

Comodo Firewall Pro

After a long wandering in search of the best firewall ( Firewall) my choice finally settled on " Comodo Firewall Pro 3.14"which is different from" Outpost Firewall"remarkably suppresses attempts of incoming connections and does not wildly devour system resources - in an idle state it uses no more 0-2% CPU and 3-4 MB... In addition, when completely turned off or dropped " Comodo Firewall Pro 3.14"which is unlikely, there is no network access, which cannot be said about" Outpost Firewall".

The program is able to independently analyze each potential threat and, if necessary, issue an appropriate warning. Wherein " Comodo Firewall"recognizes over 10,000 different applications in various categories ( for example, “safe”, “spyware”, “adware”, etc.).

"Comodo Firewall"also has proactive protection, proactive protection includes HIPS ( Host Intrusion Prevention Systems) - a system for repelling local threats. The task of HIPS is to control the operation of applications and block potentially dangerous operations according to specified criteria.

Main characteristics " Comodo Firewall Pro":

- Full constant control and protection of your personal computer from Internet attacks, Trojans, hackers, malicious scripts and other unknown threats.
- Free updates - Comodo Firewall Pro will inform you about the availability of updates and, after your consent, will install them.
- Full control over the activity of programs on the Internet.
- Control over software updates.
- Tracking traffic in real time gives you the ability to instantly respond to potential threats.
- Simple, intuitive multilingual interface ( including Russian).
- Free for home and other network users.

"Comodo Firewall Pro"by default, it does not provide statistics on all blocked incoming connection attempts, but with the creation of certain rules and proper configuration, you can get these statistics. My choice is definitely in favor of" Comodo Firewall Pro 3.14"and I think that it will remain unchanged ... Why version 3.14, and not 4.x or 5.x? - Yes, because in version 3.x the most basic functions are concentrated without unnecessary" bells and whistles "and it is less demanding on resources rather than 4.x or 5.x? ...

According to the matousec.com website, Comodo's products continue to occupy the first positions among the test participants: http://www.matousec.com/projects/proactive-security-challenge/results.php

Truth in " Comodo Firewall Pro"there are no such useful features as blocking active elements and statistics are poor, but this drawback in favor of saving system resources can be compensated for by the" Firefox "browser and the" AdBlock "+" NoScript "plugins, and if necessary, we will collect statistics with other programs ...

wipfw

wipfw is analogous to the ipfw console firewall, but only for windows. Has more features than the standard firewall from Wndows XP. Can limit the number of connections from a specific IP address or range of IP addresses. It is possible to identify packets by the set flags SYN, FIN, etc.

The majority of users, when deciding the issue of computer security, limit themselves to installing a commercial or, at the same time, believing that this is quite enough for "one hundred percent" protection. However, this is not quite true.

The Internet is full of dangers and in most cases, it is through the network that malicious applications penetrate the computer, and then, nesting, they themselves begin to transfer personal data of an unsuspecting user to the network, or use the computer to spread spam or as a proxy server.

Therefore, it is so important that a good firewall or, as they say, a firewall is installed on each computer in addition to. In this short overview, we bring to your attention seven best free firewalls: Ashampoo Firewall Free, PC Tools Firewall Plus, Emsisoft Online Armor Free, ZoneAlarm Free Firewall, Filseclab Personal Firewall Professional Edition, Outpost Firewall Free and Comodo Firewall. It's up to you to choose.

Ashampoo Firewall Free

First on our list is Ashampoo Firewall Free. Like most programs developed by the company, this firewall has a convenient and colorful interface with support for the Russian language and a built-in wizard.

To use the program, you must go through a simple registration procedure on the manufacturer's website. In this case, a free code will be sent to the user's mailbox, which can be used to register the Ashampoo Firewall.

Immediately after installation, the wizard will offer by choosing one of two modes: "Simplified" and "Expert". In most cases, it is recommended to use expert mode.

The program has five main modules or sections. In the "Rules" section, you can configure connection parameters for programs using the Internet. The “Statistics” and “Journal” modules are purely informative. Here you can view data about all connections and events.

The "Configuration" module is intended for internal settings of the firewall itself. The Utilities section contains four additional tools, namely a process manager, a utility for clearing your browsing history, and a pop-up blocker.

Ashampoo Firewall Free works like this: when an application for which there are no established rules tries to establish a connection, the firewall notifies the user about this, offering to create a new rule for this program, that is, to allow or block its access to the network.

