Someone reviewed v on Jul 5, 2022

Pros: 555

Cons: 555

Bottom Line: 555

nilst2006 reviewed v9.3.037.000 on Sep 23, 2010

Crapware, malware and now scareware !

jorgosch reviewed v9.3.037.000 on Sep 21, 2010

Not only is their software mediocre, now they join the ranks of SCAREWARE programs that pretend you're infected to make you buy an upgraded version.

CyberDoc999 reviewed v9.0.114.000 on Sep 29, 2009

Buggy.... bloated
also would not install on my other 64 bit system

tafugate reviewed v9.0.112.000 on Sep 24, 2009

the trouble folks have with zonealarm, or any other software product, is they don't understand the way some products conflict. if there are remnants of norton, comodo, outpost, whatever, they're going to have problems with any software firewall. i've used trials of nearly every software firewall, and zonealarm always keeps ending up back on my machines.

LakotaElf reviewed v9.0.112.000 on Sep 23, 2009

I use zone alarm with the antivirus as well and I have never had a problem, it has never slowed down my computer, bootup or not. So I have no idea why others have such problems. I like it and think it is one of the best. It does a good job in my estimation without any problems at all. Well none so far and I have used it for years.

celibate1 reviewed v8.0.298.000 on Apr 14, 2009

borisf98 is right, JUNK! Slows down bootup and shutdown, cannot disable autoupdate, even blocks some system tray icons from loading when it's screwing up the bootup.

borisf98 reviewed v8.0.298.000 on Feb 24, 2009

This software is a junk. Guaranteed to to screw up your internet connection and some of the programs

outofspace reviewed v8.0.059.000 Final on Oct 24, 2008

it dont install on my xp, some dll was missing. Its no worth to download

borisf98 reviewed v8.0.059.000 Final on Oct 19, 2008

Horrible. After I uninstalled it, it totally screwed up my Internet connection.

toasale reviewed v8.0.059.000 Final on Oct 17, 2008

Outpost is THE best and I feel ZA isn't too far behind - that's why the 4.

Undesired Username reviewed v8.0.059.000 Final on Oct 17, 2008

Would be great if it didn't suck.

-Lord- reviewed v8.0.059.000 Final on Oct 17, 2008

I dare you... go ahead.

hardgiant reviewed v8.0.059.000 Final on Oct 17, 2008

Still the best firewall on the market. Tried to replace it with others and they just didn't work as well.

I use Windows Vista and it's runs for days without reboot and performs without hiccups.

Only downside is that there is still no 64 bit version.

Roger Rabbit reviewed v8.0.059.000 Final on Oct 17, 2008

Bloat makes me laugh.

sturgess reviewed v8.0.020.000 Beta on Aug 26, 2008

I don't understand how it can be beta and Shareware. Beta is for stuff that's not yet recommended for general use. So you download this program and it may wreck your machine but you are still expected to pay for it ? barmy ! Now if they let me play around with it and report back to them for free I'll give it a whirl, but no way am I paying for a beta. I'll still give it a 4 as I use their firewall and have done for 5 years or more and I tried their Forcefield beta, now that was free !

Ciolouse reviewed v7.1.254.000 Beta on Mar 11, 2008

Paranoia just make me laugh :p

incisor reviewed v7.1.254.000 Beta on Mar 11, 2008

@Ciolouse
why do you use a firewall at all than?
If a product includes backdoors to avoid the protection mechanism it`s just a matter of time before this backdoor gets abused by 3th party tools...

giving access to your machine? no!
http://www.theinquirer.n...-0wnz-popular-firewalls

outofspace reviewed v7.1.254.000 Beta on Mar 11, 2008

no support for 64bit what a shame

oldcodger reviewed v7.1.254.000 Beta on Mar 10, 2008

Downloaded the version linked here but when trying to install it, says that it is for Vista only.
added:
Just checked their website and this version is only for Vista.
(Beta Version for Windows Vista 32-bit only)

VoODoOChilD reviewed v7.1.248.000 on Feb 29, 2008

Well zone alarm was amongst the first few softwares i always installed on a new os to protect* myself from xyz &

NOW: http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=29157

This is sad!

digitalking reviewed v7.0.408.000 on Oct 9, 2007

Easiest to configure. Does what it says it does. Nice interface. Excellent "training" when you first start using it. One of the originators of the home software firewall, they are still putting out a great product.

