Firewall tests by Matousec, Comodo is #1 !

[hackerman1]

hi !

the latest testresults from Matousec:
Comodos is #1 with 100% score on 148 tests !
OnlineArmor is #2 with 96%, a good alternative if you don´t want Comodo...
the 2 firewalls at the top are both FREE, it can´t be any better, can it ?
PcTools is #9 with 51% score....

i decided to try PcTools a few weeks back, but i couldn´t configure it quick enough because of a confusing userinterface.
as i needed a working computer, i decided to keep Comodo.
seeing this result, i´m glad i didn´t switch to PcTools...

Results and comments - www.matousec.com

a screenshot showing the results from 148 tests:

 

[CarlTR6]

Interesting. The vendors' responses are interesting, too.

Results and comments - www.matousec.com

I, too, use Comodo firewall.

 

[hackerman1]

yes, Matousec´s testresults are always interesting.
a lot of "BIG names" a long way down at the list...

a couple of months ago, i asked a friend which antivirusprogram & firewall he was using.
when he said AVG, i told him about Matousec: "on the long list with 38 firewalls, yours is #3".
"oh, that good ?" he said.
no, "it´s #3 from the BOTTOM, with a 2% score !"
he then said some 4-letter words, which i can´t repeat here...
btw, he is also using Comodo now....

 

[CarlTR6]

yes, Matousec´s testresults are always interesting.
a lot of "BIG names" a long way down at the list...

a couple of months ago, i asked a friend which antivirusprogram & firewall he was using.
when he said AVG, i told him about Matousec: "on the long list with 38 firewalls, yours is #3".
"oh, that good ?" he said.
no, "it´s #3 from the BOTTOM, with a 2% score !"
he then said some 4-letter words, which i can´t repeat here...
btw, he is also using Comodo now....

:roflmao:

 

[hackerman1]

he has a lot better security now...

 

[CarlTR6]

The single best thing he could get is a router.

 

[joel406]

Results are for outdated builds of most products.

I trust my own testing more. No corporate intervention. $$

 

[polarbear]

I'm now testing Comodo firewall... Will not post what I think so far and will give it a try for a few weeks before I do... As already stated above, "Results are for outdated builds of most products"... GL

 

[not so gray matter]

I've used quite a few firewall products over the years and I used to love Zone Alarm. However, ever since Vista came out, Zone Alarm started to fall from grace in a similar fashion as Norton's AV products.

Comodo is a great firewall, the only problem I had with it is the fact that it's not exactly user friendly at first. It may take you a little while to figure out how to use all of the features. If you use the entire internet security pack, you'll have an AV, Firewall, Malware Prevention, Malware Detection and a Sandbox. When I first downloaded it, I simply installed the Firewall & Defense+ (Malware). I don't use the malware options that often because I scan all downloaded files with Avast & Malwarebytes.

All in all, I suggest a combination of the following if you're going to use Comodo, as the AV and Malware portions aren't quite as strong as the firewall.

MSE / Avast / Avira /G-DATA / etc
Comodo Firewall w/ Firewall on Custom Policy
Malwarebytes' Paid w/ Real-Time
SuperAntiSpyware

You should also have a hardware router between your computer and the net as well as it's much harder to hack a hardware firewall with advanced firmware such as DD-WRT.

 

[joel406]

Great advice notsograymatter.

I prefer ESET
Malwarebytes(paid)
A Squared (paid)
IObit (paid)
Superantispyware(free)
I pass Sheilds up with flying colors(green)...

 

[zzz2496]

Firewalls are best to be implemented "off box", meaning that you should implement firewall NOT at your box, but a separate box that's connecting you to the LAN/WAN, that way the firewall will not be affected by the inherent weakness/instability/security holes of your system. If somehow your system is compromised, the firewall that's not on your box is still functioning normally protecting you as usual, but I guess this is way to overkill for a regular user to implement...

zzz2496

 

[joel406]

I forgot to mention those and zzz is correct!!
Routers are the best. Ever heard of "tomato"!
I use 2 Netgears and a Linksys between my system and the outside world.

 

[CarlTR6]

Firewalls are best to be implemented "off box", meaning that you should implement firewall NOT at your box, but a separate box that's connecting you to the LAN/WAN, that way the firewall will not be affected by the inherent weakness/instability/security holes of your system. If somehow your system is compromised, the firewall that's not on your box is still functioning normally protecting you as usual, but I guess this is way to overkill for a regular user to implement...

zzz2496

I'm not sure that is overkill at all. Now matter how careful you are, how good your surfing habits are, things can still happen. And if you have kids using your computer...