If you disable this function (learning mode), the dialog will not be shown, and all applications for which no rules have been set will be blocked automatically. You can also use the "Block all" option. In this case, the firewall will block all connections without exception.

PC Tools Firewall Plus

Next, we advise you to pay attention to the excellent firewall called PC Tools Firewall Plus. Simple, free, with support for the Russian language, this firewall is one of the most reliable and effective, according to numerous user reviews. PC Tools Firewall Plus protects the system from unauthorized data transmission by Trojans, keyloggers and other malicious programs, and also prevents them from penetrating your computer.

It also supports flexible management of network traffic, creating your own rules, protecting settings with a password, hiding the presence of a PC on the network. The program is easy to install, does not require registration and system reboot as in the case of Ashampoo Firewall.

Connection parameters are configured manually. It is advisable to do this immediately after installing the program, since by default PC Tools Firewall Plus marks some applications as unverified and therefore may partially block their work. The firewall user interface has six main sections.

The Applications module is intended for managing programs and creating rules for them. You can make a list of checked ports and IP addresses in the "Profiles" section, and if you want to analyze network traffic, you can switch to the "Operation" section. In the general settings, you can adjust the level of protection, configure filtering, full screen mode, and set a password to protect the PC Tools Firewall Plus itself.

Emsisoft Online Armor Free

Third on our list is a free firewall from Emsisoft GmbH called Online Armor Free. The program has a fairly impressive set of protection tools against all kinds of network threats, as well as blocking malware that uses the Internet. Online Armor Free includes four main protection modules: firewall, web filter, proactive protection and anti-keylogger.

The firewall and web filter provide reliable protection against information leakage from the user's computer, as well as prevent attempts of unauthorized access to the system by malicious scripts.

The proactive protection module allows you to control the behavior of programs and, if necessary, restrict their activities.

Online Armor Free automatically scans the system for potentially dangerous applications and marks them accordingly. The firewall uses updated online databases to determine the security level of applications installed on the system.

Online Armor Free has a fairly simple and user-friendly interface with Russian language support. The main menu is located on the left side of the working window, on the right side the program status, the date of the last database update, as well as the latest news from the developer's website are displayed. Online Armor Free supports creating rules for programs, controlling ports and devices, creating lists of ignored domains, controlling the autorun of suspicious applications, and controlling the authority to modify the HOSTS file.

Also, the firewall features include protection against spam, keyloggers, blocking cookies, site classification and protection against forced change of the address of the home page of Internet Explorer, Opera and Firefox browsers. Additional features of the application include support for virtual desktops, subnet scanning, as well as disabling HIPS and setting a password on the GUI.

ZoneAlarm Free Firewall

If the lack of the Russian language does not bother you, you can pay attention to the ZoneAlarm Free Firewall - a very peculiar firewall in terms of design, designed to protect PCs when working in global and local networks.

The application has a lightweight interface with a minimum of settings. Supports control of user programs (access list), tracking Internet traffic, checking email attachments, detailed logging, blocking pop-up windows and advertising banners.

In addition, the program implements the function of controlling cookies, so that you can restrict the transfer of confidential information to the viewed websites. The user can set the level of protection independently. You can download the ZoneAlarm web installer for free from the developer's website.

During the installation of the package, in addition to the firewall, a number of additional protection tools are also installed - Web Identity Protections (web lock), Identity Protections (personal identification) and Online Backup (backup). After installing the firewall, a computer restart is required.

Filseclab Personal Firewall Professional Edition

Filseclab Personal Firewall Professional Edition is another free, convenient and very simple firewall. The program supports creating individual rules for programs using a step-by-step wizard, filtering network access, viewing connections in real time, maintaining logs, and monitoring traffic. Filseclab Personal Firewall reacts to attempts by “dubious” or new applications to open a connection with a pop-up window prompting you to create an appropriate rule.

The program uses three main security levels, each of which is marked with a corresponding color: green, yellow and red. In addition, for each level, it is possible to create personal rules. Filseclab Personal Firewall has a fairly simple interface divided into seven sections.

The "Status" section displays the traffic volume and the number of transmitted packets; “Monitor” displays the listening ports and application connections.

In the Rules section, you can set rules for a specific application or domain.

The rest of the sections are for informational purposes only. There is no Russian language in Filseclab Personal.