kustodian reviewed v7.0.408.000 on Sep 16, 2007

This is the best firewall around, but the version post 6.5 had a performance problem. Every time you wanted to start an application you have to wait 1-3 seconds for the application to even start loading and this was very annoying, but all that changed in this version.
The system is running smoothly, I didn't even realize that ZAP is running until it asked me to allow something :)
Check Point finally did their job!

utomo reviewed v7.0.408.000 on Sep 16, 2007

Za need to make all the software they produce lighter.
especially the ZA antivirus and ZA security suite

Nikkie reviewed v7.0.408.000 on Sep 15, 2007

Zonealarm has never failed me.You guys need to get the right one for your os and the type that suites you.There is a variety of combos available.I normally just go with the security suite but for some, with needs for a good firewall with great features, this will do fine..

some of you really need to upgrade.yes, many programs are cutting down on resources but i've noticed people are holding onto their extremely old pc's.even nod32 is about to beat you over the head with resources soon.they are going ''security suite'' very soon.

i agree that zonealarm should try to cut down but they do include a lot.it makes sense it would be more than a single program.you are running a few programs with a good amount of features, in one.
but i do agree that they should cut back a bit.i'm sure they will in time.it runs fine on my pc, though..

I've tested almost all scanner.Avg finds hardly anything and doesn't clean it.they leave that up to you.Bitdefender is fantastic but the common user may have issues with the firewall.well worth your money though.nod32 is the smallest footprint and really finds almost everything.you have to know wether to delete certian infected files.a search with google with help you best.
kaspersky can be a pain cause of the pop ups.the common user may get annoyed.both zonalarm and kespersky use the same definitions.avast may try to warn you of an infection but it cant clean it sometimes.you are left to search online.on a few different pc's, we got a virus that avast couldnt remove.i had to go online and manually remove it.even so, i had notepad pop up when i removed it.i then had to clean up a few things in the registry.thats really not user friendly.free or not, that isnt ready for prime time :)

zonealarm has always worked in the backround.did its scan and asked for you to click done every now and then.updates itself and cleans up.the settings arnt hard to figure out.its all there and in your face.people need to just read the sentence next to the picture :)..pop up books anyone? :) geez.

once you set things based upon your prefrence, you are good to go.

p.s this is a BETA forum..

Jegar48 reviewed v7.0.408.000 on Sep 13, 2007

Over priced junk, took Zone Alarm off my machine and went to Comodo Firewall and Avast!!. Less problems, better protection and they are free.

lucianct reviewed v7.0.408.000 on Sep 13, 2007

it's my favorite security suite... i like it because it's very customizable and has a lot of features... but it's a little bit pricey... i got norton on sale with 20$...

rburly reviewed v7.0.408.000 on Sep 13, 2007

I've used this prog for the past 2-3 years with no problem. I actually bought another year abour 2 months ago. About 6 weeks ago I started having 90-95 of my System Resources used, dragging my computer to a halt. If it wasn't VSMON, it was ZLCLT dragging my computer. I bought a new desktop and wouldn't think of putting this on it. Good riddance.

toasale reviewed v7.0.408.000 on Sep 13, 2007

Since they went to v7.0 and higer, this product has been the bane of many a user/former user. I of the last senario beta tested for many versions with them; used the product and enjoyed it - but not anymore!

ao9news reviewed v7.0.337.000 on Jul 7, 2007

I dont't know, I just installed Vista, and all was good and well, but right after I installed this latest ZA (free) Firefox now starts VERY slowly. Uninstalled ZA, and firefox came back to being very fast like before I installed it. I don't know, maybe Firefox doesn't react well with firewalls, but ZA hasn't been exactly too keen on performance since their sellout, I think.

If someone has a fix for this let me know please. There are not many other firewalls for Vista right now.

PamelaKren reviewed v7.0.337.000 on Jun 29, 2007

Zone Alarm "Upgrade" 7.0.337.000 is an utter CPU hog.

It has 2 processes named ScanningProcess.exe which, even on my 3.20GHz Pentium 4 system with 2GB of RAM, hogs 100% of the CPU for 5-10 minutes at a time!

The cursor freezes, the browser freezes -- the only way to get anything done is to turn off anti-virus or shut the whole ZA Suite down!

My previous Zone Alarm -- the 2007 Zone Alarm Security Suite -- which came in a box, worked beautifully and stayed out of my way.

The "Update" has rendered ZoneAlarm into a nuisance and something that has to be managed constantly by turning it off and on to get anything done -- I HATE IT!