I forgot to mention those and zzz is correct!!
Routers are the best. Ever heard of "tomato"!
I use 2 Netgears and a Linksys between my system and the outside world.

Routers are definitely the best firewall. I have heard of "tomato"; but I confess my ignorance. I do not know what the term means.

 

[zzz2496]

Firewalls are best to be implemented "off box", meaning that you should implement firewall NOT at your box, but a separate box that's connecting you to the LAN/WAN, that way the firewall will not be affected by the inherent weakness/instability/security holes of your system. If somehow your system is compromised, the firewall that's not on your box is still functioning normally protecting you as usual, but I guess this is way to overkill for a regular user to implement...

zzz2496

I'm not sure that is overkill at all. Now matter how careful you are, how good your surfing habits are, things can still happen. And if you have kids using your computer...

I forgot to mention those and zzz is correct!!
Routers are the best. Ever heard of "tomato"!
I use 2 Netgears and a Linksys between my system and the outside world.

Routers are definitely the best firewall. I have heard of "tomato"; but I confess my ignorance. I do not know what the term means.

Hey carl

Here's the thing, do you know about "whitelist technique"? If I got kids (I haven't), I'd put a fierce whitelist rules in my router's "Packet Filter" list. Not to mention I have a transparent HTTP proxy integrated into my Mikrotik, so if I'm so inclined I can always proxy everything up and no one will ever know that I'm filtering their traffic (unless the hit a site that's outside of the whitelist...). Regarding of "what" you can get off the net... that's for another discussion, not even expensive DPI equipment can know what's the end result (the binary content of a file) of a continuing transfer...

And "tomato", it's a Linux firewall distribution designed to run on Linksys WRT54G series routers. See WRT54G was so famous, so easy to be customized, many people/groups made their own WRT54G firmware image. Several of them are "Tomato", "DD-WRT", "OpenWRT", and several others (google it ). With an advanced router, there's almost nothing you can't block... You just need to know what to allow...

zzz2496

 

[CarlTR6]

Thanks, zzz2469. I appreciate the explanation of tomato.

Yes I know about the white list. I don't have kids either - but I do have grandkids! After an experience about six years ago when two of them were staying with us for a month in the summer, I made extensive use of a white list - after I clean my computer! Fortunately, ZA caught the outgoing and I was able to nip things in the bud. This is why I am obsessed with a firewall to monitor outgoing. I know my hardware firewall is well secured.

 

[hackerman1]

hi !

PLEASE, this thread is about the latest firewalltests by Matousec,
NOT about your recommended A/V & firewall combinations !

we already have enough of those "Best Antivirus"-threads...

so PLEASE post in one of those if you want list what you are using.

yes i know i mentioned a few programs myself in a previous post above,
(now removed) so lets keep it there please.

yes of course a router is the best firewall, but even if you got a router you also need a software FW, and that´s what we are talking about here.

regarding "outdated builds": Matousec didn´t test all firewalls simultanesously,
i saw the first testresults several weeks ago, so of course there might be never versions available today.

fx. take a look at "Latest news":
"2010-05-04: New results have been published for:

• Outpost Security Suite Pro 2009 6.7.3.3063.452.0726
• PC Tools Firewall Plus 6.0.0.88 "

2 (TWO) results published that day...

it´s the same "problem" with all testing, it takes time to do it, so when the tests are done & the results published, a newer version might have been released.
and if i have understood it correctly, the different vendors ask Matousec to test specific version of their products.

what´s interesting to notice is fx. something i already mentioned above, PcTools which were at the top together with Comodo in the previous testsuite with 84 tests, now have dropped down to #9 on the list.

it´s a much tougher test now...

 

[zzz2496]

Ok, I get it... Sorry for my misguided post...

My favorite software firewall: IPCop running in a VM shielding my PC from the bad world of Internet/LAN

zzz2496

 

[malexous]

I'd love a company to perform a 'firewall' test. This is more a HIPS test than a firewall test.

 

[bnwrx]

The #1 rated product(Comodo) is a security suite not just a firewall, and it is NOT free. I clicked on the link in the post and was shown prices from $19.95 to $69.95

 

[hackerman1]

bnwrx: wrong, Comodo´s firewall IS FREE !
however, their webpage is a bit confusing, it´s not easy to find it.
here is a directlink: Firewall Software Download | Free Computer Protection

zzz2496: did you read my post above ?

IPCop has not been tested by Matousec...

PLEASE, keep the thread on the subject !