Outpost Firewall Free

The next firewall, Outpost Firewall Free, is perhaps one of the simplest and most undemanding firewalls to the system. In this respect, it is akin to the standard Windows firewall, which, as a rule, is constantly present in the system, does nothing :).

Outpost Firewall is a fairly easy-to-use program designed to protect against external intrusions, as well as unauthorized data transfer by applications installed on the user's computer. Unlike other firewalls, Outpost Firewall Free requires almost no preliminary configuration.

The application supports monitoring of all incoming and outgoing connections, tracking software activity in real time, expandability using plug-ins. In the event of a threat or network activity of “dubious” programs, Outpost Firewall will notify the user about this by suggesting to allow or block the application that has declared itself.

Outpost Firewall Free has a very simple user interface that is not burdened with unnecessary features. Unfortunately, there is no Russian language.

However, this is not so important - the program is simple enough that even a novice user can figure it out. A few settings allow, if necessary, adjust the level of protection (up to complete blocking of connections), as well as create exclusion rules for various programs and services.

Comodo Firewall

And finally, we suggest you briefly familiarize yourself with another free firewall Comodo Firewall. This powerful, feature-rich program with an impressive set of tools comes bundled with Comodo Antivirus, Comodo Defense and the Dragon web browser, but can also be installed separately.

The firewall provides complete protection against hacker attacks, Trojans, malicious scripts, keyloggers and other types of Internet threats. The application supports monitoring of incoming and outgoing traffic, working with ports, hiding a computer on the network, controlling software and driver updates

Additional functions of the firewall include maintaining a detailed log of events, integration into Windows Security Center, fast switching between modes (from the system tray), protecting the system at startup, detecting unidentified files, viewing active processes and launching applications in a special sandbox (Sandbox).

With such a solid set of tools, Comodo Firewall has a simple Russian-language interface aimed at the inexperienced user in network settings. All the tools and functions of the application are distributed among four modules, with a corresponding description for each option.

Plus, the program is equipped with a system of interactive dialogs (pop-up windows), written in an extremely simple and understandable language for a novice user.

Outcome

Choosing a good firewall can seem like a daunting task. And to make this work easier, let me give you some free tips. First, when choosing a firewall, pay attention to the opinion of experienced users and software testers. As a rule, a really good firewall leaves a lot of positive feedback.

Secondly, a good firewall should not enter into unreasonable conflicts with system drivers, popular applications and antiviruses, as well as be able to work with the Windows Security Center.

Updatable databases are also highly desirable. In addition, a good firewall cannot be disabled so easily from the Task Manager (this can be done with Filseclab Personal Firewall).

Thirdly, the firewall should not slow down the system in any way. For example, in this regard, the ZoneAlarm firewall is seriously inferior, since it is quite demanding on system resources and can slow down a weak machine.

Also, before the final choice, it is advisable to test the firewall using a special program 2ip Firewall Tester. Everything else, such as the presence of the Russian language, user-friendliness of the interface, external design, is of secondary importance.

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Description Reviews (0) Screenshots

Modern anti-virus programs, such as Kaspersky Anti-Virus, include a built-in firewall. But you can download a firewall for Windows 7 and separately from any antivirus solution. Moreover, the OS has built-in protection functions for your PC, but you shouldn't rely only on their reliability.

Why do you need a firewall

As we have already noted, a firewall is an integral link in the security chain not only for Windows 7 devices, but in general for all devices that have access to the Internet. In this network, viruses and other threats await us, which are difficult to fight alone. You can learn more about the need for a firewall on a PC from the following video:

A firewall prevents your computer from infecting even before malware gets to your hard drive. Antivirus programs can recognize a virus when it is already on disk and a firewall can block it from loading. Thanks to a powerful firewall, you can:

Secure your use of the Internet;
Configure automatic blocking of file downloads;
Protect your PC from viruses and spyware;

Among all firewalls for Windows 7, we can highlight. This firewall compares favorably with all competitors in that it is free and very powerful. But its power does not prevent the program from working so imperceptibly that after installation you can completely forget about the presence of a firewall on your device. At the same time, Comodo Firewall has rich fine-tuning capabilities. The program was recognized as the best firewall for Windows 7, and that is why, on this page, you can download the Comodo Firewall, and not some other.

Firewall (firewall), or as it is also called firewall, firewall and firewall, monitor and control system connections between your computer, the network and the Internet in order to timely detect and prevent attacks and intrusions. Programs of this class are especially useful in cases where it is necessary to monitor the Internet activity of installed applications.