Whoever designed it this way should be shot -- ZoneAlarm is NOT the only program on my computer that needs to run!

digitalking reviewed v7.0.337.000 on Apr 4, 2007

This is the most easily configured firewall out there, with the most options available for blocking\allowing ports, IPs, allowing only certain programs to use defined ports, etc. This is not found on Commodo, or others. I have used the trials of all popular firewalls, and this one offers the most bang for your buck. If your looking for free, I agree free ZoneAlarm is not the greatest, but the Pro kicks!

merlin666 reviewed v7.0.337.000 on Mar 21, 2007

Works fine so far. But what's new in this build?

LimeBreath reviewed v7.0.334.000 on Mar 15, 2007

This is not an official release and is said to be very buggy!

http://forum.zonelabs.or...st&message.id=64577

gnovak1 reviewed v7.0.302.000 on Jan 27, 2007

They are bad products and they are good products, but sometimes you accour on a fantastic surprise!Like many others I've changed all of the known firewalls and always I had to confirm this or deny that all the time (Outpost pro is excluded)!With this piece of perfection you do it once and you can forget about it.It works (and protects your PC 100%) in the background without pulling the last energy from your PC!The ultimate protection together with Nod 2.70 final & Spy sweeper 5.2.3.2125!I don't have extreme machine so this tris of aces put so little weight on CPU, that I could afford yet Ashampoo anti-spyware (guard)to work with them and they don't affect my PC not even a bit.
To protect your PC 100% is mission impossible but at least you can try and with a little luck you will (your PC will) survive intact!But for that you need the best of the best and when we talk about firewalls the answer is ZONEALARM pro!!!

mastergeese reviewed v7.0.302.000 on Jan 14, 2007

At least windows vista compatible !
But for windows xp i have a problem with SECURITY CENTER.
It reports antivirus engine always out of date even it's not...

rburly reviewed v7.0.302.000 on Jan 13, 2007

I currently use ZA Pro with anti-virus. I've used ZA for a few years now and it's the least intrusive firewall I've found. As mentioned below, I turn off what I don't need/want, and haven't had a problem since I've started using it. It does what it says and that's what I want.

jspratjr reviewed v7.0.302.000 on Jan 13, 2007

Out of curiousity, I've tried other firewalls the last few months (including the beloved Comodo) and I keep going back to Zone Alarm Pro. The firewall is terrific, I turn off the features I don't use, it's simple and I haven't encountered the performance problems others have described.

takitsim reviewed v7.0.302.000 on Jan 13, 2007

The file for download from FileForum is not ZoneAlarm Pro 7.0.302.000 but ZoneAlarm Antivirus 7.0.302.000. Apart from this, the firewall is perfect.

Japaner reviewed v7.0.302.000 on Jan 13, 2007

I've been using it for about a year and I'm quite happy with it. Perhaps there are other good firewalls (even free), but ZoneAlarm Pro has all the features I need.
A minus for BetaNews: the download link directs to ZoneAlarm with AntiVirus, and not to ZoneAlarm Pro.

poisonu reviewed v7.0.302.000 on Jan 12, 2007

This product is the Best Proven firewall & it has stood the test of time.
I use ZAPro ver 5.5.x & 6.1.x on PII Win 98SE PCs, & ver 6.5.x in all my Win XP SP2 PCs & I am Very Happy.
Btw, I never use a new release of any software until it has been in general use for 1-2 weeks, Unless I have a problem that the new release fixes.
Happy New Year,

ds0934 reviewed v7.0.302.000 on Jan 12, 2007

It's an *ok* firewall product. Nothing vastly superior to others in most respects anymore. The biggest difference since 5.5 is indeed becoming more bloated and slower. Version 6 and 7 seem to consume considerable more RAM and CPU cycles than 5.5 did. Not impressed.

4wd reviewed v7.0.302.000 on Jan 12, 2007

Since ZAPro 6 came out, it's slowed down my PC to the point of being unusable, (dual core Opteron), 30+ seconds waiting for a program I want to run to execute. I reported this, still not fixed.

I have two licenses for ZAPro both valid for another year or so - but I no longer use it.

If someone INSISTS on installing ZAPro, I'd recommend you use the last 5.5 version.

It really have become bloatware.

