Zone Alarm Pro 4

Rating:
Summary: I was ONCE a big fan of Zonealarm....
Review: ...but the latest versions seem to have gone the same way as Symantec's buggy bloatware. After years as a loyal paying customer, I have uninstalled ZA from all my computers. Agnitum's Outpost Firewall is what I'm using now - and it's been problem-free.

The last few versions of ZA have given me nothing but trouble. I couldn't see flash animations on my preferred homepage. I couldn't complete certain transactions online without turning ZA off, completely defeating its purpose. I couldn't read some websites at all, and others loaded slowly, excruciating slowly, even though I have cable and most pages load with lightning speed.

Rating:
Summary: The Best Firewall Software
Review: After experiencing extreme frustration with Norton Internet Security, I bought this product as a test. I reformatted my hard drive and installed all the factory default drivers and programs, along with Norton Antivirus and Zone Alarm Pro. I have not had a problem since.

When first connecting to the Internet you have to specify which programs you want to grant access to. What is very helpful in this software is that you can ask for more information and Zone Alarm will tell you what program is associated with the .exe attempting to gain access, along with a recommendation. Once you have your primary programs configured (and configuration is easy), everything else is seamless.

I am very very pleased with the ease of setup and integration of this software with my antivirus program. I would recommend this product any day over Norton's firewall or Internet security programs.

Rating:
Summary: Great product for the $$
Review: I found a lot of negative reviews on this site. After checking some other sources and talking to some tech guru friends of mine, I decided to buy the software. It works flawlessly with my office network (single user DSL) and my home network (WiFi with a cable modem ISP). In addition, I have not seen any conflicts with Norton 2004. I love being prompted before my computer "talks" to the internet.

Intially I had a question, which caused me to email customer service. I sent the request around midnight, and I had a reply around 6:30 AM.

Rating:
Summary: Zone Alarm Pro 4 a hit
Review: I purchased Zone Alarm Pro 4 after researching several of the firewall products out there. I was skeptical at first since I didn't really know much about Broderbund's line of products, but after using the product for several weeks I can say that I am extremely pleased with its performance, reliability, and ability to block unwanted users, content, etc. One of my other concerns was that it would conflict with my Norton Antivirus program, but it has not done so at all and has worked seamlessly with it.

The program has an easy to use interface, but comes with many options to suit the more advanced user as well. It will setup the most common programs that you use to access the internet automatically, and then ask permission for other programs that you want to use as well and allow them access to your server/internet connection. You also have the option of turning off all the messages and letting it block things on it's own, but I normally like to see what content it's taking care of.

It does a great job of blocking pop-up ads, and I have not seen one since I have installed the program. It also comes with several email features that I have not used, but may come in handy for others. Overall, it is a worthy product that comes at a cheaper price than some of the other options out there. You get a year of free upgrades, and you do have to register it online with Broderbund to get the upgrades.

Rating:
Summary: This is the Best software firewall - Period.
Review: If you connect to the internet then you need ZoneAlarm. I think its the best there is when it comes to keeping the outside out. All messages coming in or going out are screened. One thing I really like over other firewalls is Zone Alarms default settings basically until you say something is safe zone alarm will not let it through, although this means as the company describes it "Zone Alarm is chatty at first but soon quietens down". For example you have to ok internet explorer and your mail client before you can use them but this only takes a few minutes. There are lots more options for techies to customize if need be.
Believe me you need this.

Rating:
Summary: Nope nope nope
Review: Product activation code is supposed to arrive within two-three business days by email. This took three weeks. And you MUST have it to run the software. After finally getting the code, we had many problems with the software BUT could not return it because by that time, the return period expired. If you have a home network, this is not a good choice.

Rating:
Summary: Does the job. And does it well.
Review: Quite frankly, Zone Alarm Pro 4 (ZAP) does the job. And does the job well. With customizable setting for programs and websites, and configurable popups to let you, the user, choose what exactly is and isn't allowed to access the internet, ZAP is essential.

Well, you might ask, "So what? A firewall is supposed to block things like that." Yes, that's true, but ZAP continually asks for permissions. Annoying? Hardly. It lets you know that it is doing the job. You can mark a popup to set it so that program can always access the internet, or you can let it access the internet for only that time, or vice versa. Think something is running in the background and slowing your computer by constantly connecting to the internet?

Chances are that is possible. It was for me. I had a lot of programs connecting to the internet that definitely should NOT have been doing so. Zone Alarm Pro 4 gave me that window and, without knowing what the program was, inspected it further. Long story short - it never happened again.

It keeps a continuous log and permission screen so you can examine/change anything. It keeps a running counter to let you know how many intrusions ZAP has blocked since the installation.

The only problem with ZAP is that it might be too confusing for those without any computer experience. However, it is a necessity and is a MUST. Security is vital.