No other free product is more boring for the user than a firewall. And the reason is simple, the process of finding the right firewall is necessarily a trial and error process. A good firewall should protect the system without being overly intrusive or difficult to manage and configure. This roundup will provide you with the best free firewalls (according to this site) available today. Like all reviews, recommendations and advice are made based on the experiences of different people. Therefore, if you have ideas or interesting opinions, then they are always welcome.

Note: The reader should understand that powerful firewalls with flexible rules configuration always require knowledge of the network design. However, even in their case, there should be a more or less clear way of administration.

There are two types of firewalls - programs and hardware devices. Firewalls, presented in the form of programs (which will be discussed in this article), are installed on your computer and run in the background in order to closely monitor the actions of the system in real time. As with many security features, it is recommended that you install only one firewall to avoid potential conflicts, even including manually deleting files from your boot drives. Hardware firewalls are usually a special device with wired logic and filter-optimized modules (for example, special processors whose instruction set includes operations with IP addresses). You can use software and hardware firewalls together. For example, modern routers, as a rule, include a built-in firewall and, depending on the type of router, it can not only enter the firmware (as device programs are called), but also partially be implemented at the level of microcircuits.

Having a basic firewall has long been critical to ensuring the security of your computer, which is why many antiviruses are gradually including some of the functions of firewalls. Simple firewalls, like the default Windows Firewall, allow you to restrict access to your system and personal information, silently protecting you from incoming threats. As part of the review, we will consider several basic firewalls that allow you to protect Windows somewhat better than a standard security tool can do, for example, monitor programs' attempts to open outgoing connections to the Internet (this action refers to outgoing threats).

Note: The reader should understand that the standard Windows firewall provides quite limited options to protect against outgoing threats. Third party apps usually offer a wider range of options.

Proactive firewalls offer more advanced protection, including intrusion detection and prevention systems based on the collection of statistics on the behavior of programs and heuristic analysis, which allows them to protect the computer from a wider range of threats. These firewalls strive to create strong two-way protection, preventing not only incoming threats, but also preventing programs from transmitting your personal information to the Internet. The disadvantage of these firewalls is that they are more difficult to use and require more.

It is important to understand that today, having a firewall and antivirus (either separately or as a single solution) is considered the minimum necessary baseline approach to keep your computer secure.

Note A lot of useful security information can be found on various parts of the site, such as an overview of intrusion detection and prevention programs for home use.

Tips and Precautions:

Before installing security products, including antiviruses and firewalls, you should consider creating a complete disk image. By creating such an image, you can restore your system back to a previous state in cases when critical errors appeared in the system after installing and configuring protection tools, for example, due to incorrect installation of components or you changed critical system settings. In addition, images allow you to cope with complex viruses or just random conflicts in the system. So, for example, some system drivers may simply be incompatible with each other, which will cause your system to suffer. Starting with Windows Vista Ultimate, the system includes a standard backup and restore tool, but you can also use free software to create a disk image.
It is advised to use uninstallers to verify complete removal of third-party firewalls and other protections, since after uninstallation services, registry entries and other system objects may remain.

Basic firewalls and firewalls

Preface or a word about the built-in windows firewall

Windows built-in firewall is the more frequent choice of users because it helps protect the computer from incoming threats and does not bombard the user with pop-up messages. Also, the Windows firewall does not require installation (we are talking about versions of Windows where the firewall is included by default) and practically does not conflict with other programs. In addition, many average users are unable to properly respond to pop-up notifications due to a lack of basic knowledge of the network device.

So if you need to scan the system for viruses and you do not want (do not need) the additional capabilities of third-party firewalls, in other words, the risk level is very low, then the Windows firewall may be exactly the solution that you need, in view of its simplicity and undemandingness.

Alternatively, you can download a third-party firewall and replace the standard Windows firewall with the base firewall for easier outbound control and additional functionality. Most two-sided firewalls are limited to simple questions like allow or deny Internet access for unknown programs. And also, many firewalls automatically configure access to a pre-configured list of programs (this list often includes most of the popular applications) and save your solutions in their database. So, after a while, you will hardly see any alerts.

And as an option, you can also use proactive firewalls, having previously disabled heuristics and analysis in them. In addition, this option may turn out to be even more suitable, since proactive firewalls, due to their complexity, simply contain a larger list of preliminary templates for rules and access settings.