As with berserkchaos and belthurgp I've switched to Comodo, my system is back to being responsive and I'm not going to look back.

berserkchaos reviewed v7.0.302.000 on Jan 12, 2007

forget about this, try Comodo Personal Firewall.

tafugate reviewed v7.0.302.000 on Jan 12, 2007

terrific software firewall. lotsa features, easy to configure, heck, it'll configure everything for you. and i've tried them all.

belthurgp reviewed v7.0.302.000 on Jan 12, 2007

There was a time when I used to recommend ZA to people. I guess it was 2.5 and below. After that, it's just a huge marketing gimmick.

Comodo rules now. There is no reason to pay a dime now.

polysius reviewed v6.5.737.000 on Jan 8, 2007

Horrible user interface, hard to properly configure, overly complicated while trying to be simple. You have to click too many times to get things done, and the format of the GUI isn't clear and concise.

victorvdc reviewed v6.5.737.000 on Dec 29, 2006

6.5.737.000
I had only one problem with this version the update / installer is getting into a loop and using up 100% of my processor time.

To get around it do the initial install. Reboot and let it finish the install. Reboot a second time and turn off the automatic update checking.

If you use internal update checker "Manual" button remember you will need to reboot your computer twice to end the update / installer.

Other then this new problem this is an excellent watch dog program.

rickn345 reviewed v6.5.737.000 on Oct 23, 2006

I had a perfectly stable WinXP setup running for weeks at a time, until I installed the trial version of Zonealarm. "true vector" crashes and previously stable programs would crash or lock up at random. I uninstalled Zone Alarm, cleaned the registry and I'm back to a stable system. I'm not recommending ZoneAlarm to anyone.....Best of Luck.

nevildev reviewed v6.5.737.000 on Sep 2, 2006

Great program that's had almost all noticeable bugs worked out (ie. high cpu usage, slow startup) and I have a TON of programs on this computer running at any given time. The only negative is on reboot or shutdown the program takes too long to stop(end program now message pops up for 2 seconds). Other than that would recommend to anyone.

Turas reviewed v6.5.737.000 on Sep 2, 2006

Works perfectly for me!
No issues, also with the versions mentioned below.

mychele reviewed v6.5.722.000 on Aug 14, 2006

It doesn't work!!!

Junk software

un2depic reviewed v6.5.722.000 on Jun 29, 2006

This last version 6.5.7xx messed up my PC. Don't touch this

yamaneko reviewed v6.5.700.000 on Jun 13, 2006

Eh, I cannot write :)

I meant, you would NOT install this.

borisf98 reviewed v6.5.700.000 on Jun 6, 2006

Last version does not want to install.

hardgiant reviewed v6.5.700.000 on Jun 5, 2006

I want a 64 bit version, man zonelabs needs to get it's act together and get at least an open beta for us Windows XP 64 bit version.

hardgiant reviewed v6.5.677.000 Beta on May 17, 2006

Working great on Windows XP x64, the SS version hangs at bootup.

sQin reviewed v6.5.677.000 Beta on May 16, 2006

ZA pro is good, passes a lot leaktests and it's very simple to use. But I find look'n'stop, outpost pro much, much better

tafugate reviewed v6.5.677.000 Beta on May 16, 2006

i've used every build/beta/version since 4-something, and za is simply the best. i was a longtime norton user until i discovered zonealarm. i still try the competitors, but no one's been able to dethrone za.

za is as user friendly as you can possibly get. yet can be configured to please anyone from novice to expert.

goldenscreen reviewed v6.1.744.001 on May 5, 2006

Still a very highly recommended firewall suite. Just stay away from using privacy & ID Lock. Oh, and backup the configurations often as the database tends to be corrupted after prolonged use.
It does not get a 5 because of bugs and corruption, otherwise it's one of the best user friendly firewall around.

RKOIV reviewed v6.1.744.000 on Mar 2, 2006

Zonealarm is the best firewall on the market. It just keeps getting better. I have tried them all and Zone Alarm is the best. Never had a problem-NEVER.

JohnOhan reviewed v6.1.744.000 on Mar 2, 2006

Since I installed this new version (6.1.744.000) yesterday, I have not been able to update the spyware definitions. For two days, I keep getting this error message:
"The anti-spyware update task is not responding"
Anybody else is having this irritating problem?
Why does Zonelabs keep releasing inferior and buggy software.
Shame on Zonelabs.

benZin reviewed v6.1.744.000 on Mar 2, 2006

great firewall. Simply. I didn't find yet better.

borisf98 reviewed v6.1.737.000 on Jan 28, 2006

The worst Zonealarm Firewall version ever. Locks system all the time when new application asks for Internet connection. Avoid this version until new one comes out.

