- Platform: Windows NT / 98 / 2000 / Me / 95, Mac, Linux, Unix
- Media: CD-ROM
- Item Quantity: 1
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Product Details
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Product Description
Amazon.com Review
A firewall is a program designed to protect Internet-connected PCs from hacker attacks, and users of vulnerable PCs should invest in a good one. By a good one, we don't mean McAfee Firewall 3.0. There's a fine security program somewhere in this package, but it's buried deep beneath this utility's technical issues, a horrific tech support conundrum, and the embarrassing and wholly unprofessional errors in its documentation.
We tested McAfee Firewall in two configurations. The first consisted of a single Windows 98 SE computer connected directly to a cable modem. For the other, we installed McAfee Firewall on a Windows Me PC that served as an Internet-sharing gateway for a network of five computers, enabling them to access the Internet via a single cable modem connection.
The former installation went well. McAfee Firewall 3.0 installed uneventfully, detected the Internet connection, and prompted us to configure it to allow filtered Internet access to various programs. The latter, a more sophisticated setting, utterly baffled McAfee Firewall. It generated errors immediately when first activated and permanently blocked Internet access for the entire network.
Network Associates' technical support line urged us to visit a free Web site. Since our Internet connection was broken, we checked out the phone support options. They were available--via a 900 number with a $2.95 per minute charge. We can understand the need for Network Associates (and, in all fairness, its competitors) to charge for support time, but in a case where the Web site is inaccessible due to a company's own product, the company should provide an alternative.
We used our press credentials to get some answers, and Network Associates assured us that the errors we encountered were very rare. However, the representative couldn't appease our concerns with the tech support catch-22, nor could she assure us of a timely solution to another problem: parts of both the online and physical documentation were bewilderingly cobbled from earlier versions of McAfee Firewall, which had a different interface from Firewall 3.0. The docs refer to menus and dialogs that don't exist in this version, making them effectively useless. That's unforgivable in the case of such a complex, dynamically configurable product.
When it works, McAfee Firewall 3.0 is a secure shield between your PC and the Net at large. It passed the most stringent security tests at Steve Gibson's Web site (www.grc.com) without a hiccup. Getting to that point wasn't worth the hassle, though; until Network Associates irons out the kinks, we strongly suggest using a superior, proven firewall such as Norton Firewall or Zone Labs ZoneAlarm. --Joel Durham, Jr.
Amazon.com Product Description
McAfee Firewall prevents hackers from stealing private information, blocks Trojan horses from taking control of your PC, and denies access to any number of dangerous intruders. McAfee Firewall makes it easy to put a protective barrier around your PC. It includes a sophisticated intrusion detection system, which provides effective detection and blocking of common security threats. With this system, you can set up a firewall to activate audible alerts that notify you in real time as threats arise. It also features color-coded security alerts, detailed logging, and application-scan for Internet-capable applications with learning mode.
McAfee Firewall gives you all the power you need to control the communications into and out of your PC, ensuring that online experiences will be as safe as they are enjoyable. McAfee Firewall secures your PC's connection to the Internet whether it's via DSL, cable modem, or dialup. It runs transparently in the background, preventing hackers and other prying eyes from accessing your PC and damaging or stealing files.
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Customer Reviews
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
McAfee Firewall + AOL is a Disaster,
By A Customer
This review is from: McAfee Firewall 3.0 (CD-ROM)
If you have AOL and are thinking about purchasing a firewall, I strongly advise against it until McAfee improves its product so it will work with AOL. When I first attempted to install the product, I was unable to connect to the internet, but was able to connect to AOL. Using a backup computer, I chatted with a tech via live chat. The tech pointed me to the article on the McAfee website on "How to Configure McAfee Firewall 3 for AOL". After much effort, I finally was able to connect to the internet. However, I was still getting messages indicating that something was not right. I used the software, problems and all, for awhile and then decided to try to fix the problem. I uninstalled the firewall and then reinstalled it once again trying very carefully to follow the directions provided by McAfee. After I did this, I was unable to connect to the internet, but still able to connect to AOL. I decided to "junk" the software and uninstalled the firewall. However, after uninsntalling the firewall this time, I still could not connect to the internet. Once again I contacted McAfee via live chat (using backup computer) and was provided with instructions to manually uninstall the firewall. I was informed that there was probably some files left on the computer that related to the firewall, and told that the manual uninstall should take care of the problem. The directions assumed you still had the firewall installed. I asked the tech if that meant I should reinstall it. He said no and to just start where you edit the registry. After following all these instructions to edit the registry, I found that only one file folder relating to the firewall remained in the registry. After deleting it and rebooting, I still was unable to connect to the internet. At this point I am totally disgusted with the product. Now I can't even connect to the internet with my good computer and I'm still trying to figure out how to correct the problem. So, if you have AOL and are thinking about purchasing the Firewall 3.0, please take heed and do so at your own risk. I hope this article will prevent others from suffering like I have over the installation of something that should have been "a piece of cake"!
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Firewall and AOL ??? Forget it !!,
By A Customer
This review is from: McAfee Firewall 3.0 (CD-ROM)
This product, which was bundled with Mcafee Virus Scan Pro (I have no problems with the virus scan software)does not work with AOL on my machine running Windows ME.There is a FAQ about this issue in Mcafee's web site, but the instructions in the answer to the FAQ do not correspond with what is actually going on with the computer, hence the information is useless. I chatted with 4 different techs about this problem. Mcaffee apparently does not give you an e-mail support option. Though it says there is one in the web site, you will not be able to find it. Your only other option is a ridiculous $2.95 per minute phone support option. Anyhow, I described my problem, and all of the unsucessful fixes, to 4 different techs. I already tried all of their suggestions (the obvious updates, patches, configurations, etc)but nothing works. To make matters worse, when chatting with the techs, you dont have the option to highlight the text, or print it or save it. Consequently I had to go through ALL of the details to ALL of the techs, EACH time I contacted them. The last 2 techs I spoke with said they would e-mail me a copy of the transactions but they did not. This has been yet another example of how the computer industry has declined in recent years. You try to be an honest person by purchasing software instead of copying it from someone else. You install the product, the product DOES NOT WORK, and you get NO help from the manufacturer. I've no choice now but to give up on this product and try another brand.
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Very disappointing product,
By
This review is from: McAfee Firewall 3.0 (CD-ROM)
This firewall caused a lot of troubles to my internet connection. For example, it blocked the renewal of the IP lease from the DHCP server providing regular connection interruiptions. Also its GUI was permanently failing and required complete reinstallation. I cannot recommend to anybody the purchase of this product.
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