Finding a good and free firewall

Due to a recent Trojan attack, I reformatted my computer and decided to try a new firewall. I had been previously using the free version of Sunbelt Personal Firewall, which I highly recommend as a good and easy to use firewall, until the constant prompt that my free version is running in limited mode got on my nerves.

It’s hard to find an ad-free, friendly and non-resource hogging free firewall these days. Kudos to companies like Check Point (Zone Alarm), Sunbelt Software (Sunbelt Personal Firewall) and Tall Emu (Online Firewall) for releasing a free version of their firewalls. Oh, and not forgetting ALWIL Software (Avast!) and AVG Technologies (AVG) for their home versions of anti-virus too.

Without further ado, here’s some thoughts on the firewalls I’ve tried:

Sunbelt Personal Firewall 4 (Free version)
Pros: I started using this when it was still Kerio Personal Firewall. Loved the simple interface and how easy it was to install and setup. Heck, there was hardly any setup required unless you need to open a port or two for things like web servers or file sharing applications.
Cons: Constant reminder that the free version is running in limited mode. There was also a little scuffle with the Adobe Updater for Reader 8 which has since been resolved in Reader 9.

ZoneAlarm (Free version)
Pros: Also easy to install and setup, I use this for my parents’ computer. After letting it learn the programs you need (e.g. MSN Messenger, anti-adware software etc.), set it to Normal mode and you’re good to go.
Cons: It does lock down the computer a little too tightly in default settings, blocking traffic from my home network. Problem easily solved by adding a few rules though.

Outpost Firewall Free
Pros: Not sure.
Cons: Difficult to setup for the average user. Creating rules to allow application access required more than two simple mouse clicks (i.e. "Remember my decision" and "Allow/Deny"). Not for the faint hearted.

Online Armor (Free version)
Pros: My current favorite – it is simple to use while allowing for some extra protection like Program Guard, which warns you when exe files try to run.
Cons: The Program Guard can get irritating if you’re also trying out new software as it will prompt you for access permission each time a new program tries to run.

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