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Best Free Firewall
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Introduction
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Firewalls help monitor your system's communication between your network and the Internet to help stop intrusions and attacks. They are particularly useful for controlling the activities of Internet facing applications. No other freeware product has more of a reputation for causing user angst than a firewall. To find a suitable product may involve a process of trial and error. A firewall should protect while not being too intrusive or too complicated to handle. In this article we give you a selection of what we think is the best free firewall software available today. Our recommendations are made taking into consideration both editors' and site visitors' opinions. Firewalls come in two flavours; software based and hardware based. To avoid potential conflicts only install one (third-party) software firewall. You can improve protection, however, by using a hardware "firewall" (such as a router) and a software firewall in conjunction. Modern routers usually have a built-in firewall; consult your router documentation for more details. Basic firewall protection is critical for securing your PC. Simple firewalls (like the default Windows firewall) limit access to your system and personal information, and silently protect you from inbound threats. We review basic third-party firewalls that have marginally better security than the Windows firewall, such as simpler features for monitoring programs that request outgoing Internet connections (we call this "outbound protection"). The default Windows firewall has only limited outbound protection. Proactive firewalls have the most extended protection, including HIPS or program monitoring (HIPS Explained), and watch for malicious behavior before malware gets a chance to take control of your PC or turn it into a botnet drone. They seek to achieve stronger "2-way" protection, preventing programs from broadcasting your personal information to the Internet. Some kinds of malware are best detected by their behavior, so a proactive firewall (or firewall/HIPS combo) is a solid second layer of protection next to your antivirus program. It's an excellent option for high risk users (check out our Security Wizard to see if this includes you). However, it's plausible to argue that a good resident antivirus will stop some malicious threats before they get a chance to make it to the Internet anyway. Many of the top antivirus programs are starting to provide behavioral blocking and extended scanning of network activity. It's important to use basic or proactive firewall protection, antivirus software for active protection, and safe practices from our "most important advice of all" (Security Wizard) in order to minimize the risk of malware on your PC. You can "upgrade" (for free!) your security by reading the documentation and learning about proactive firewalls or HIPS programs, or using other protection like least-privileged user accounts and/or Sandboxie or GeSWall. Review IndexAdditional Tips
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DiscussionThe built-in Windows firewall is a common choice since it passes all inbound tests (both stealth and open port) and doesn't have many popup alerts. It doesn't require installation, so it's not likely to conflict with your other programs. And many average users may not reliably handle the popup alerts of the best firewalls on the market (especially at their max settings). If you scan clean for malware and you don't want/need the additional features of a third-party firewall, then the Windows firewall is a practical and useful solution. Alternatively, you can replace the Windows firewall with a basic third-party firewall for easier control of outbound protection and additional features. Most simple two-way firewalls ask you to allow or deny Internet access for unknown programs. Many automatically allow trustworthy apps and remember your decisions to become silent over time. First, you can convert a proactive firewall into a basic two-way firewall, making some of the best free firewalls behave with similar silence and protection as ZoneAlarm. Select the following one-click configurations to set them (see the proactive section for more on them):
Second, additional third-party firewalls behave similar to the basic configurations of proactive firewalls above. ZoneAlarm, for example, has made a comeback with fewer popups and lighter resource use.
