Customer Reviews

ZoneAlarm Pro Firewall

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

This program comes highly recommended by the techies, but the average computer user needs to be aware that Zone Alarms technical support site has very limited and difficult to decipher information. You don't get even one contact with a customer support representative unless you pay a stiff fee. Initially, it appeared that Zone Alarm's approach to protection from the nasties on the internet was to deny me all internet access. I found some helpful information from another ZA user, and I still have ZA installed, but if the company had been my only resource, I would have had to trash the whole program. Periodically, I still have problems with ZA denying me internet access unless I reboot my computer.

Upon installing this software, my computer slowed down to "snail speed" on startup. It took at least four times longer to boot up than without it. I uninstalled in within a half hour after installing. It is even difficut to uninstall . . . I had to go to "msconfig" and uncheck it prior to uninstall, because it wouldn't uninstall otherwise. I have a great system, Pentium D 940, 3.2 Ghz,4 Gb RAM, so even though that I knew the software was a "memory hog" I expected it would work okay, but I'm going to stick with Norton Antivirus, Spy Sweeper and Spyware Doctor to protect my PC.

Takes a little effort to get all the permissions set up but it has definitely stopped several excursions by unwanted others into my laptop. Does a good job as a Cookie Killer too

I have installed Zone Alarm on two computers, both new and my experience has been excellent. One of the other "famous security suites" was so intrusive, I couldn't go online, couldn't receive e-mail, had total child protection turned on and I couldn't turn it off, despite being a solo adult. So, the download is easy, the options are clear and after a few questions the software learns your preferences. When unwanted spyware or similar enters your computer you are told and if its something you know, you are always given the option of keeping it, or not, the choice is yours. I'm buying this copy for a friend who is fairly new to computers to keep her safe and happy with her experience. As for me, I will never use anything else.

I really enjoy using this software firewall. Once you set it up, it is very easy to use, and very effective, too. I highly recommend using this product, especially if you use DSL like I do. Don't go on the internet without using this product, and with the privacy filter, you are protected.

Just don't understand why this product gets so many attention. It's assumed that the product will block "bad programs" to visit outside (internet) so you don't loss data. However, don't believe it!

While it blocks "unauthorized" programs access Internet DIRECTLY, it DOESN'T block those programs call "authorized" programs such as "Internet Explorer","Firefox" to access outside. A simple script can generate a local form file and use IE to post it outside, sending data to anywhere it want without letting you know it at all.

Once a spyware installed under your administrator account, accessing outside is always a piece of cake. Zonealarm just gives you the false confidence.

The first time you start ZoneAlarm after you install it, it phones home by opening up a web page with all sorts of tracking and profiling information about you and your computer. It sends the install key, then it sends stats about what you have installed, and of course your computer IP. It doesn't ask whether it may do this and it bypasses all its locks in order to do it. Neat trick for a program someone has just bought to lock down spyware isn't it?

After that it proceeds to make Vista completely unstable. Explorer crashes when I enter "v" on the start menu. ZA and Adobe Version Cue don't work well together apparently. There is a persistent but lasting back two versions where it thinks every program is trying to access the dns port of random servers. e.g. notepad.exe will apparently want to access port 53 of cnn.com if that's what you accessed last.

The expert firewall rules don't work. After adding a rule to allow all dns requests, you still get the popups every time.

another new bug with 2009: if you want to have ZA ask every time you start a program (e.g. firefox.exe) previously it would ask once and then never again till you restart it. Now ZA will pop up a request popup every few minutes.