Need Advice on Anti Virus and Firewall Apps

[savedbygrace]

I've used Semantec, Grisoft's AVG, and Panda AV apps. None of those have been satisfactory. They all tend to use too much system resources, or cause other problems.

Currently, I'm using Panda AV, but it is causing start up problems and it seems to have a mind of its own WRT running scans.

On the firewall front, I've used Zone Alarm Pro, but it slows my WinXP computer down. I've forgotten the names of the succession of other firewall apps I've used. Currently, the Panda AV app I'm using also provides a firewall.

I'm not defenseless even without a firewall app, because I have a hardware router.

So, bottom line: What anti virus and firewall apps would you recommend?

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Does the motherboard hava spare SATA port....and a slot to mount a seperate hard drive....HDD's insanely cheap...I just picked up a Seagate 1.5 Terabyte board at Fry's for $129....

If you do I can show you how to boot from the drive with BIOS adjustments ...and depending on the processor ...we can figure out a Linux that will run ... Doesn't have to be a SATA port if you haven't used all of the IDE ports available..

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Seagate 1.5 Terabyte drive....typo correction... lower capacity drives can be had for much less of course.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Looks like Newegg has 80 Gig HDD for 35.00...either IDE or SATA from Seagate or Western Digital.

OEM will not have any anything other than the drive.

[Marine_Uncle]

Thanks for your further input. I am holding off on spending money other then for very needed home repairs etc., at present. I don't know if I want to get back into Linux. I had since it's early days put together a number of systems using Linux. It was the flag ship of the little company I tried to get started with another guy, that failed.
I understand the virtues of Linux being a UNIX person for many years, administrating, being sole root user on some, etc..
Perhaps If I can stand to work at Home Depot for another year and get over the hump in the large amounts of money I lost in past, I will look into a new system. I got three PC's sitting next to me, and two old Linux servers as it be, just mostly collecting dust due to their age.
Think first releases of Red Hat Linux. That is when I got into Linux for personal use as well as the business end.
None of my hardware is of recent vintage, quite limited.
But again thanks for your offers.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Well Linux is a much simpler install now than what you did...I remeber the early days of AIX...as an MVS guy I just didn't want to fuss with it... Now about those old machines...we had a discussion going the other night with someone having an old machine and wanted to find a Linux that might fit on it..... There are some aimed at pretty old hardware....Puppy Linux out of Australia is something to look at...

A 386 with some memory ...I am not sure how small it can go....the CD ISO is under 100 Mg...

Checking the forum....found this:

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For the record I'm delighted to be able to say that puppy 3.98 is running a little slowly but usably on a Toshiba Portege 3110CT pentium II 300mhz with 64MB ram. I'm hoping to upgrade the ram but I'm really pleased to be able to use puppy and revive a previously unused laptop.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Yes 3.98 is the beta 4

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picked that up on a Ubuntu board.... So the latest Puppy is 4.1 so I would guess RAM requirements haven't changed.

[CedarDave]

I also use AVG 8, but had to turn off everything except the auto update, email check and Anti-Virus. All their other background stuff caused a system slowdown. I liked ver 7/7.5, but was forced in to 8 for auto-updates.

I'm still using AVG version 7.5 and it is still being updated daily though it was supposed to be superseded by ver. 8 last summer. I was going to upgrade to the free version of ver. 8, but found it too bloated. Will continue to use 7.5 until they quit updating then switch to Avast.

[Marine_Uncle]

Understand your input. But I am thinking of very large RAM memory capacity machine with large fast scsii hard drives in the future, I am holding off a bit. As time and funds permit I will get a bit more serious in investigating what I think I want to invest in. And currently my 1 ghertze PC is holding up. So I am hold off for a bit.
On other things. I have keeped a low profile in my responding to the many that ping me due to work schedules keeping me a bit numb. But I have been scanning the boards for any new developments in what is posted. I as you and many here most probably now see clearly we where not trying to be unfair nor inaccurate in our asssesment as how bad Zero would be. Now with Pelosi and Reid in complete control on the Hill and this bag of useless wind as POTUS we are very very very deep in the doodoo, or is it properly called shit (forgive me admins, I'm weary).
Hang in there.

[rabscuttle385]

Then, after I see that the two are working for me and not driving me crazy, then I’ll purchase the $$$ versions of each. I’d go ahead and purchase now, but I’ll be doing this for 3 PCs, and that would be something like $150.

If you do end up purchasing Nod32, make sure you get a multi-year, multi-PC license (with corresponding discounts).

[Bikkuri]

Thank you for that link :)

I am actually better than I thought I might be. Can’t seem to get a router going here since all of them are in Japanese... but running Comodo (FireWall) and AVG.... I passed every test as “stealth”.
I feel much better... just wish I could get a good router here :/
Bikk

[TomGuy]

Can’t seem to get a router going here since all of them are in Japanese

Can you not get English instructions/manual online?

Some products I buy have instructions in a dozen languages.

[woollyone]

I’m no expert, but Avast works for me...and it’s free

http://www.avast.com/

[savedbygrace]

OK, I installed NOD32 (30 day free trial) and Online Armour (free version) this morning. I’ve been running for about 3 hours with this new configuration now, and my entire computer is noticeably snappier.

So far, so good. I’ll give it a week or two, then if everything’s still good, I’ll purchase both apps for all 3 PCs.

[savedbygrace]

I’ve been a Seagate guy for several years now, but their latest problems with the 7200.11 drives is changing my mind.

I just spec’ed some Hitachi drives for a client last week.

[mysterio]

Not a firewall, but I would recommend running Malwarebytes regularly. It's free, and it has fixed my computer from attacks that I almost had to format the hard drive to get rid of.

[savedbygrace]

Someone upthread had recommended that, and I thought I had downloaded it. Instead, I think I got distracted by another app on their site. I’ve downloaded it now, and ran a quick scan. It found one rootkit in my registry. Imagine that.

[arthurus]

I just switched my firewall to Online Armor because my firewall was slowing things down pretty bad. Online Armor is a great improvement. I will give it a little time and then probably buy the full version of this one.

[savedbygrace]

I’m still loving it.

[Bikkuri]

Even with online instructions in English, the root of the router (home address) is still all in Kanji :/

[savedbygrace]

I just hate it when you’re fixing one thing and something else breaks. I installed all three security apps on all three computers, and suddenly, on my wife’s computer, I lost the connection from my Ethernet switch. Got the little icon with the two computers and the red X over top.

So, I go through the usual troubleshooting steps - I swap ports on the switch - No change, I pull the Ethernet cable from her computer and connect it to my MacBook, connection good.

So, the 100 ft cable and the switch are both good.

Windows tells me the Ethernet port on the mobo is good, but no green light, no connection. It says the cable isn’t hooked up.

I disabled the Online Armour firewall. No change. Checked to make sure the Windows firewall hadn’t activated itself - it hadn’t.

So, I need to buy a NIC, I guess. Bummers.

BTW, the signal flow is: DSL modem > Apple Airport Extreme Base Station > D-Link 8-port gigabit Ethernet switch > computers