It is a well-designed firewall for controlling the outbound and inbound connections of the operating system, which is suitable for users of all levels. ZoneAlarm protects the system from intrusions, as well as controls the access of programs to the Internet. The firewall has an easy-to-understand interface. You can customize security settings to suit your needs, including shared (public) files and printers, setting up networks, and more. You can even turn off the firewall if necessary (by the way, the standard Windows firewall is desperately lacking quick access to this feature). All customization is done using simple controls (sliders and others), so in most cases it will take you a few clicks. To make it easier for users to get used to the program, at the first start, ZoneAlarm offers to scan the installed programs and set permissions / denials for them. Please note that this first scan does not always allow you to set access correctly.

The first time after installation, you will have to monitor and adjust ZoneAlarm actions to make sure that all programs have sufficient Internet access. But, pop-ups are very simple and are presented in an "allow / deny" format with a checkbox to remember the selected action. Even novice users can easily figure it out (the message will also indicate the name of the programs).

You can set the program control level suitable for you. The low level assumes a learning mode (the firewall remembers all programs that use the network), disabling protection and a minimum number of pop-up windows. The middle tier assumes that any access to a trusted network or internet will be with permission. The high level is not available in the free ZoneAlarm version. You can set any of the levels at any time. Using the "Smart Defense Advisor" module, the firewall will suggest the most commonly accepted option for programs without rules by users around the world. You may or may not use this module (although it will be very useful for beginners).

Setting up Internet zones includes a trusted zone, which implies a local network with shared files, printers, and other things, and an Internet zone for access from the network. For each zone, a simple control format is provided with 3 options "no security" (firewall disabled), "medium" (sharing / sharing resources such as files and printers) and "high" (allows you to use the network, but blocks access to someone on the network to your system). The middle level is recommended for home networks with more than one operating system, and for cases where it is required due to devices (routers, routers). The high level is recommended for single machines with Internet access (for example, there is one computer at home and there is no internal network), as well as for public places where you are going to go online (WiFi in restaurants, etc.).

Overall, ZoneAlarm Free offers basic two-way protection with stealth mode and anti-phishing protection. However, the firewall lacks heuristic and behavioral modules, as well as the ability to allow / block access between programs.

It is worth noting that from version to version, the firewall "lightens" a little in terms of functionality. Perhaps this is only a temporary dynamic, but still.

Would be a good choice for those looking to use the built-in Windows Firewall. Despite its name, the program is compatible with Windows XP and higher. In a few words, Windows 10 Firewall Control allows you to configure blocking and access of applications to the Internet in a standard Windows firewall in a more convenient and simple way. Also, this firewall adds a better way to control outgoing connections. It is based on the Windows Filtering Platform, on which the standard firewall is also built. Therefore, unlike most other firewalls, the application does not install any drivers on the system. The user interface is very simple and straightforward. It displays only what the program can do, i.e. block with settings "allow / deny" access and nothing else.

There are three modes in total - "normal", "allow all" and "disable all". The latter mode completely disables access to applications, regardless of the firewall settings. The "allow all" mode speaks for itself, that is, unhindered access to the Internet for all applications (similar to how if you turn off the firewall). If you do not need to test something, then the normal mode is recommended - Internet access for programs will be provided depending on individual settings.

In normal mode, when the program tries to access the Internet for the first time (after installing W10), a pop-up window will appear with information about the application, publisher, and more. You can grant or deny access both one-time and permanently. If you choose the first option, then the next time you start the program, the window will appear again.

In addition to the pop-up windows for choosing actions Windows 10 Firewall Control, small windows also appear in the lower right corner of the screen with information about access (blocked / allowed access, and so on). These notifications can be turned off in the settings.

That's basically all this firewall can do. The disadvantages include the moment that you have to configure access for all your applications, from the browser to the antivirus, which can be somewhat annoying with its routine. However, Windows 10 Firewall Control allows much easier and more convenient control over the built-in Windows firewall than the operating system offers.

It is a lightweight firewall based on the standard Windows firewall. It has no pop-ups at all, so this firewall might be ideal for those looking for a "set and go" solution. The installer of this program weighs only about 1 MB. Installation is simple, but unfortunately does not include a choice of installation location. After installation, the firewall runs in the background with an icon in the system tray. All program functions are available only from the system tray - there is no "main window" interface in it. In the pop-up menu, the user can select the necessary items, in particular, the firewall mode, general network activity, add / exclude applications / processes and call a dialog with the firewall settings.

