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There are many free softwares to defend & keep your Windows secured when you’re online. One of them is a Firewall program. In addition to firewall, we also know antivirus programs, anti spyware, anti adware and other defender freewares for our online activities.

Keeping my computer safe is essential for me. I use two AntiVirus programs, AVG Free Edition & avast! Home Edition. I love both. Sometimes when one doesn’t recognize any trojans, another supports the hole. i do not recommend you to use two or more same programs, because not only will they eat your memory resources but sometimes will also generate some conflicts between each other. I’ll write more detailed articles about AntiVirus programs next posts in HWDOT.com in TWEAK WINDOWS category, so stay tuned.

OK, Now It’s time for Firewall…

To protect yourself from hacker attacks, you need a firewall. In effect, a firewall shuts your computer’s door to hackers, allowing only authorized traffic to flow through. Antivirus software protects you from known viruses and can help clean up after a virus attack. But only a firewall can block unauthorized access to your Internet-connected computer and protect against both known and unknown malicious software and Internet threats. At the same time, a firewall allows your computer complete, unrestricted access to the Internet.

I’ve used Zone Alarm Free Edition for a few years. I was never interested in other firewall programs before. I thought, Zone Alarm Free Edition was enough for me than my ’standard-default’ Windows XP firewall. i kept using ZA even though it’s “limited” (PRO Features are disabled).

After blogwalking in the last few days, i’m interested in a good firewall which comes with PRO Feature but with FREE costs :). It’s called Comodo Firewall Professional (Comodo Firewall Pro). It’s very rare to see, a Quality Firewall software that comes with free license (Freeware) but includes ALL FULL Features (aka PRO edition). You may be surprised that this freeware is FREE for Commercial USE too! Wow, interesting.

I used to search at google.com for more reviews, what other users said about a freeware, to find out whether it is a Quality product. Many reviews have ranked Comodo higher than ZoneAlarm so i’ll share the results. In this post I’ll try to compare Comodo with Zone Alarm Free Edition. I’ll talk about the firewall features, what is the strength and weakness including my reasons to switch over to Comodo Firewall Pro from ZoneAlarm free edition.

OK, Let’s start..

> What’s Comodo Firewall Pro?
Comodo Firewall Pro (CFP; previously COMODO Firewall) is a freeware firewall developed by Comodo Group that provides protection on a Microsoft Windows operating system from both inbound and outbound attacks.

While on a 2006 independent review comprised of outbound application filtering tests and leak tests, version 1.1.005 gained only a medium score, on another independent review based on leak tests in 2007, the newer version 2.4.18.184 was rated amongst the best Windows personal firewalls with the highest score when configured at its highest security settings. Version 3.0 includes HIPS (Host Intrusion Prevention System) technology, to protect a computer from unknown attacks. (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comodo_Firewall_Pro)

The program still provides a wide variety of information and options for advanced users, but it’s simple enough for beginners, and runs smoothly and silently in the background.

> Comodo Firewall Pro 3 vs. ZoneAlarm Free Edition
+ Comodo can pass firewall leak tests that ZoneAlarm Free can’t.
+ Comodo supports internet connection sharing, while the free versions of ZoneAlarm do not. On the minus side the IDS is initially rather talkative and this can unnecessarily alarm inexperienced users.
+ Yeah, I can say that ZoneAlarm Pro is an excellent firewall (for USD 39.95), but Zone Alarm Free is crap (only Basic protection). There is a huge difference in the 2 ZA versions. The free version of the ZoneAlarm firewall is a very basic product compared to the commercial ZoneAlarm Pro version. The leak-test performance of the latest free version is extremely poor while the Pro version is excellent.
+ ZA Free download also includes the large commercial ZoneAlarm suite.
+ Unlike some other ‘free’ firewalls, Comodo Firewall Pro is not a stripped down version but is the full, completely functional product. Updates and upgrades are also free. it’s also Free for Commercial Use!
+ ZoneAlarm is easier to use. The free version of ZoneAlarm is an easy to use firewall, a not very configurable software targeted at the computer illiterate: noobs and kids.
+ If performance rather than ease-of-use is your criterion then the Comodo firewall is your choice. The firewall itself is very robust and the just released version 3 includes a well designed intrusion detection system and Vista compatibility as well.

> My Reasons to Switch:
I switched over to Comodo Firewall Pro 3 from ZoneAlarm Free edition. I find it better in every respect. Comodo recognizes thousands of known programs as safe resulting in less popups and firewall alerts and uses less resources. Comodo uses very less system resource as compared to ZoneAlarm. It have got a very user friendly interface too. Last but not least, It’s FREE !!!

> Comodo Firewall Pro 3.0 Screenshot:

> What’s new in Comodo’s Firewall version 3:
+New Clean PC Mode
+New Defense+ Host Intrusion Prevention System
+New Training Mode
+New Application Recognition Database
+Advanced Network Firewall Engine > Improved
+Security rules interface > Improved
+Graphical User Interface > Improved
+Pop-Up Alerts > Improved
+Event logging > Improved

> Comodo Firewall Pro 3.0 Features:
The Award-Winning Free Firewall Software
* Secures against internal and external threats
* Host Intrusion Prevention System stops malware ever being installed
* Complete protection from Hackers, Spyware and Identity theft
* Delivers total end-point security for Personal Computers and Networks
* Free Download. No charges or license fees ever.

System Requirements (version 3.0)
* Windows XP – 32 and 64 bit versions
* Windows Vista – 32 and 64 bit versions
* 64 Mb RAM
* 50 Mb free disk space
Note – Windows 2000 users should download Comodo Firewall Pro 2.4

FREE DOWNLOAD Comodo Firewall Pro

> Here, Step by Step to switch over to Comodo Firewall Pro from ZoneAlarm Free Edition
1. First, download Comodo Firewall Pro so you don’t have to download when ZA is gone.
2. Go to ZA settings, set not to load at startup, Restart.
3. Shutdown ZA. Uninstall it. Restart the system.
4. Install Comodo Firewall Pro.

Notes:
+ You should turn off windows firewall when using a third party firewall.
+ Make sure though, you install it in the “Advanced” mode as the “Basic” installation has the HIPS and outbound protection disabled.

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