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Ron May wrote:
On Sat, 30 Aug 2008 11:22:29 -0700, Kat Mandu <Kat@xxxxxxxx> wrote:
Vista Firewall Control Free 2.0 by Sphinx Software
Rather than use a third-party software firewall, I have lately been
using my Windows Vista Firewall, which unfortunately, however, does not
allow for easy use by me of its ability to provide some control over
outbound traffic. To remedy this situation, I have been using the free
version of Vista Firewall Control 2.0 in conjunction with Windows Vista
firewall. Vista Firewall Control is *not* a firewall, but a means for
easy use and adjustment of the firewall that comes with Windows Vista.
More can be read about it here:
http://www.sphinx-soft.com/Vista/index.html
www.sphinx-soft.com/Vista/using.html">http://www.sphinx-soft.com/Vista/using.html
"Vista Firewall Control and the Built-in Firewall
"VistaFirewallControl is completely based on Windows Filtering Platform
(WFP), the security core introduced in Windows Vista and does not
install any third party kernel drivers. The Built-in Firewall is based
on the same WFP as well. The both products work entirely independently.
VistaFirewallControl uses the Built-in Firewall only once, at the first
start to grab the initial settings. Due to complete product independence
you can switch the Build-in Firewall ON or OFF at your option."
www.sphinx-soft.com/Vista/faq.html">http://www.sphinx-soft.com/Vista/faq.html
Although the pay-for versions of VFC offer many more features than the
free version, I have found the free version to be very easy to use for
outbound control purposes (unlike the raw Windows Vista firewall) and to
provide the kind of user control I need over the outbound control
features of my Windows Vista firewall. The differences between the
versions are set out here:
www.sphinx-soft.com/Vista/order.html">http://www.sphinx-soft.com/Vista/order.html
In a different thread, Ron May asked "if it can detect whether an
allowed or trusted application has been updated (or altered)." This is a
good question that I hope someone else may be able to answer. Although I
am certain that my VFC has, several times, demanded an enable-or-disable
answer from me to the upgrading of my apps, I cannot say with absolute
certainty that they were not all cases in which I'd uninstalled the old
version of the app first. Neither can I find an answer to this question
at the sphinx-soft website. So, hopefully, some VFC user who has paid
closer attention than I have to VFC's response to upgrades of previously
allowed apps will be able to provide us both with a definitive answer.
Thanks, Kat. I think I'll wait a few days to see if others chime in
here, but the idea of using VFC as a sort of add-on looks very
promising to me. I've tried quite a few Vista-compatible personal
firewalls and each one has shortcomings in one area or another.
Basically, I'm looking for something close to KPF 2.1.5:
* Simple to use, but capable of allowing the user to write or edit
complex filter rules when a particular situation requires it.
* MD5, SFV or similar checksum capability that can detect when an
allowed application has been replaced or altered (and not just allow a
program based on filename alone.)
* Something that's not bloatware. All I want is a firewall with
outbound filtering. I don't need web filtering, AV, anti-spyware,
anti-spam or adware detection. I've already got all that other stuff
covered.
The checksum thing is the most important requirement. Everything else
is relative (as in YMMV.) The closest I found was PCTools Firewall
Plus, but something broke on it with V4, at least on my system. It
would not let me tweak the rulesets on existing applications. I'm
using Comodo now but the default settings are too weak and the higher
settings are too intrusive. There are many apps that I use that I
want a firewall to prompt me on a case by case basis. If I say "yes"
or "no," I expect that answer to apply until I close the program and
relaunch it. I do not expect to hit the "yes" button 17 times in a
row on the same use of that application if I've already approved the
application on a one-time basis.
VFC looks worth trying if it has checksum capability. If no one knows
one way or the other, I'll probably give it a run on my own, but I
thought I'd ask first.
Sorry I couldn't give you a definite answer to your main concern (which
now has me wondering and a little concerned, myself).
In your testing, you should find VFC easy to use. It isn't complicated
(but the free version appears to be very limited in what you can do with
it, too, when compared to the pay-for versions). One thing that
initially annoyed me about VFC, though, was that, after applying the
"disable all" setting to any given application, thereafter, whenever
that app tried to phone out, VFC would throw up a balloon from the right
side of the tray noting the fact, and this balloon could become large
and obtrusive in cases where the given app made repeated attempts to
phone out. But I discovered that I could dispense with this balloon by
checking the option for "Do not show log balloon."
--
k t ^^^^^
>A< mANdu
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