HIDE AND SEEK INTERNET PROTECTION
Written: Mar 25 '04 (Updated Nov 17 '04)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Low System Resources (Memory), Pop-up, Cookie, Ad, Image Blockers, Antivirus
Cons: False alerts in both 4.5.594.00 and 5.590.043 still buggy, can freeze, slow, crash your system
The Bottom Line: Need an all in one firewall with good protection, than Zone Alarm Pro or Suite is for you!
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| tipstir's Full Review: ZoneAlarm Pro 4 |
ZONE ALARM Pro and Security Hide and Seek Internet Protection by Albert Ashton
I personally use Zone Alarm daily for controlling my in and outbound security traffic connections to the wide area network (WAN) and local area network (LAN)running Windows XP Professional SP1.
My personal thoughts are, after trying all the other software firewalls available like Norton Personal Firewall 2003, Norton Internet Security 2004, Sygate Personal Firewall Pro 5.5, Tiny Personal Firewall, Kero Personal Firewall, Agnitum Outpost Firewall Pro 2.1, and Armor2Net Personal Firewall 3.12, Zone Alarm Pro 4.5.594.000 stands out from the rest why?
Because the protection, more stable and extra features all work nicely together! Just install and use the program Zone Alarm Pro does the rest for you. Zone Alarm only let you know if something is important that needs your attention it will prompt you right away and won’t let the activity start or if you deny it until you do!
Zone Alarm Pro with Web Filtering
Installation is a snap on Windows XP Professional SP1; just follow the instructions in your software package or from Zone Labs web site.
Retail Box
Just insert your CD and auto run should start
Download from Zone Labs
Double click on the downloaded EXE file.
Requirements
OS :
Windows 98 SE, Windows ME, Windows 2000, Windows XP
CPU :
Pentium 233 MHz or Higher
RAM :
48MB for Windows 98 SE/ ME, 64MB for Windows 2000 and 128MB for Windows XP
Zone Alarm will ask you some questions of what type of PC you have, how many of them, and your level of knowledge. Next the program does need your license key or you can try out the demo until you purchase the program. Last the program will scan your network (that’s if you’re on one) and if you’re on one then Zone Alarm Pro will set it up automatically and confirm this correct IP Range and Subnet for your home network. Just check the box and click okay. That’s it!
Smart Tip
Unlike the other personal firewalls listed above Zone Alarm Pro starts working right after installation, meaning there is no need to reboot the computer with Windows XP Pro.
Smart Tip
This version of Zone Alarm Pro has Web Filtering, which is more suited for families who want that extra bit of security on the internet for their children and the rest of the family. Web Filtering, blocks out all foul language or porn sites and more whatever you want and it can be disabled. When it’s running and should it detect something when you start browsing the web it will stop access and prompt a message with full detail inside the browser that you’re using at the time.
Zone Alarm Pro with Web Filtering features:
Software Firewall (In and Outbound traffic security protection)
Expert Firewall Controls (very good features)
Ad Blocker (works great)
Ad Popup Stopper (also works great)
Cookie Blocker (good for third party cookies or wild cookies)
Web Bug Blocker (works great)
Cache Cleaner (works)
Hacker ID (know whois trying get in and from where on map) (works great)
Complete Mail Safe (In and Outbound Email Security Protection) (works)
Mobile PC Protection (Laptops and Tablet PCs) (works)
Security Levels (You can control and setup) (good feature)
Host File Lock (protects your HOST file from adware, spyware, or bogus IPs sites)
My Vault (Block Personal Info, Passwords, Bank Accounts an etc)
Web Filtering (Block out unwanted porn, gambling, drugs an more)
Real Time Security Advisor
Password Protection
Final Thoughts
After using Zone Alarm Pro, on my home network for some time now, along with FRISK F-Prot Antivirus 3.14e (which also use less system resources), and I’ve found it runs stable, and it’s not a memory hog like NPF, NIS from Symantec Norton.
