Using CA Personal Firewall 2007
Reviewer's Rating of CA Personal Firewall 2007: 1½ out of 5
Overview:
This Windows firewall application was designed with home computer users in mind. It is a security application that diligently strives to keep would-be hackers at bay and away from your computer. Make no mistake, while anti-virus and anti-spyware applications help keep your computer secure, you need a firewall, too, especially for Internet-connected computers.
While home network routers offer a hardware firewall layer of protection, a software firewall is one more layer of protection that is good to have on your computer. One application that helps you monitor incoming and outgoing traffic on your Internet connected computer is CA Personal Firewall 2007.
Pros of CA Personal Firewall 2007:
The program interface layout is nicely done.
The buttons are clear and easy to read. The basic settings and options should be easy to understand for computer users of any level. Using all the default settings, I ran GRC’s ‘Shields Up’ port tester – and it passed on all tests. The firewall also puts your ports in stealth mode (essentially making your computer appear invisible) to would-be hackers trying to find any open or vulnerable ports on your computer. You can get support via e-mail, chat and by reading the online documentation on the developer’s web page. You can also clear your Internet cache and history with this application (I would expect those options to be part of the CA Anti-Spyware 2007 application instead of the firewall). You are allowed to use this application on up to three computers within your household. Worth noting, no need to disable the Windows firewall, the application will do this for you.
Cons of CA Personal Firewall 2007:
I found the application blocked too many ports for my liking. I can understand having a secure system, however, each time I attempted to use my Internet browser I was asked if I wanted to allow this behavior. It did not do a good job of remembering that I wanted to allow Internet access. Once I restarted my computer, it would ask the same question again, even though I put a check mark in the ‘Remember this setting’ box and then selecting ‘Allow’. I could not get the Vista version to play nice with my file transfer protocol (FTP) server program. I created an exception rule in the firewall settings to allow the FTP server. No dice, Vista crashed and automatically rebooted whenever I attempted to FTP a file to another computer on my network. I had to disable the firewall temporarily to be able to use my FTP server on Vista. Another Vista annoyance, UAC popped up each and every time I made a setting change on the application. Telephone support comes with an additional charge of $29.99 per incident. The advanced options are great for ueber-geeks, not so good for the beginner or intermediate level users. CA should have continued to license the firewall engine from Zone Alarm instead of having a go of it themselves.
Comments:
A firewall that offers good stealth protection. Buyer beware. I actually find it highly advisable to use a different firewall application – even if you happen to get the CA Internet Security Suite 2007 – either do not install it during initial set up, or just disable it in the options window and use the Windows firewall or another third-party solution such as the Comodo Personal Firewall.
Price: US$39.99
