Re: Which antivirus / security software for a home network?

Tech-Archive recommends: Repair Windows Errors & Optimize Windows Performance

In article <#qk4kk2JGHA.1192@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, "John R Weiss"
<jrweiss98155(at)@[NOSPAM].comcast(dot).net> wrote:
>"Steven Lyall" <steven.lyall@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote...
>> Many thanks - will look at these,
>>>
>>> I don't recommend any Norton products.  In my opinion, they're large,
>>> complex, and hard to troubleshoot if something goes wrong.  There are
>>> other products that I find easier to install and use, equally
>>> effective, and less trouble-prone than Norton.
>>>
>>> For antivirus, I recommend F-Prot for Windows, eTrust EZ-Antivirus,
>>> and Avast.
>
>I second the choice of F-Prot Antivirus.  Not only is it relatively small, 
>unobtrusive, and efficient, but it is inexpensive when you consider the cost 
>covers up to 5 computers on a personal LAN.
>
>However, I believe a software firewall is essential for any laptop that may be 
>taken off a personal LAN and connected elsewhere, and is a good idea for 
>monitoring outgoing traffic even on a LAN behind a router.
>
>I have just switched from ZoneAlarm to Kerio firewall 
>(www.sunbelt-software.com/), based in part on a recommendation from Steve Gibson 
>(www.grc.com) in his "Security Now" podcast series.  It has about half the 
>footprint of ZoneAlarm, and has some nifty anti-popup features as well.  The 
>free download is a 30-day trial of the full version (only $14.95), and reverts 
>to the free-version functionality after 30 days.  I'm only in my first week of 
>evaluating Kerio, but I believe I will be registering it soon.  I have learned a 
>lot about the way some of my apps work, just by observing the various Kerio 
>messages during its "learning" phase.

Thanks for the information, John.  I'm interested to hear about Kerio,
especially since Sunbelt has taken it over.

I'm looking for a simple, small-footprint, reliable software firewall
to recommend to my consulting clients, particularly those who have
Windows 9x and 2000 (which don't have a built-in Windows firewall).
How suitable do you think Kerio is for non-techie people?  Does it
take a lot of configuration?

I use F-Prot for Windows on my main computer and my wife's computer.
First of all, it's a great program.  And at $29/year for a 5-computer
home license and $50/year for a 10-computer commercial license, it's a
great bargain.
-- 
Best Wishes,
Steve Winograd, MS-MVP (Windows Networking)

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