McAfee vs Windows firewall

I disagree with your statement that the Windows firewall is adequate. Just
because you aren't (knowingly) providing "outside services" from your computer,
doesn't mean you shouldn't have a firewall that provides some protection from
applications that initiate outgoing packets. A good, robust, updated AV package
isn't going to protect you from everything that you download or install
(knowingly or not), and a good home firewall isn't an unreasonable thing to have.

I do agree with your assessment that seldom is an all-in-one suite of AV,
Firewall, antispam, and safe-surfing applications as good as buying well-chosen
specific software packages for each purpose. It may be more expensive, but worth
it, IMHO. Comodo is a very good (free) firewall, for example.

Ian wrote:

> No. You should have only one firewall and one (memory-resident ) AV.
>
> The Windows firewall is adequate so long as you're not providing outside
> services from your computer, such a as a website. McAfee AV is far from
> reliable, I'd suggest AVG as a better choice.
>
> I see this recent policy of bundling firewalls (and other services) with AV
> as a bad development; it effectively removes the choice from the user. Seldom
> are all of the components in these bundled packages of good quality.
 >> Stay informed about: McAfee vs Windows firewall 

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 >> Stay informed about: McAfee vs Windows firewall 

"B. Nice" wrote:

> On Tue, 24 Oct 2006 10:19:06 -0400, null2006 <null RemoveThis @planetzero.com>
> wrote:
>
> >I disagree with your statement that the Windows firewall is adequate.
>
> I would put it this way: The windows firewall together with a little
> knowledge, precaution and common sense is far better than any personal
> firewall combined with ignorance.
>

Of course, common sense isn't so common.


>
> >Just because you aren't (knowingly) providing "outside services" from your computer,
> >doesn't mean you shouldn't have a firewall that provides some protection from
> >applications that initiate outgoing packets.
>
> Only malware would make unsolicited outgoing connections you would
> need to stop - in which case it is already too late.

It's not too late if you haven't downloaded and installed the malware yet.

>
>
> >A good, robust, updated AV package
> >isn't going to protect you from everything that you download or install
> >(knowingly or not),
>
> Agreed.
>
> >and a good home firewall isn't an unreasonable thing to have.
>
> That depends. I would promote the use of common sense instead of
> relying on application control at any time.

There's that common sense problem again.

>
>
> >I do agree with your assessment that seldom is an all-in-one suite of AV,
> >Firewall, antispam, and safe-surfing applications as good as buying well-chosen
> >specific software packages for each purpose. It may be more expensive, but worth
> >it, IMHO.
>
> Agreed. Security suites really are becoming big horrible chunks of
> code. Furthermore they tend to invent more and more useless functions
> in order to look great in the "security" market.
>
> >Comodo is a very good (free) firewall, for example.
>
> Based on what criteria do you think it is good?
>
> You need to be a techie to understand its pop-ups - especially its
> so-called "security concerns" messages. Once you are skilled enough to
> understand those and can act properly according to its messages, you
> will also understand that you don't need it any longer.

You make good points there, for if a home user just allows everything to connect to the
Internet that asks to do so, then the firewall is pretty useless. But since the Windows
firewall lets everything outbound that wants to, then it's the same thing as that, it
just takes the user out of the loop.

Once you understand how to use it (Comodo), you still need it for those very rare
instances that even an experienced user can err with.

I cannot agree that the Windows firewall is the preferred way to go, as far as firewalls
are concerned.

Have a nice day.
 >> Stay informed about: McAfee vs Windows firewall 

But, if you combine that knowledge, precaution and common sense to a
firewall known to be better than the Windows Firewall, you really have a
winning combination.

--

Regards,

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User
(For email, remove the obvious from my address)

Quote from George Ankner:
If you knew as much as you think you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!