Comparing Zone Alarm Pro top notch features to other personal firewalls, like;
Armor2Net v3.12, which is just a basic personal one PC firewall for non network workgroups, offers pass, block, pass lock announcements giving you a lot of information about programs trying to coming in and out, stealth, pop-up stopper spy ware cleaner, but no ad or cookie blocker filters.
Outpost Firewall Pro v2.1x, doesn't have spy ware cleaner, it does “active content” filters for blocking ads, pop-ups, cookies and everything that Zone Alarm Pro already has, but one thing about those features it works better in Zone Alarm Pro than it does in Outpost Firewall Pro which tends to be very unstable and buggy. Outpost Firewall Pro does offer plug-ins giving you a lot more features which work very good together and it has a real time network monitor for Programs running, LAN, WAN, WLAN, WWAN, VPN, FTP, HTTP, IP, TCP, UDP everything in or outbound, not a graphic display more text and numbers, which I like and it’s plug-in features.
Smart Tip
There is a freeware program called “ACTIVE PORTS” which has the same features of Outpost Firewall Pro Active Network Monitor TCP / UDP real time live network activity. That works very well with Zone Alarm Pro and only uses 2.94 of system resources
Norton Internet Security for 2004 is to very unstable, and a big system resource memory hog and even more some with Norton Antivirus 2004 integrated within it. Otherwise it does protect your system on a home network, but at a cost to your stability or what we call in the business the “BLUE SCREEN OF DEATH”.
Injoy Firewall 3, which should be avoided, doesn't protect you as I had thought and also slows down your bandwidth even after you adjusted it before and after.
Tiny Personal Firewall 5.x seem to be more for advanced users with complex features are good, but a memory hog and the system crashes more than a lot.
Kerio Personal Firewall Pro 4.x Offers pretty the same features in Zone Alarm Pro, except more on the advance user level. When every file is launched, DLL, EXE, or remove programs, issue command tasks and more gets prompted more than it does in Zone Alarm PRO for answer for what it should do? Should the action be allowed or not? That process can stop things on your system if your not around to answer it! Could cause your system to crash! Kerio is good for notebooks (laptops) and some desktops after it learns how to handle programs on your system so you don't have to be around to let the program continue its actions after being prompted so often.
Sygate Personal Firewall and Pro 5.5x, both are good firewall software, if you use the free version you'll need a few programs to use with it. Ad and popup blocker, spyware blocker, anti-virus.
Programs of choice (very stable) would be: Ad muncher (takes care of ads, popups and bad web scripts), SpySweeper (bad cookies, trojans) and F-Prot AV
If you don't you'll have to worry about spyware and bad cookies, ads, pop-ups, viruses, trojans.
When I use it I always find some sort of virus or Trojan has got in and you have to manually setup your network for the best security protection using your MAC address which is on your NIC (network card). That's why you need the programs of choice listed above. Otherwise Zone Alarm Pro or the full Suite with Antivirus program.
Smart Tip
If you use a Linksys Router like I do you can find out what your MAC address under the DHCP tab then under DHCP Tables, where it would list your Computer Name, IP Address, MAC.
But in Zone Alarm Pro doesn’t have area where you can use to Stealth your PC’s using MAC address filtering identification like you can do with Sygate Personal Firewall Pro and Outpost Firewall Pro Stealth Plug-in, allowing you to keeps only the PCs you want to have access to your PCs on your network. This is a very good feature if you don’t want other people having access to your PC on your network or outside network.
Most the of the other features of Zone Alarm Pro do work well ad blocker, pop-up stopper, mail safe, I haven’t seen any problems using all the features, but the best feature is the Real Time Security Advisor which uses Balloon Tips feature reporting all types of blocking from cookies, ads, web bugs, privacy headers and more. Nice touch, I like to be informed of what’s going on. When you first use Zone Alarm Pro with Internet Explorer it will prompt you with a dialog box giving you full detail of what’s trying run, sending information out. You can give Internet Explorer full control or not, Mozilla is another free open source browser which I use because I wanted more security protection when it comes too cookies, I want to know what type of cookies are coming in.
