On my Windows XP box I have been using for years now NOD32 as anti-virus software and ZoneAlarm basic free Firewall as soft firewall. Now i find it pretty impossible to download the latest free firewall from ZoneAlarm (always ending with a “Server not responding” errror).
So, since my NOD32 license is near its end, i wonder if it is worthwhile to switch from Eset NOD32 to Eset Smart Security, as it incorporates a soft firewall as well, and dump ZoneAlarm. It costs a bit more though. Is it worth it?
I should add that i like NOD32 for its good detection rate and its small system memory demand and speed and reliability, so i would not like to swap to a different AV system.
i am afraid without any firewall (software or hardware) this box would be quickly taken over by some nasty webcreature, which i find even more intrusive than for instance training ZoneAlarm to allow or disallow program access to the net and “trusted zone”. TheWindows firewall is weak, as it allows any software on the system to access the internet, and blocks only intrusions from the outside.
I think the basic ZoneAalrm firewall has served me well, but i never went for their “pro” software, and now downloading has got virtually impossible. Some people advised to turn off the firewall and any anti-virus software and to disable any other updating software in order to download the new version from ZoneAlarm, which i frankly find unacceptable and too great a risk. You just need a net connection and no firewall in order to get invaded, no other activity is necessary.
Use a hub. Hardware firewall. You can get out, nasties can’t get in.
Eset IS NOD32 - “next generation” as they call it. It’s on my PC as I type. It’s fine. The firewall thing is irritating, though. Every time something tries to access its home base on the internet, ESET asks you if it’s okay. You set it to “allow always” where appropriate, so it doesn’t ask you again, but, boy, there are a LOT of programs that phone home.
If it was down to me I’d stick with just the hardware firewall and switch off the ESET firewall - but my wife uses this machine for her work, so it has to be this way.
So you think a hardware firewall is more convenient. But then it would not stop any service from “calling home”, or? This would be like Windows firewall. But once the system has caught some adware or spyware or even nastier stuff for instance i would not like this to call home or send anything out, nor do i like all kinds of updaters constantly trying to check for new updates. Some are really insistent to be outright annoying. Some even try to establish network connection when you got it turned off. So i think it is good to have some control of what service is accessing the net.
I take it you are using Eset’s “Smart Security”, which incorporates NOD32, a soft firewall, and some spyware protection, from what i read. Apart from the bother to train it what services are allowed net access (same as in ZoneAlarm’s firewall), are there other problematic things? How much running memory does it demand?