"B. Nice" <b__nice.TakeThisOut@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:sv9sj2de8g5nln061u5mvet05v464nvnj3@4ax.com...
> On Tue, 24 Oct 2006 10:19:06 -0400, null2006 <null.TakeThisOut@planetzero.com>
> wrote:
>
>>I disagree with your statement that the Windows firewall is adequate.
>
> I would put it this way: The windows firewall together with a little
> knowledge, precaution and common sense is far better than any personal
> firewall combined with ignorance.
>
>>Just because you aren't (knowingly) providing "outside services" from your
>>computer,
>>doesn't mean you shouldn't have a firewall that provides some protection
>>from
>>applications that initiate outgoing packets.
>
> Only malware would make unsolicited outgoing connections you would
> need to stop - in which case it is already too late.
>
>>A good, robust, updated AV package
>>isn't going to protect you from everything that you download or install
>>(knowingly or not),
>
> Agreed.
>
>>and a good home firewall isn't an unreasonable thing to have.
>
> That depends. I would promote the use of common sense instead of
> relying on application control at any time.
>
>>I do agree with your assessment that seldom is an all-in-one suite of AV,
>>Firewall, antispam, and safe-surfing applications as good as buying
>>well-chosen
>>specific software packages for each purpose. It may be more expensive, but
>>worth
>>it, IMHO.
>
> Agreed. Security suites really are becoming big horrible chunks of
> code. Furthermore they tend to invent more and more useless functions
> in order to look great in the "security" market.
>
>>Comodo is a very good (free) firewall, for example.
>
> Based on what criteria do you think it is good?
>
> You need to be a techie to understand its pop-ups - especially its
> so-called "security concerns" messages. Once you are skilled enough to
> understand those and can act properly according to its messages, you
> will also understand that you don't need it any longer.
>
> /B. Nice
>
> --
> Comments I make or advice I may provide is primarily aimed at home users.
 >> Stay informed about: McAfee vs Windows firewall 

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 >> Stay informed about: McAfee vs Windows firewall 

This message is not archived
 >> Stay informed about: McAfee vs Windows firewall 

Is this conflict between McAfee and Microsoft, played out in my computer, the
cause of my McAfee VirusScan being disabled and enabled it seems randomly
throughout every day?

Does this conflict between the software giants account for the threatening
balloons at the bottom right of my screen telling me I am not protected?

Probably I should ditch Windows and McAfee. But I'm not that tech savvy.
So how do I get Windows to leave my McAfee product alone?


--
First and Ten


"B. Nice" wrote:

> On Tue, 24 Oct 2006 16:34:54 -0400, "Richard Urban"
> <richardurbanREMOVETHIS.DeleteThis@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
> >But, if you combine that knowledge, precaution and common sense to a
> >firewall known to be better than the Windows Firewall, you really have a
> >winning combination.
>
> Not really. When you gain knowledge, you also start to understand that
> the extra "protection" from so-called personal "firewalls" are a
> complete waste of time and ressources. At times they are even
> counter-productive.
>
> /B. Nice
>
> --
> Comments I make or advice I may provide is primarily aimed at home users.
>
 >> Stay informed about: McAfee vs Windows firewall 

You are, of course, entitled to your opinion. I just find it extremely
amusing that your opinion contradicts almost everything that you read on the
security web sites.

Users beware!

--

Regards,

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User
(For email, remove the obvious from my address)

Quote from George Ankner:
If you knew as much as you think you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!

"B. Nice" <b__nice.DeleteThis@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:fputj25dtpflh7omkfqr8tofkaiia9uj82@4ax.com...
> On Tue, 24 Oct 2006 16:34:54 -0400, "Richard Urban"
> <richardurbanREMOVETHIS.DeleteThis@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>>But, if you combine that knowledge, precaution and common sense to a
>>firewall known to be better than the Windows Firewall, you really have a
>>winning combination.
>
> Not really. When you gain knowledge, you also start to understand that
> the extra "protection" from so-called personal "firewalls" are a
> complete waste of time and ressources. At times they are even
> counter-productive.
>
> /B. Nice
>
> --
> Comments I make or advice I may provide is primarily aimed at home users.
 >> Stay informed about: McAfee vs Windows firewall 

This message is not archived
 >> Stay informed about: McAfee vs Windows firewall