Since most cookies I find are mostly ad ware or spy ware base, it’s good to have them blocked.. Zone Alarm Pro does stop most, but it’s not perfect, but it tries to stop them even if you use IE only it’s buggy cookie privacy manager works not all of the time so it can help you if you don’t use Mozilla. Don’t get me wrong Zone Alarm Pro does work with a good protection for cookies, but like to have more security control.
Zone Alarm Pro Hacker ID feature is good just like what you see with Norton Personal Firewall or Norton Internet Security 2004 showing where the attacker IP and location is on a map which unlike Norton slow showing, Zone Alarm Pro runs a web page.
Control interface that Zone Alarm Pro, is a bit busy a lot of features are there, you just have to dig through them. It has a Tutorial, for those of you who want to learn more about the product.
Overview
Contains:
Blocked Intrusion, Inbound Protection, Outbound Protection, Email Protection
Shows you by a number count how well Zone Alarm Pro has protected your PC.
Product Info and Preferences
Firewall
Contains:
Internet Zone Security – High – Medium - Low
Trusted Zone Security – High – Medium - Low
Block Zone Security – Advance Security Controls (more for experts)
Contains:
Lock Host File
Smart Tip
(Host file can be search for when using XP file search (host)
When you find the host file right click on the file then click on open
XP will prompt to select the program you want to open it in, pick notepad
Make sure you only see : 127.0.0.1 localhost
Anything below this like ad.double.click.com should be removed
Block all fragments
Block Internet Servers
Block Trusted Servers
Allow VPN Protocol
Allow uncommon protocol at high security
Network Security
Gateway Security
ICS – Internet Connection Sharing
All three have user custom settings, but usually the defaults are good enough.
Program Control
Features are one of the best I’ve seen, easy to edit your application access to the internet.
NIS is more auto, but can be change, Outpost Firewall, relies on rules set more complex, Sygate also uses rules, but Zone Alarm Pro makes it easier.
In Zone Alarm Pro there is also Components Control (DLL) (APL) (more expert features)
Alerts & Logs
Defaults work the best; otherwise you can change the settings to what you want to be alerted too. Logs keep track of your activities online, and programs accessing the internet, also shows IP, direction, out or in bound and more.
Privacy
Features are good, where you can see the entire URL (web site listing) that were blocked, or unblock for cookies, ads, pop-ups, web bugs, private headers. One of the best I’ve see so far, even better than Outpost Firewall Pro Active Content in version 2.0 and 2.1. Zone Alarm Pro is easy to use than even NIS from Symantec.
Now in new updated version: 4.5.594.00 adds a cookie tracker cleaner that when used takes you too Zone Labs web applet page to scan for cookies that might be tracking you. Where bad cookies can be deleted.
Also added are more spyware tools for IE, Netscape, MSN, and your Hard Drive. Pretty much like Webroot Windows Washer and Spysweeper which both still do a better job. I still use Spysweeper and Windows Washer weekly to double check and be on the safe side.
Email Protection
Contains:
Inbound Protection – On or Off
Outbound Protection - On or Off
47 attachment filters
Good feature, but MailWasher Pro 4 and Benign seems to work better. While MailWasher Pro catches all email before you release it to your MS Outlook 2003, XP, 2000. Features Blacklisting, Friends List and most of all bouncing back all those junk, spam email to the sender.
Benign works a different way more like a filter for viruses, html, and web bugs. Now Zone Alarm is suppose to do this and it does, but I've noticed that some stuff gets through, so now with Benign running it can change all HTML mail that comes into MailWasher Pro to TEXT format and more.