Basic Firewall Reviews
Users will have to interact with this firewall for a time after installation to make sure programs needing LAN or internet access are granted proper permissions. Popups are very simple in format offering Deny, Accept, and a checkbox a user can check to make ZoneAlarm remember the decision. Novice users should be able to easily identify the name of the program asking for web access so they can make the appropriate decision. The Program Control will allow users to set ZoneAlarm for Low, which is a learning mode and no OS firewall protection and limited popups. Or users can choose Medium, which will make programs ask for permission to access the trusted and internet zones. The high setting is not offered in the Free version of ZoneAlarm. The Smart Defense Advisor will help reduce popups by offering settings for programs asking for access, based on the decisions made by other users worldwide. Users can choose whether or not to participate in ZoneAlarm's community defense program. Users can set programs access manually at anytime by going to ZoneAlarm's Program Control and selecting Programs. Internet Zone controls are divided into the Trusted Zone, used for the local network to share files, printers, etc., and the Internet Zone for communication to/from the web. A simple 3-position format allows users to choose from "No protection" (firewall is off), Medium (Allows file/printer sharing), and High (will allow users to connect to a network but will not allow anyone else to connect to your system). The medium setting is recommended for home networks with more than one system, and for users whose modem requires this setting. The high setting is most recommended for single-system web access (only one computer at home and modem does not require a home network setting), and for public areas such as cafes, restaurants, and hotels (etc.) with wifi. ZoneAlarm Free offers basic two-way defense, stealth mode, and anti-phishing protection. However, it lacks HIPS or program-to-program protection. It is worth noting that there have been many negative comments about the latest version of the software, at least from the visitors on our site. Most notably, many features have been removed, and may be regarded as a step down from previous versions. Perhaps something you may want to take into account when choosing a firewall product.
There are three modes a user can choose from; Normal, DisableAll, or EnableAll. DisableAll disables all applications regardless of program settings, while EnableAll allows all application access (essentially equivalent to switching off the firewall completely). Unless needing to test something specifically, the Normal Mode is the recommended one - applications/programs are allowed or denied access depending on the rules set. Under the Normal Mode, when a program tries to access the internet for the first time (upon installation of W7 Firewall Control) a window pop-ups with information on what the application is, the publisher, etc (assuming default program settings). You can then allow or disallow access, either permanently or as a one-time basis. Selecting the former option will add the settings permanently to the Programs list, while with the latter option you will have to deal with the pop-up window again on the next launch. In addition to the window pop-up for new programs, activities that take place (ie. blocked/allowed traffic, etc) are logged and shows up in the bottom right corner of your screen. Both the pop-up window and log activity notification dialogue can be turned on or off at the user's discretion. That's basically all there is to it. It may get a bit annoying when you first starting using it, since you will have to define the initial rules for all your applications (ie. allow or disallow them); this includes everything from Internet Explorer to your antivirus program. Nevertheless, Windows7FirewallControl allows much greater and easier control over the built-in firewall than what the operating system offers.
The Firewall Settings dialog is where the user can manage General settings, such as password protecting the application. An application exceptions section also allows the user to specify applications that are allowed to communicate with the network. There is also a 'Detect' feature where the program will try to detect known applications, or the user can elect to manually add applications. Furthermore, TinyWall is able to recognize associated processes with the same application. For example, if you have a program that has more than one process, adding the first process will result in the program also offering to whitelist the second related process as well. Needless to say this is very useful for those applications that have more than one process. It should be noted that when adding an exception to the list, the default settings are 'Unrestricted UDP and TCP traffic'. Depending on the nature of the program it may be necessary to restrict it to 'Outgoing only' to offer maximum security. The special exceptions tab allows the user to specify more advanced settings; specifically, allowing the user to select which system services to allow/block. It is recommended to leave it as is unless there's something you really want to change. The maintenance tab rounds out the Settings dialog, allowing the user to import/export settings, check for updates manually, and a link to visit the vendor's webpage. A small, lightweight firewall, TinyWall is a solid choice for those looking for a reliable, low-resource firewall program that does not interfere with the user's computer usage. |
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DiscussionThe following personal firewalls provide excellent network and HIPS protection. Each firewall comes with default settings and shouldn't require much adjustment except for the needs of advanced users. Firewall products in this section require more time to learn than basic firewalls, in order to get the most out of them. Since firewalls are often praised for their security effectiveness at their max settings, users will likely have lower protection than mentioned by independent testing sources like Matousec. All of the product vendors seek to provide user friendly features, sometimes incorporating reduced levels of protection in their default settings (by decreasing some HIPS monitoring).