The dialog box with firewall settings is also quite modest. General settings, with the ability to set a password to protect the settings. The section that specifies the applications that are allowed to connect to the network. There is also a "Detect" function that will try to detect known applications so that the user does not have to add programs manually. In addition, TinyWall is able to recognize the related processes of a single application. For example, if you have a program that launches several processes, then by adding the program to the whitelist, all open related processes will also have access to the Internet.

It should be noted that when adding a program to the list of exclusions, the application is not limited to UDP and TCP traffic. Depending on the nature of the program, it may be more prudent to limit it to, for example, only "outgoing" traffic.

The Custom Exceptions tab allows the user to set additional parameters. In particular, choose to allow or block access for system services. If you are not very good at computers, then it is recommended to leave the settings "as is". On the maintenance tab, you can import / export settings, check for versions, and also go to the developer's page.

Overall, TinyWall is a lightweight firewall that would be a good choice for anyone looking for an unobtrusive and easy-to-manage firewall.

Firewalls and firewalls with intrusion detection and prevention systems

Preface or a word about intrusion detection and prevention firewalls

The following firewalls and firewalls provide better network protection and also support a variety of intrusion detection and prevention systems. Each firewall comes with default settings, so very few adjustments may be required depending on the user's needs.

The firewalls in this section require more knowledge and time from the user to configure and familiarize themselves than basic firewalls, but they provide a higher level of protection.

When choosing a suitable firewall, you should not rely on publicly available independent tests and other statements, since in the framework of testing the effectiveness is checked at maximum settings, while most users have a simpler level of protection (after all, you want to use the Internet, and not sit in trench with access to one site). Therefore, most developers of firewalls strive to provide maximum "friendliness" of functionality, sometimes with lowering the level of security settings (disabling monitoring of some indicators).

Consider these circumstances.

This is a solid firewall for those users looking for a fully featured security suite. This product is primarily intended for advanced and tech-savvy users. Its intrusion detection system is called "Defense +" and matches or even exceeds the capabilities of paid products. Komodo firewall provides a lot of control and settings that will especially appeal to curious and restless users, whose task is to ensure the maximum level of security.

Comodo includes buffer overflow protection and a lightweight sandbox that allows you to check unknown applications and program installations for how they will affect your computer's operating system. Sandboxing limits the negative effects of malware. Komodo contains a long list of known trusted applications, but if an unknown application tries to access through the firewall, Comodo will first restrict the program's actions and ask you what to do with it. In addition, all the functionality to control ports, protocols and configurations will be at your disposal.

During installation, you will have three options for installing the firewall - "firewall only", "firewall with optimal proactive protection set" and "maximum active protection" (ie "Defense +", as mentioned earlier). Once installed, Comodo automatically chooses "Safe Mode", which will cause numerous toast notifications for applications that are not on the list of trusted programs. If you select Allow / Deny and choose to remember the answer, Comodo will create and save a custom rule for the application, which you can always edit from the general list.

If you choose Clean PC Mode, Defense + will automatically mark all applications on your disk as safe. Please note that if there is a virus among the programs, then it will also be considered safe, so use this function carefully and only in those cases when you are really sure about the safety of the programs. Nevertheless, these applications will still be monitored albeit at a minimal level - checking Comodo protected objects (registry and COM interface), monitoring established rules, and so on. All added files will be automatically added to the list for review, marked as potentially unsafe, and running them will result in pop-up messages as if you were using Safe Mode until you set the rules.

Comodo reduces the frequency of alerts by automatically detecting programs as safe based on Internet access rules. However, you can further reduce the number of Defense + alerts by one or more methods:

Immediately imply your answer as "remember the answer" for all warnings. In other words, when any application is launched for the first time, the answer will immediately be understood as a permanent solution. However, you must use this setting carefully, since periodically applications need to temporarily grant or deny access.
Add programs to the lists of safe or trusted files
Use clean computer mode. It is recommended to first make sure that the programs on your disk do not contain viruses and trojans.

Overall, Comodo Firewall is a powerful firewall with tons of flexible settings that is perfect for providing a high level of protection. However, it is intended for those users who have some knowledge of the Windows device and the network. Novice users are strongly advised not to use this firewall.

The former commercial firewall is now free with no restrictions. This proactive, layered security solution, along with standard firewall protection, includes behavioral blocking technology that monitors and inspects viruses, spyware, malware, process and application security, registry and more. Private Firewall can certainly be called a multifunctional firewall with an intrusion detection and prevention system.