Web Filtering
Contains:
Parental Control - On or Off
Smart Filtering DRTR Technology – On or Off
Porn, Gambling, Languages and more
Excellent feature
ID Lock
Contain:
Fraud Protection
My Vault – Personal Information Protections
Trusted Sites – you want to have access to your personal information
Good Ebay ID Protection Feature
Lastly as you can see Zone Alarm Pro with Web Filtering has a lot to offer the average online user to protect you from hackers trying to get into your system, with alerts that really work. Even if you try to ping your own PC or do ipconfig /all Zone Alarm Pro won’t let the activity happy without your okay!
You can also make the control interface small where all you get is a graphical bar for in and outbound traffic meter, a hug (STOP) button to stop all activities. What programs are running and using the internet.
One last thing, I’ve tested Zone Alarm Pro against Shields Up and the program has Stealth all ports. Tested bandwidth and not change in that area too!
Systems Resources:
Zlclient.exe – : 2.09 Mbytes
Vsmon.exe –:4.03 Mbytes
Smart Tip: If you want virus protection you might want to take a look at below mini review on the newest version of Zone Alarm:
Zone Alarm Security Suite 5.0.590.015
Mini Review by Albert Ashton (a. k. a. tipstir)
I've installed New! Zone Alarm Security Suite 5.0.590.015 which offers everything included with Zone Alarm Pro with Web Filtering, IMSecured Pro and Virus Program from Computer Associates all integrated.
Systems Resources :
Zlclient.exe: 7.82 Mbytes
Vsmon.exe: 17.41 Mbytes
As you can see the systems resources have increase, but if you remove your old virus program and let Zone Alarm Security Suite install one for you it will balance out. The Virus program gives you the same features that I had with F-Prot right click menu scan on compressed files, folders and directories shows up with a ZA icon.
Setup has change slightly, but what I did was, I had removed my virus program (F-Prot) and then Zone Alarm with Web Filtering 4.5.594.00, and re-booted the PC.
Started off fresh, I was asked the same questions as I had stated above for installation, but this time the setup program wanted to know if I was on a Network (Home or Corporate) and if I had a Virus program or not? Pretty much after that it's straight forward and the program will run a tutorial when finish then re-boots the system.
When Windows XP SP1 loaded up, Zone Alarm Security Suite 5 prompted saying that the virus definitions where out of date if I wanted to update them? Once that was done, the virus program had scanned entire PC Hard drives for viruses.
By default the virus program is setup for 1 week scans on rotating bases, which you can change the time, day, when it should scan by. I just leave the default and just change the time of day to early morning AM hours.
Now all email is scanned inbound and outbound for viruses.
Zone Alarm Security Suite uses and improves alert system than in previous 4 versions which are more stable and bugs are fixed.
The Cons in this newer version sometimes your email gets block, system resources gets higher than what I had posted, plus if you want to disable the firewall you also disable the virus program, instant message encryption for AOL AIM (which by-the-way your buddy on your list also have to have this version of this security to be protected on the encrypted text side or else it won’t work?) Still I have to use Spy Sweeper 2.61 for those nasty spyware, cookies, ads an etc..
The Pros Firewall, IM, AD, Cookies, AD Popup, Cookie and now with Virus Protection that doesn’t slow down your CPU like Norton Internet Security 2004 does.
Update Note: I started a clean uninstall over the past weekend, with new version Zone Alarm Pro 5.590.043, they have discontinued the Zone Alarm Pro with Web Filtering which is only in the full suite now which I also use on one PC which handles my mail client. New updated Zone Alarm Pro 5.590.043 uses much less memory resources and more on that later and is can be stable than the last update. Also you can use your own Antivirus program with this newer update, it just monitors what you have to let you know your AV is doing it's job which would be better than the using the full suite.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
tipstir
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Member: Albert
Location: CT, USA
Reviews written: 41
Trusted by: 1 member
About Me:
Infrastructure Support Engineer
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