Proactive Firewall Reviews
Comodo Firewall is the best choice for users seeking a full featured security suite. This latest release is suitable for both lightly-skilled users (still must have knowledge of installed programs) and technically advanced users. Its robust and active HIPS (or application monitoring feature), called "Defense+", matches or exceeds the security performance of pay products. Comodo allows for much control and customization for the curious or the paranoid. Comodo includes a "memory firewall" (against buffer overflow attacks) and a light sandbox component to limit the way unknown applications and new software installations affect your computer. The use of sandbox protection limits the negative effects of malware. It maintains a lengthy list of known safe applications, but if an unknown application attempts entry through the firewall, Comodo will deny the application and ask the user what to do. The new release contains user friendly features by default while allowing experienced users to maintain control over ports, protocols, and configurations. During installation the user has three firewall installation options to choose from: Firewall Only, and Firewall with Optimum or Maximum Proactive Defense (ie. the Defense+ feature as mentioned earlier). After installation Comodo automatically selects "Safe Mode", which generates numerous popup alerts for applications not in its trusted vendors list (you can browse this list to see if you trust the vendors: go to the Defense+ tab > "Common Tasks" > "View My Trusted Software Vendors"). When you answer "allow" and "remember your answer" to popup alerts for an application, Comodo creates a custom policy for it. Some of its policies are fairly liberal. In the more liberal "Clean PC Mode", Defense+ automatically treats all applications on your drive as safe (but if any malware is currently hidden on your drive, it too would be considered safe). Applications still receive some minimal monitoring for Comodo's two protected lists ("my protected registry keys" and "my protected COM interfaces") and for running as an executable, or more/less monitoring depending on their custom policy. And new files get sent to a list of files "waiting for your review" in the "Summary" page. Files listed for review will be considered possibly unsafe and will provoke popup messages, as if in Safe Mode, until their custom policies are made. Comodo limits the frequency of alerts by automatically treating some programs as safe and allowing some applications to access the Internet. You can additionally automate the behavior of Defense+ by one or more of these methods for treating applications as safe:
The following guides may also contain useful information about Comodo's settings: How to Install Comodo, How to Tame Comodo Defense+ Without Disabling It, and MC's Mini Tutorial.
Run the wizard and have it search your PC for known programs to allow/block/ask. In this case, Online Armor relies on you to respond to alerts for unknown programs. For the curious or paranoid user, it uses excellent popup messages when it automatically allows a program to connect online and, optionally, when it automatically trusts a program/process to run (these alerts don't require user action and they can be enabled/disabled in the interface with "Options" > "Firewall", and "Programs" > "Options"). For example, I noticed a message when it auto trusted a key logger test, but after I set the tester to untrusted, it gave very informative and detailed security alerts (and then it passed the test and logged the tester in the interface under the "Key Logger" tab, but it only logged the key logger after the test was untrusted). You can even close both its tray tools from its right-click context menu. They are not needed for the firewall and HIPS components to continue running and protecting.
The free version lacks many extras of the pay version, however, such as automatic updates and the ability to break active connections. The HIPS component is called "Host Protection" in the interface. It provides four default levels of protection, which can be easily set with a slider and additionally customized item by item by advanced users. The default "optimal" setting only monitors the "most dangerous activities" (such as memory injections, driver loads, and a healthy list of system critical features -- auto starts, shell extensions, and internet settings) instead of all program activities. But these "optimal" settings lack protection from keyloggers, direct disk accessing, DNS API request monitoring, etc. You can check the types of reduced monitoring in "Settings..." > "Host Protection" > "Customize...". The installation asks whether you want to train the firewall for a week (using its Auto-Learn mode and Rules Wizard). In this mode, it sets rules automatically for known safe applications.