Oldsod reviewed v6.1.737.000 on Nov 27, 2005

Great Firewall!Easy to use for a newbie like myself.Sygate alwayed crashed on me and McAfee is not as safe as ZA. Some resetting required occasionally in Program Control-nothing to really complain about in any other way. Start up manager is used to prevent too many clashes at boot. I am using the CA A/V (which is the actual A/V used by ZA Suite) and it is recognized by ZA A/V monitor-not the case for AVG free A/V. They blend well together and firewall is not loaded down!

rvb911 reviewed v6.1.737.000 on Nov 26, 2005

SORRY I put my review in the wrong section of ZA free !! here are my comments !
Never got a problem or few with previous version. But the last version 6.1.737 causes me troubles, this version of ZAPro makes the PC longer to boot, runs the setup almost everyboot !? says that it has detect a new network.. basically does not save the setting, neither the vault data, neither applications which previously access the net... etc...
Went back to version 6.0.667.000... wait and see know, I'll see how it goes!
OOH by the way.. uninstall of version 6.1.737 left the True Vector engine and driver, so know I have ZAPro 6.0 and true vector 6.1 !! even the unsinstall is rubbish !

KOLE89 reviewed v6.1.737.000 on Nov 23, 2005

Does Windows (All) means WinXP x64 is supported?

minimarko reviewed v6.1.737.000 on Nov 23, 2005

Ok, first off, it's really easy to use. The interface is pretty simple and is explained very well.

The firewall works awesome, catches everything from what I've seen. Most of the advances features are complicated, but most of them the average user isn't going to use.

It's very stable, it has never crashed on me, and is fast loading.

Installation is a bit buggy and the file size is pretty big even for a small build update.

The only features I use is the firewall from the Pro version, nothing else. The pro version has some extra protection elements that I like, thus I don't use the free version.

Sure it's bloaded for us advanced/itermmediate users, but for newbies and computer illiterates it's does everything you need in one package.

The spywear checker and internet chache cleaner is meant for computer newbies that don't understand that you can clear the same stuff off your computer using tools that come with windows.

jsc315 reviewed v6.1.737.000 on Nov 22, 2005

ive never had a problem CPU usage. works great for me.

mansa reviewed v6.0.667.000 on Sep 30, 2005

I don't want to say bad things about the pro version, the firewall it self is superb, but why spendig money for an ad blocker, an anti-spywre and a cookies remover??
So get the free version of ZA (it uses less ressources than the pro one), get firefox to block ads and delete cookies, and uses the free AVG and Microsoft antispywre(it's the same as the famous CounterSpy but in free)
you have now a good arsenal to surf in the net without spending any money

wkmaurom reviewed v6.0.667.000 on Sep 26, 2005

Hi to everybody, with the help of different files image I have kept on trying both KIS 2006b that NIS 2006b (Symantec). I prefer the firewall in my language (Italian) I have installed KAV 2006b ZAs 6.0.667. * * * I am very careful to the safety and my system it is always on maximum safety. Resulted after 10 years of products Norton I have purchased Kaspersky Sec. Suite 1.0 for the free update to the KIS 2006 and ZoneAlarm Pro 6.0.667.Excellent the facility d' use, the effectiveness and the professional approach of a great firm. The good firewall that has ever tried! I attend the version KIS 2006 definitive for the comparisons; she could be still best.

Mark Gillespie reviewed v6.0.667.000 on Sep 7, 2005

Only a average score. Reasons:

1/ High CPU usage.
2/ High latency.
3/ Overcomplicated UI.

Int he end, I just used the XP SP firewall, it may not inspect outgoing data, but I am happy that everything on my machine is fine, and the performance benefits of using the built in firewall are considerable, it's also just as secure..

Zankur reviewed v6.0.667.000 on Sep 7, 2005

I think za 6 has been the big failure and is no way close to Za 5.5 reliability,and ease of use.
Added new features have further worsened the products with rules and what not,i would advice za fans to use ZA free instead.

sn0wflake reviewed v6.0.667.000 on Sep 6, 2005

Okay firewall but takes to much memory and too many CPU cycles. I was a ZoneAlarm user years ago but now I'm simply using the built-in Windows XP SP-2 firewall. Works just as well as I tested it by http://www.grc.com

poisonu reviewed v6.0.631.003 on Aug 3, 2005

The Best of breed.

