Comparison Help Please

Hello,

I currently use Panda Anti Virus (7.04) it has a built in firewall as well. I am searching for new products on and off as I hear about them. I have recently come across the name F-Prot anti Virus
and Kerio Firewalls does anyone know if they are good products?
Or can anyone tell me should I stick with what I have? As well
should I be running my anti virus seperatly from my firewall?
As I am not to sure what is better a 2 in 1 product or seperate products?

Thanks for your time

FireDancer

 

I have found that Separate programs for separate jobs is usually better. When one proggy tries to do too many things, it does none of them well.

I use Norton 2003 for Anti-Virus. The Anti-Virus program only. Not the System package. That is another example of one program trying to do too much. Hubby uses FSecure for Anti-Virus.

The only thing I don't like About Norton Anti-Virus 2003 is it's stupid Protected Recycle Bin. You gotta be sure you get it to where is is completely deactivated on all partitions, otherwise it will grab every file you delete, & save it in a protected area forever, unless you set it to purge them after X# of days.

Hubby really likes FSecure. Naturally, they all have their little quirks as far as getting them set up.
***
We both use Sygate Firewall. There again, the only thing wrong with Sygate for me is, you have to go in and set it to not allow individual programs Server Rights, because it gives them Server Rights as the default setting. Checking each one individually would not be so bad, but the place to do it at is a bit hard to find. Sygate is strictly a Firewall. It is not bloated with other stuff that it has no business nosing into the way Zone Alarm has progressed into being.

I don't allow any programs to have server rights. When they have server rights, that allows them to listen on a port. I don't like that idea. It's a security risk, so I went in, & set that on each individual program. Not that much trouble, just a bit difficult to find.

We really like Sygate as a Firewall.

You will likely get a lot of suggestions on this question.

 

Thank You

Hello,

Thank you for the responce I will look into Sygate and see what it has to offer.

FireDancer

 

I was running free ZoneAlarm, but after the last update it starting giving me problems. So with the help of this board, using Kerio now. Pretty satisfied. Running Norton as anti-virus.

 

I will say that the F-Prot dos based AV scanner has let me help a friend or two, other than that I use the AVG free AV.

 

I like F-Prot. It gives the user control over what parts are installed, or not, and the installation doesn't try to take over the machine with all kinds of options and applications that you may not want or need. WYSIWYG.

The way I installed it, as an on-demand scanner only, it appears to take zero resources and updates occur without using insecure k-rap like ActiveX controls.

 

Hi, Dancer ~

You may well be opening a can of worms here

I will firmly support Deloris' assertion that separate programs for separate jobs is usually better.

I have used AVG antivirus for over two years on 5 personal machines with Win98, XP Home & XP Pro. It has outperformed Norton, PC-cillin, Panda & McAfee and not failed in detecting virii such as the Yaha I-worm and Klez.E & Klez.H where Norton 2002 has on all three.

As far as Firewalls go, ZoneAlarm pretty much holds the hands-down on reliability, use-of-ease, necessary features and support.