The user interface of the program can seem a little confusing and cumbersome. There are many configurable options, so sometimes you might feel a lack of sorting. Of course, each section contains a fairly voluminous help with explanations, but still. The learning mode allows you to allow all actions of programs within 180 seconds, which is ideal for quickly setting up rules for newly installed programs (you do not need to create dozens of rules for each port, protocol and address). However, be prepared that the first launch of the firewall may block a number of seemingly known programs.

You can set different security levels (high, low and custom) for the internal network and the Internet. In other words, for example, if you have a couple of computers or a printer on your home network, then there is no point in limiting them in the same way. You will also have three profiles at your disposal - home (Home), office (Office) and remote (Remote). You can set the appropriate settings for each one and switch easily as needed, especially useful for laptops. Another useful feature is that you can block outgoing mail with one click, which is convenient when you have launched an email client and do not want the application to accidentally or on a schedule send emails.

Overall, Private Firewall is a fairly effective firewall that scores fairly well on the Internet. However, the graphical interface and usability will be more appreciated by tech-savvy users. The beginner will simply be confused.

A firewall would be a good choice for users who want flexible security settings without sacrificing ease of use. Its interface is carefully organized and retains its functionality (common users can easily handle it). For example, alerts are simplified, but just as functional, so you can easily and quickly set up rules or apply actions. In addition, the firewall remembers all responses in pop-up messages without the need to create additional rules, notifies you of all configured rules in learning mode, and notifies you of all automatically applied rules, for example, for browsers when version changes.

The free version lacks many of the additional features of the paid version, such as the ability to turn off an active connection. Nevertheless, the possibilities are quite enough. You can choose from 5 levels of protection, ranging from completely blocking connections to allowing all actions, including the average manual "Rules Wizard" learning mode. In addition, Outpost's firewall monitors various dangerous application activities, including memory injection, loading drivers, accessing critical system objects (registry, files). Outpost also includes a lot of pre-configured rule templates, so setting up Internet access for applications will usually only take a couple of mouse clicks.

The installer will ask you if you want the firewall to train for a week (using auto-learn mode and "Rules Wizard" manual learning). In this mode, the firewall will automatically set rules for known secure applications.

Overall, Outpost Firewall Free is a good choice for those looking for a balance of functionality and interface.

The firewall differs from its counterparts in that it comes with additional protection modules, namely the registry, pop-up blocker and parental control - something like a batch solution. Firemaer is less customizable than the previous firewalls listed in the overview, but many of the standard sections are still available. Three levels of protection - off (turning off the firewall), user (allows you to configure rules for connections) and high (blocking all connections). Each section in the program's interface is quite clean. Alerts tend to provide clear and concise information.

Registry protection module provides control and security of the registry for modifications, with the ability to customize specific keys. The parental control module, as the name suggests, restricts the available list of sites, but you need to manually add each site. Module problem in logic. You can specifically allow specific websites, you cannot only block specific websites. Pop-up blocker monitors browser behavior and blocks pop-up ads and more. All three of these add-on modules can be disabled individually. AVS Firewall also comes with a monitoring utility, so you can check the size of the passing network traffic for each application.

During the installation of this firewall, the installer automatically installs the AVS Software browser. Unfortunately, there is no way to refuse, but after installation, you can uninstall it separately without any consequences for the firewall.

In general, AVS Firewall is a pretty good firewall, which will appeal to those who need to provide more security than in the case of basic firewalls, and who do not want to delve too deeply into the specifics of the network device.

Note: AVS Firewall is no longer supported by the manufacturer.

Other firewalls and firewalls for Windows

While you rarely see older operating systems like 98 or Me, they shouldn't be left unprotected either, especially if they aren't hidden behind other systems with firewalls. Therefore, if for some reason you use them, then here is a small list of firewalls and firewalls for Windows 95-2000. Please note that these firewalls are no longer supported by manufacturers and may contain bugs or lead to problems that, most likely, no one else will consider. However, having an opportunity is better than not.

Sygate Personal Firewall (Windows 2000 / XP / 2003) [no longer supported]
NetVeda Safety.Net (Windows 95/98 / Me / NT / 2000 / XP, requires registration) [no longer supported]
Filseclab Personal Firewall (Windows 95/98 / Me / NT / 2000/2003 / XP 32-bit) [no longer supported]