And they keep improving it continuously.

Very easy to configure. or Just let it configure itself.

The Only Problem is the ever increasing memory & cpu load imposed by each & every new version.

Efficiency in software development has unfortunately literally gone out the window.
Just buy a new PC next month. LOL

I have tried (& still evaluate) all their whorthwhile competitors.
None of them came close to ver 5.5.094.000.
Now with ZA Pro v6.0.631.003 they have made a quantum leap.

ie: they have introduced a 3rd "firewall layer" for the OS, None of the current consumer sw firewalls have this.

NB:
IMHO & Informed opinion Norton Internet Security 2004 was better than NIS 2005.

Re the Spyware/Malware detection Zone Labs have made a Very Good attempt at it, particularly considering it is their first release of that module.

Whereas Norton's Spyware sw is Unfortunately the worst of the majors.
The only good thing Norton has left is it's AntiViral sw & this is rapidly losing its value.

Symantec AntiVirus Corporate Edition is far Better.
While doing far more scanning & work than Norton AntiVirus 2004 or 2005, it utilises far less cpu & memory resources.
And the price differential is Minimal.
Strongly recommended for older PCs (ver 9.x for Win 99-98SE, & ver10.x for Win XP-2K3 & 64 bit Win XP).

Re Ad-Aware detecting something that another tool doesn't that is Unfortunately Normal for Anti Spyware/Malware detection sw.

Cheers & Best Wishes from Downunder,

poisonu

PS:
Please don't execute me at dawn, LOL

Mountain Man reviewed v6.0.631.003 on Jul 28, 2005

OMG don't let this junk anywhere near you computer it is a P2P murderer. Biggest hunk of junk since SkyLab crashed.

otero1 reviewed v6.0.631.003 on Jul 27, 2005

It used to be good. But the more advanced computers have got. ZoneAlarm has kept up with those computers. By making their firewall more and more of a resource hog. I used to be a fan of ZoneAlarm. But its just a hog now. It is a shame how many programs go this route. Even Windows Media Player has done the same thing. If all the makers of programs that do this want good reviews and hell maybe donations. Make lite versions , c'mon not everyone is rich and can upgrade every year. Hell I'd pay for a firewall , not all the over kill. Sorry.

hardgiant reviewed v6.0.631.002 on Jul 22, 2005

Runs great on Windows Server 2003 even though it says it isn't supported.

I love the new spyware scanner, very handy to have. It's nice having only one app that does everything and despite the usual "jack of all trades, master of none", it works pretty damn well.

The strong part is still the firewall itself though. It's definitly the strongest firewall and has features that others don't. The only problem is that it can get annoying if you turn every feature on. It comes with some features turned off that could cause problems.

The memory usage is no big deal on machines with one gig of memory. Seriously running an Windows XP rig with less then one gig is just silly today. Sure you can run with a half a gig but why would you want to ?

One gig can be had for $80 online or $40 if all you need is one more to get to 1 gig.

Jose reviewed v6.0.631.002 on Jul 22, 2005

You thought the free version was s***e well this is even more s***e, what a crime having the audacity to even let this crapola piece of s***e loose on the unsuspecting internet user. Stay clear of it, it is JUNK.

clawso1 reviewed v6.0.631.002 on Jul 22, 2005

To TELL you the TRUTH I think this is a BETA (6.0.632.002) version of ZoneAlarm Pro, because the Spyware function doesn't even work at ALL on my system. Also, since I'm presently using version 5.5 when I click the "Update" I get a "Your Security System is up to date." It's been common practice when Zone Labs releases updates, weather a user sets the Auto-Update on or not if there is a final release of the app it will inform the user of that fact! And another thing I think the developers have taken away quite a bit of user control in this new version beta by default setup.

Brian49 reviewed v6.0.631.002 on Jul 22, 2005

In general I get on well with ZoneAlarm, but I have to agree that this version exhibits some very silly behaviour. Not only does the `Smart Defense Advisor' throw up meaningless alerts, but it goes on doing so even when you turn it off! I've gone straight back to v.5.

httpd.confused reviewed v6.0.631.002 on Jul 22, 2005

OK, do you want more details on why ZoneAlarm Pro still doesn't get a 5 out of me? Read my latest novel...