While there is a decent help file available, the user interface can be a bit confusing and overwhelming. There are many configurable settings, and sorting through them may require some time. To help out with that there is a information menu on the right of each screen which explains what each section is for. Training mode allows all actions within a 180-second interval, which is ideal for installing or running programs for the first time. On the first run after installing however, Private Firewall still managed to disable Panda Cloud Antivirus, the antivirus software on my test system, even with Training mode activated. Adding Panda Cloud Antivirus to the allow list seemed to solve this minor issue. It is also possible to set different security levels for the Internet and the Network. Various levels of protection (High, Low, and Custom) can be separately specified for Internet Access and Network Security (ie. file and printer sharing). This is useful for, say, when one needs to access the internet via a network they don't quite trust. In addition, there are three profiles you can choose: Home, Office, and Remote. You can set appropriate settings for each one and easily switch between them as needed; this is particulary useful for portable computers which connect to many different networks. Another useful feature is that it is possible to block all outbound email; simply click the 'Block Outbound Email' icon in the main user screen and all outbound email should be blocked. Overall, Private Firewall is a very effective firewall; it ranks among the top products on Matousec. A number of members at our forum speak highly of the developers of Private Firewall, and the software is trusted. However, the graphic interface and usability is slightly tailored for the more advanced users. Beginner computer users may want to consider another firewall instead, but if you are comfortable with the basics of Windows & firewall software, you should definitely consider Private Firewall.
Each section of the program is displayed clearly; navigation is through the menu on the left. Alerts are generally clear and straightforward, as is configuration. The registry defender protects the registry from being modified, with the option of only protecting select categories. The parental control limits the list of websites that can be accessed, but you must manually add each website to be trusted, ie. You cannot block specific websites; you can only allow certain websites. The anti-banner component blocks undesirable web page content including ads, flash banners, pop-ups and the like. All three of these additional modules can be disabled independently as desired. AVS Firewall also comes with a monitoring utility so you can check the size of network traffic which is sent and received by each application. During installation of this firewall, the installer automatically installs the AVS Software Browser; there is no option to opt-out of installing this, but the program can be removed separately after installation with no effect on the actual firewall program. The installer also has a pre-checked option to install AVS Registry Cleaner, and it is recommended that it is unchecked so the installer does not install it. Despite trying to bundle in a few additional programs by the vendor, AVS Firewall itself is a decent firewall program. It has some additional features not found in your everyday firewall program, though most of those features can be found in other third party programs.
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Despite its name, this program works with system Windows XP and higher
To learn more visit its service and support page
Additional Features of Interest (as Found in its Interface): Built-in help and tips. Auto trusts safe vendors. Able to block outbound email automatically. Network options for experts, with three default settings to modify (Home, Public, Work).
To learn more visit its feature list and online support (change log, user guide, & tutorials).
Additional Features of Interest (as Found in its Interface): Installation mode/training mode, auto updating, built-in help and tips, parental control with password protection, extra themes and languages, and a stealth ports wizard. Purges old or unused firewall/Defense+ policies or unused files (safe files, files waiting for review, etc.). Displays balloon messages for instant logging events.
To learn more visit its forum, online help, and/or release notes.
Newer versions and 64-bit version are part of the Outpost Free Security Suite - includes additional software components which may conflict with existing software.
64-bit version (98.81 MB v7.1) available here: http://download.cnet.com/Agnitum-Outpost-Security-Suite-Free-64-bit/3000... *Warning: Downloads from Cnet (Download.com) now require the use of a proprietary installer.
Reduced HIPS monitoring (lacking anti-key logger protection for example)
Additional Features of Interest (as Found in its Interface): Built-in "Help", full screen mode or entertainment mode.
64-bit version only for Windows 7; XP 64bit and Vista 64bit are not supported
Additional Features of Interest (as Found in its Interface): Set passwords, protect programs (right-click > "Advanced options"), key Loggers tab/Hosts tab, and multi desktop support.
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Have Your Say
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Your opinion matters! If you've used one of these firewalls before, or know of another outstanding freeware firewall, let us know in the comments section below. For a more comprehensive discussion, please visit our forum. |
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Editor
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This software category is maintained by volunteer editor Tim; registered site visitors can contact Tim by clicking here |
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| best free firewall software reviews Windows firewalls HIPS |
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Comments
though comodo's website is full of links, it's very easy to find the standalone firewall download.
comodo.com -> products (top left of page) -> comodo firewall -> download -> download free version
easy...
