When I first started using a cable connection to the Internet, I downloaded BlackIce as my chosen firewall protection. It came highly recommended by the cable technician and also several friends so I went ahead with the registration. It wasn't long before I started noticing software conflicts that I hadn't experienced prior to installing BlackIce. My system was constantly locking up and giving me those nasty blue screens with error messages about VMX/VMD problems.

I contacted Compaq and they told me that those error messages indicated there was a problem with either the software or the processor. I was just sure it couldn't be the processor because the computer was practically new. The customer service representative ran through several troubleshooting tests with me and finally asked if there was any new software I had added to my system. After informing him of the two most recent software additions, we proceeded to uninstall BlackIce and the ICQ upgrade. I haven't experienced any errors since. Although I can't say for sure, it is my opinion that it was the BlackIce program and not the ICQ upgrade causing the trouble. I had been using the new version of ICQ without fail for at least two months and had not experienced trouble.

Now that I was without BlackIce, I needed a new firewall system to protect my system. I read several reviews on the various products available and decided on Zone Alarm for it's ease of installation and the satisfactory ratings it received from other members.

Installation

Zone Alarm was a relatively small download at 2.76MB and took less then five seconds to download via cable connection. Once the program has downloaded, simply click on the icon to start the installation process.

The program will ask you a few simple questions in order to complete the installation:

• How Do You Connect To The Internet? : The pull down menu will offer options including LAN, Cable, DSL, ISDN, and other choices.

• How Do You Plan to Use Zone Alarm? : This is to determine whether it will be for business, personal, or institutional use. The program is free for personal use.

• How Many Computers? : Just select the number from the pull down menu to answer.

That's all there really is to it. After you have successfully installed the program, you can then configure it for the settings you desire.

Configuring Zone Alarm

My technical knowledge when it comes to firewall safety is limited so the less complicated the better. This was my first time installing a firewall program on my own since a friend installed BlackIce and they handled the entire configuration for me. I was terrified that I was either not going to be able to do the configuration or I would make a big mess of it. Fortunately, Zone Alarm makes configuring the program for your system a snap.

There are five main tabs at the top of the program when opened.

• Alerts: Inside this section, there are two sets of up and down graphs in the upper left corner. Similar to an equalizer feature on an audio program, these will light up in red and green when there is Internet traffic. The two lower graphs keep a history of activity that has occurred while your computer was in use. For example, there is a summary bar that offers the history for today. So far today, I have sent 16.79KB and have received 89.42KB.

Also in this section is a Current Alerts Box, which offers the most recent action taken by the program. You can select to have these alerts shown to you each time via a popup window or you can disable that feature. Here is an example of the messages you will see when accessing this section (the numbers have been edited):

The firewall has blocked Internet access to your computer (HTTP) from 198.555.55.55 (TCP Port 4665) [TCP Flags: S].
Time: 7/19/01 12:28:24 PM

You can either click on the button to access more information on this address or you can choose to clear the alerts. If you request more information, you are taken to the AlertAnalyzer at the zonelabs.com site to retrieve technical information on this intrusion. It will tell you the information available on the address, what happened, whether you should be concerned, and what action to take if any.

• Lock: This option basically allows you to lock and block all incoming and outgoing traffic to your computer system. There is a large padlock icon that will be in either a locked or unlocked position, depending on what you have chosen. This section is easy to configure and you have the option to set it to automatic lock, which you can set to lock when the screensaver is activated or for a set amount of time.

• Security Panels: In this section, you set the security for both your local and Internet zones. In a nutshell, the local zone is a list of computers that you trust and the Internet zone is all outside computers. You can easily configure your local zone to include neighboring computers, friends, and family so that they have access to your system.

Another nice security feature is the MailSafe option, which removes VBS (visual basic scripts) files that have arrived via POP3 mail as an attachment. The files aren't deleted or even scanned but are kept so you can decide whether you want to open them or not. This is one feature that I have not used because my virus scanning software automatically scans and alerts me to attachments.

• Programs Panel: This option lets you know what applications have attempted access to the Internet from your computer. For example, the first time I clicked on Internet Explorer after installing Zone Alarm, I was asked whether I wanted to allow the connection. After the initial selection, you are then prompted on whether you want to be asked again in the future. Select 'no' if this is a program that you use on a regular basis.

• Configuration Panel: In this area, you configure whether you want Zone Alarm to load at startup and whether you want the program to automatically check the site for updates.

Overall, the configuration was relatively easy and there are many defaults set so unless you want advanced features, there is little for the end user to do.

Security Levels

There are three security levels in your local and Internet zones including low, medium, and high. The default setting for the local zone is medium, which makes your computer visible to local and trusted computers that are in your zone. If you select the high setting, also known as 'stealth mode', you are blocking local computers from accessing your files and printers.

For the Internet zone, the default setting is the 'stealth mode'. This is a very impressive feature that makes your computer invisible to all outside computers. All of your unused ports as well as your files and printer sharing capabilities are locked.


Overall Thoughts

Zone Alarm is my recommendation for basic firewall protection. It is easy to configure, easy to use, and runs in the background while you surf the Internet.

The only problem I have had with this program is being unable to activate or locate the Desk Band Toolbar, which is a small banner version of the program that runs on your desktop. After finally realizing that I had to click on the Windows taskbar and not the Zone Alarm icon to activate the program, I was able to select the option. However, even after selecting to activate the toolbar, it still refuses to work. The site offered little in the way of help other then instructions on activating. I am still waiting for a response from their customer support service.

Other then that, I have been more satisfied with the performance of Zone Alarm then I ever was with BlackIce. I experience far fewer false alerts and duplicates alerts and have experienced absolutely no conflicts with other software programs.

If you are looking for a decent firewall program to protect your system while using the Internet, Zone Alarm is not only dependable but the standard version is absolutely free. You can purchase an upgrade to the Zone Alarm Pro version for $39.95 to get even more features and protection.




Recommended: Yes