The ZoneAlarm Pro alerts still pop up and grab focus--complete with accelerator keys and default focus given to the Allow button--making it very readily possible for you to accidentally allow the behavior you're being prompted about. This may not be a problem most of the time, since you generally launch a program, then sit and wait for it to load, then--hey, what's this?--an alert from ZoneAlarm Pro. But if you have applications running as scheduled tasks, or begin typing while the program is loading (especially a slow-loading program), it can be a real problem. It's a design flaw, period.

ZoneAlarm Pro's spyware scanner gave me a false positive, detecting the "ISTRecover" trojan in error. (Yes, I know it was a false positive; I've had the file analyzed.) As if that wasn't bad enough, Zone Labs' online information for ISTRecover depicted it as a really nasty bit of malware, capable of providing complete remote control to the person operating the trojan client (in their own words, "This program is a major security threat"). However, the ZoneAlarm Pro spyware scanner itself reported the risk of ISTRecover as "Low". Does that make any sense?

I hit F1 to get context-sensitive help while on the spyware scanner "Scan Results" window, and I get a help window displaying "The page cannot be displayed". Nice.

^ Why was I hitting F1 on the spyware scanner "Scan Results" window? I wanted to know if the "Ignore Always" treatment option meant "always ignore this spyware", or "always ignore this this executable", or something else. I manually found the ignore function in the help file, but I'm still unclear. They contradict themselves: In one sentence, they speak of excluding spyware ("You can add spyware to the exceptions list..."), and in other sentences, they explain it as if you are excluding executables ("If you are using one of these applications ... you can exclude it from spyware scans...").

^ From using the feature, it looks to me as if ZoneAlarm Pro excludes spyware types, not EXE paths. Does that make sense, given the potential for false positives? Consider: If you have even one false positive (as I do), you can either put up with its detection during each scan, or exclude that spyware type system-wide. This makes no sense.

Each time I close and relaunch ZoneAlarm Pro, it redetects my local network. Uh, wwwwwwwwhy? I can have ZoneAlarm Pro add this network to the desired zone automatically, but if I had more than one local network, it could be a real problem. (I now know that this is a known bug, and will supposedly be corrected. Sure.)

The column ordering on the Zones tab under the Firewall section is nuts. Try clicking the column headers in succession, and see how random the sorting results are. Maybe this doesn't matter to the people who put one or two cute little entries in the list, but when you have lots of entries, it's pretty annoying.

Speaking of columns, you can't reorder them or hide them, and when you resize them, the width settings are reset seemingly randomly.

ZoneAlarm Pro thinks that any program using outbound remote TCP port 25 is sending email, and alerts you accordingly. Pretty stupid.

If you enable password protection for your settings, you are forced to use a password that is at least 6 characters long. Why? If you don't have to use a password in the first place, why enforce a password length? Stupid. I'd like to use a really short, left-hand-only password, just good enough to keep my daughter from accidentally making changes.

Why is ZAP's "SmartDefense Advisor" aware of NOD32 2.5, but ZAP's "Anti-virus Monitoring" component doesn't recognize it? The right hand doesn't know what the left hand is doing over at Zone Labs?

I had an alert that said: "[program name] is trying to communicate with /r www.[web address].com by opening its process". Huh? Opening its what?

^ Then, there was an alert that said: "[program name] is trying to communicate with [program path and name] by opening its process". Say what? (I see a pattern developing here. I have no idea what it is, but it's developing.)

The "Cache Cleaner" supports Netscape, but still doesn't support Firefox? Inexcusable.

They removed the "Passlock" column from the Programs list. Now, you can only access that setting from the options dialog of an individual program. Obviously, this makes it impossible to see, at a glance, which programs have been granted "Passlock" access. A bizarre design choice, I think, especially since it was already in place!

You can either allow all "dangerous behavior" for a program, or none. You can't, for example, simply allow a program to install a driver, but do nothing else ZoneAlarm Pro considers "dangerous". I consider this a serious design limitation.

Here's a cute little bit of screwed-up functionality: I had an application listed in ZAP as being allowed access to the trusted and internet zones. Then, I changed both settings from "Allow" to "Ask", and closed and relaunched the application. And lo and behold, the ZAP status bar said that the application was connecting to the internet--despite the fact that both settings were still clearly set to "Ask", and not "Allow".