Unfortunately, that link is false. I too tried that one a while back, and you are STILL downloading the Security Suite. They no longer offer a true standalone firewall.
Pity, as long time ago I truly loved that firewall.
Thanks for the excellent article! PrivateFirewall & Windows 7 Firewall both look good. I tested Windows 7 Firewall Control and it works pretty good once you enable "Host Process for Windows Services" & "System"; otherwise I noticed when I enabled applications, it still blocked them (like FireFox or Internet Explorer for example). I especially liked the portable version (too bad it's only for Windows 7).
This article has a broken anchor for the PrivateFirewall link.
The correct link is:
http://www.techsupportalert.com/best-free-firewall.htm#PrivateFirewall
The anchor text in the article is incorrect because it's lowercase (#privatefirewall).
I just thought I could at least contribute to the article in some way as I found these reviews very useful.
Thanks again!
Thanks for the comments & letting us know! It's been fixed by someone faster than me :)
Thanks for the reply. PC Tools fw seems to have a problem remembering programs/actions that I have "approved." Very aggravating. Does the default Windows XP firewall offer just adequate protection? I ask as I have heard the stock firewall has improved with Vista and now 7 (and soon to be 8) and wonder where that leaves lowly XP.
It really depends on your usage. If you mainly use your computer for light web surfing (& Gizmo's Freeware :) ) the default XP firewall is probably adequate for that.
However the XP firewall does not have outbound protection, so if you need that, or you do 'more' web surfing, then you might want to use a more advanced firewall. Windows 7 Firewall adds outbound control to the built in firewall, and it works with XP too. It doesn't have HIPS protection though.
Why is PC Tools firewall no longer listed? Is it still considered a viable option, assuming of course it is still free?
PC Tools Firewall is now part of their Internet Security Suite, which is no longer free.
I'm a little confused. I've had PC Tools Free Firewall for a few years and still have it, even updated it a couple months ago and it's definitely running. So how can it no longer be free? Unless they're allowing previous users to keep it for free? Thanks
The download for PC Tools Firewall freeware has been removed on their website, but yes existing installations may still keep working for now. Though you probably will not receive any more updates to the program.
I've been using ZoneAlarm for years. But lately, especially once I've installed NetGear wireless router (need it for my wife's laptop) I'm experiencing permanent BSODs while Windows 7 is being booted with referring to vsdatant.sys. Search on-line showed the conflict with ZoneAlarm. I've tried different version - same effect. Had to uninstall firewall in safe mode and started looking for alternative. I want to try Comodo and see how it works.
Really think that the Comodo Firewall should mention that is is the same as the firewall portion of their Comodo Internet Security program. This is because if one searches for Comodo Firewall manuals you will only find outdated manuals for a depreciated Firewall product on the Comodo website. One has to use the Comodo Internet Security Pro manual.
Every time I tried Comodo Firewall I am overwhelmed with their website to even find the right product to download. It seems Comodo no longer offers a separate download of Comodo Firewall. Instead it APPEARS to be part of Internet Security 2012! It seems Comodo firewall has an over abundance of configuration screens that at times seem to be overwhelming trying to find where the option you need is located.
I've been using Comodo for a few years now and I'm satisfied with it, despite the fact that I really only use the firewall component (no AV, no HIPS).
In looking for something simpler and lighter I tested a recent version of ZoneAlarm Free, which was my favourite firewall some years back, but I was disappointed to see that it went backwards since then and now lacks IP range block options (now only available in the commercial version, it seems), which I find useful.
I also tried PrivateFirewall, and I was left with the impression that it is a product with great potential but which still needs to go through some polishment in terms of UI, options and stability.
Generally, I didn't find other prodcuts as interesting or as viable in some way or other, or they felt heavy and cumbersome comparatively.
