Firewall

Can anyone recommend a good Firewall? I am looking for the best product for the lowest price, of course!

Thanks in advance.

 

Either one of these will do you right:

http://www.cdw.com/shop/products/default.asp?EDC=415240

or

http://www.cdw.com/shop/products/default.asp?EDC=348766

I am partial to the SonicWall, but only because that is what I "grew up" with.

nitro

 

As a software product, I vote for Zone Alarm:

http://www.zonelabs.com/store/content/home.jsp

Of course if you have high speed Internet access, a hardware solution would work out really well. Try something like this:

http://www.linksys.com/Products/product.asp?grid=33&scid=35&prid=415

You can routinely find this hardware for under $100.

 

http://blackice.iss.net/

Great experience, even after being hacked.

 

The linksys is NOT a firewall.

nitro

 

I strongly urge people to stay away from software firewalls. Rule #1 in firewalls, you are only as safe as the operating system you are runnnig the firewall on. Windows SUCKS BIG in the security department.

Either get a software fireall RUNNING on OpenBSD, or just save yourself a lot of headaches and get a harware based one.

nitro

 

Some routers have a built-in "hardware firewall". You should have two firewalls, one software and one hardware. I'm not a techie, but I have been burned a couple of times.

 

I have XP Pro + LinkSys DSL Router (BEFSR41) (hardware firewall) + Sysgate Personal Firewall (software firewall free).

So far so good.

 

Nitro,

Many of the Linksys products act as a NAT and include a Stateful Packet Inspection Firewall built-in. What else is needed?

BTW, I'm not being sarcastic. I really don't know the answer, but want to know so I can be as protected as possible.

 

IF they provide SPI, then they are an honest to goodness firewall. NAT IS NOT A FIREWALL. I have had this discussions on this board about five times now.

AFAIK, when I clicked on the link for the linksys given above, ALL it gave were the specs of a ROUTER.

nitro