You may be slowing your computer down with two on-demand scanners running at once. MSE and Malwarebytes are somewhat redundant, as they both scan and search for malware. However, no anti-malware app catches 100%, which is why you want one as a real-time scanner and one as an on-demand scanner, which is why people run MSE and the free version of Malwarebytes. You could have saved yourself some cash.
You're right, a Firewall can't speed up internet communications up but the Comodo Firewall offers many security features that other Firewalls don't have and it doesn't slow things down which is especially significant to users that don't have access to a hardware Firewall or all of the millions of people who use laptops away from home.
Firewalls can really slow things down though. I have a Linksys Hardware Firewall with SPI that slows my internet download speed from 34 Mbps to 12 Mbps, but not so with the Comodo Firewall...
~Maxx~
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Then you have a poorly misconfigured or failing router. I've done plenty of speed tests with my Comcast service, and my in-laws FIOS service, and can find no differences between them with or without the hardware firewall in place. They use a Linksys router, and I am using a NetGear one. There isn't any difference between the two.
As for the laptop users who travel away from home, yes, they loose the protection of their hardware firewall, but that's why Windows includes one as well...and now one that monitors traffic in both directions.
See link: How to Enable Windows 7 Firewall Outbound Protection
So there becomes very little need....on a VERY little amount of computers to run anything more than what's already included. 99.9% of all users or more have no need for anything more than what Windows 7 Firewall does already.
I probably could have saved some cash but at least I've helped to give a little bit towards the team who develop the program, the program is very well thought of as is SuperAntiSpyware which I have on an XP machine, I bought that one as well, it runs alongside the free version of Avast and the inbuilt Firewall.
I'm definitely not against helping the developers out of some great software. My comments were regarding the slowdown you'll likely see all the time, or during disk-intensive tasks due to having two resident scanners running at the same time. That's always been a big no-no.
I bought the NIB Linksys BEFSX41 hardware firewall router specifically because it had an SPI Mode and it was configured properly and works perfectly fine with internet download speeds well over 30 Mbps except when SPI is engaged and then like I mentioned the maximum download speed drops to 12 Mbps with the exact same configuration. As a result I run it without SPI engaged and Comodo Firewall Pro in full Stealth Mode at its highest security configuration and it has passed an array of Leak Tests proving the true level of security which it provides.
Concerning your statement that "99.9% of all users or more have no need for anything more than what Windows 7 Firewall does already" perhaps you could do as is customary over at Wilders Security Forums and run the standard PC Flank Leak Tests on your configuration of Windows 7 Firewall to prove the validity of your assertion.
~Maxx~
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im using pro and it is enough for me. In ultima there is many features that i dont need so no need to bother with ultimne.
I'll stand by my claims without a test I'm all for security, but I'm also all for not wearing a tin foil hat as well. Considering the amount of users who wouldn't know what a firewall is, I'll stick with my 99.9% comment.
Too many people automatically assume that all traffic going through is bad. As mentioned above...if my printer app wants to report back on my average usage, it is welcome too. I don't need yet another app running in the background to do the job of what is already present.
Besides, maybe it's the IT Manager in me talking, but if it is good enough for the corporate world, it is more than good enough for home systems.
If you want that kind of granular information, be my guest...it is your system. I don't have the time or the desire to check all of that, so as long as I'm well protected, I can move on to other things. But please don't act like all of us running the Windows firewall are making a mistake.
With regards to the default Windows firewall, or a commercial 3rd party firewall and which is far superior....so much of this has to do with the risks that the end-user is subjecting themselves to based on their computing habits.
I believe the built-in Windows firewall suffices for most people. With that said, there are still a ton of machines which get compromised. However, I think this is more to do with the end user willing to do something stupid and risk their internal security. And as we have learned, you cannot stop stupid.
I generally recommend that people run MSE, a router based NAT firewall and the built-in Windows firewall. In the event that I know this person is dead set on pirating software, torrenting movies and porn and the like...then I will always recommend that they step up their level of protection as they are putting themselves into risky situations.
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