For the time being I'm sticking with Comodo with AV+HIPS disabled, but this could change if the above points are addressed by the competition. :)
Finally realized that Comodo was the source of a significant slowdown on my computer. I have been using Comodo for several years and finally uninstalled it. Often while surfing, installing a new program (could take 15 minutes or more), or boot up my laptop would come to a crawl that tested even my abundant patience. to the point I seriously considered a complete restore of my XP machine. Now it's working more quickly and I'm happy although I do realize that I need a firewall when I'm not at home so I'll have to look for a replacement. My laptop uses a sempron processor and is on the low end of price scale and is a few years old, but just mentioning it in case anyone else is having similar issues.
You could consider trying out Windows 7 Firewall Control; it is compatible with XP as well.
Private Firewall is also good and light too although a bit advanced.
Hi,
I just started testing Windows Firewall Notifier : http://wokhan.online.fr/progs.php?sec=WFN
All it does is add outbound connection filtering to Windows Firewall, and it is really well made, intuitive, quick, the way it creates the rules, so far I highly recommend it.
Thanks franco, That was perfect, all i needed was windows to be a more friendly firewall.
Keep up the good work Gizmo.
Windows 7 Firewall Control Limitations:
· VFC free can not manage system (located in c:\windows\*) applications.
I have been testing PrivateFirewall for a few days now.
The results is that it has given me too much hassle. I managed to get many things to work after some configuration, but I ended up having problems with firefox plugins that uses pop-ups. I spend about an hour to try to solve this problem, but I found no solution. The firewall blocked the pop-ups unless I set the security to low, then it worked 3 out of 4 times.
The problem with this firewall in my opinion is that it block things without telling the user what it blocks, or give any option to change its behavior. I guess I could have used another 2-3 hours trying to solve it, but that's too much for me. When a software demand that you need to be some kind of computer specialists to use it, the whole purpose is gone. So it is probably better for the advanced user.
Next firewall I'm gonna try is ZoneAlarm. I hope that one want give me too much trouble, and I hope I don't need to use 2-3 hours to learn how it works.
Agreed, PrivateFirewall is probably more suited for the advanced user as there can be many things to configure. Hope ZoneAlarm works well for you!
I eagerly await your results. I've been using PC Tools Firewall Plus for maybe a year but it seems to be displaying pop-ups far more often. Also, I recently installed a popular commercial game from one of the major PC game publishers. The game initially ran fine. But over a few days I discovered it would only work after every second restart of the PC and then finally refused to start at all. I did a lot of searching online without success then finally looked at the firewalls block list and it had blocked the games out/in traffic. The game has to check the internet for something called autolog. As it was unable to do so it just refused to load. I guess the game maker could have had a pop-up message saying what the problem was, but I would expect a good firewall to recognize a program that has a large user base and has been available for at least 6 months. Sorry for the rant but sometimes these types of things cause frustration and annoyance, especially if your children have been upset due to having to wait several days before they can play a game received for Xmas.
I think what most users want in a firewall is a no fuss, no big learning curve, effective security product. Free of course :)
parameters - full screen - check intuitive mode !
Actually I did the same and got very similar conclusions to myself regarding PrivateFirewall – it is light in resources and fast acting soli software but it require much time to be configured if for any reason you’re unable to stick with predefined configurations. I’ve also tried Online Armor Free and found it heavier in resources with overall performance affection. After all I’d revert back to the Comodo, that I used during last several years and have confirmed to myself that it is still #1 for me from the three main points:
1. Protection
2. Flexibility and convenience with custom configurations
3. Performance/system resources affection
Even I do not like Comodo Antivirus due to the completely opposite results for #1 and #3, their firewall is solid #1 from these list for me.
Is AVS Firewall still in active development? The last version was from September 2010.
In development in as far as their devs will respond to any new bugs found, but no x64 bit version is planned.
I installed AVS Firewall, and it silently installed some other AVS software that I don't want. The installer also has a pre-checked option to install AVS Registry Cleaner, swhich should be unchecked.
Just started testing the firewall, and as with MC the only additional software I got was the Software Navigator and Update Manager
So they do seem to try to bundle in a couple additional software, but at least it can be removed separately.
This didn't happen for me. I got the updater for the firewall and the AVS software browser (which can be removed independently) but no other software was installed on my computer.