Gman wrote:
Bruce Chambers wrote:
cfman wrote:
Can I prevent some unrecognized network communications which are originated
from my PC from being initiated?

Certainly. Simply install and properly configure a personal firewall.


Ah, but here's the rub, Bruce, 'simply' and 'properly configured'
should not be used in the same sentence when discussing ZoneAlarm, or
any of the other personal firewalls.

Given all of the XP and other app's processes (most with unrecognizable
titles and unfathomable function) that insist on communicating with
something in the great beyond to function, the average user (I am one
of them) doesn't have a clue about how to properly configure a
firewall, which processes to Allow and which ones to Block. For us, it
is not simple.

After wrestling with ZoneAlarm alerts for several months, and getting
no help from the ZA User Forums, Google searches or anything else as to
what's good and what's bad, I just gave up, removed ZA and live, albeit
with a good deal of paranoia, with the XP firewall, meticulously
running various scans, sweeps and using a divining rod on a weekly
basis to detect and remove any scumware that slid in past that
firewall.

If there were a cookbook solution for properly configuring ZoneAlarm,
Kerio or any of the other personal firewalls, I think we average users
would be more amenable to using one of those two-way firewall.

If you, or anyone else knows of such a cookbook, point us in the right
direction.

Just one man's opinion, Bruce.

What's to configure? You just install it, and let it do its job. There
is no need to tweak it at all! If something is suspicious it will ask
you what to do, and will then remember what you decided. I've not used
Kerio, but when I used ZoneAlarm it was simple to install and simple to
use. Just right for beginners.

Cheers,

Cliff