When certain programs that load a driver run for the first time, you're prompted as to whether the driver loading should be allowed. (Sysinternals Filemon and Process Explorer are two such examples.) This in and of itself is good. However, once you allow it, even once, that's it--it's allowed, and I see no way of undoing that decision, at least with the applications I've had this prompt with. Closing and relaunching the application that loaded the driver doesn't renew the prompt. The fact that the driver isn't running anymore makes no difference; the prompt doesn't recur. Deleting the application from the Programs list doesn't undo it. And the Components list seems to have nothing to do with it (the drivers aren't listed there at all). Where is this mysterious setting stored? The "OS Firewall" log shows that the "Load Driver" event was "Allowed (once)". See that word, once?

^ Ah, but I found the answer after rebooting... It seems that the driver-loading behavior is handled by the same "Trust Level" setting as global hooks and some other behavior. It seems to me a bug, therefore, that the "Allow (once)" behavior behaves differently for drivers.

By default, ZoneAlarm Pro blocks the GHP4W32 service from being a server to the internet zone. However this--as in all prior versions--causes DNS problems for some people. I know the workaround (i.e. add your DNS servers to the trusted zone), but why doesn't ZoneAlarm Pro do this--or offer to do this--automatically? (The DNS servers are listed in the registry.) I guess it's debatable as to whether DNS servers should be added to the trusted zone. Fine...

On the "Advanced Alerts and Logs Settings" dialog, the actual (i.e. original post-installation) default "Alert Events" aren't the same settings you end up with if you click the "Reset to Defaults" button.

ZAP still doesn't commit all its settings until it is shut down. How lovely when you use an in-Windows imaging application such as True Image or Image for Windows. What you'll find, if you backup and restore, is that any changes made to ZAP's configuration during that Windows session have been lost.

Orphaned programs and program components (i.e. the Programs and Components list under "Program Control") still aren't handled. No housekeeping is done. Still. And this is version 6. I know that ZoneAlarm is generally geared to the "set it and forget it" crowd, but I like to "set it and check it once in awhile, and keep it cleaned up so it doesn't become a trash bin".

I do see improvements in the product. Mostly small, here-and-there types of things, but improvements nonetheless. I can't believe they saw fit to bump the application an entire major version number for these changes, but that's how things are done in the software industry.

How could anyone give this a 5? Do you really believe that this is about as good as software can be? Never mind, I know--this was your first experience with firewall software, and you installed it, found that you could still browse your favorite two sites with Internet Explorer, could still check your one email account, and decided that makes it rank a "5".

I will say that the CPU and memory usage--which has been a serious problem with some prior versions--is excellent, at least on my system. That goes for the VSMON.EXE service and the ZLCLIENT.EXE front-end.

Edit: I came back and adjusted my rating accordingly, after finding that ZoneAlarm Pro had lost its wits, and stopped being able to remember the alert responses I provided. (I had to start applying all program options manually.) It also locked up my system when I tried connecting to a server for the first time using mIRC. Exactly the kind of low-quality nonsense I expect out of Zone Labs, especially with a x.0 release.

tafugate reviewed v6.0.631.002 on Jul 21, 2005

actually, it's 6.0.631.002. but a fantastic product none the less.

LovingU reviewed v6.0.631.002 on Jul 21, 2005

maybe its simply the best software firewall, but why there isn't a Security Suit version?

jordenpro reviewed v6.0.631.002 on Jul 21, 2005

How does that go again...

Mess up once, shame on you! Mess up again, shame on me!

I haven't even bothered with this software over the last 2 years, I perfer Sygate!

Argente reviewed v6.0.629.000 Beta on Jul 17, 2005

Es el mejor firewall que hay en la actualidad, la nueva funcion de anti-spyware es realmente buena, y aun en su fase beta, funciona a la altura de los mejores antispywares...

no se le puede pedir mas... salvo que saquen la version completa ya.

benZin reviewed v6.0.629.000 Beta on Jul 13, 2005

EXCELLENT! Simply the best firewall. Not expensive and very powerfull!

kovenant reviewed v6.0.629.000 Beta on Jul 12, 2005

its just the best firewall around. if you use this just check the suite also - it really rocks

Mountain_Man reviewed v6.0.617.000 Beta on Jun 27, 2005

Nothing's changed still junk.

Gravonia reviewed v6.0.591.002 Beta on Jun 20, 2005

B2 has some serious problems ... such as pulling kernel-mode faults. It's one thing to release code in this shape as a closed beta. But to offer it as an open beta, that really frosts me.

For now, users who aren't prepared to handle all the aggro should stay away from this beta. Far away.

These defects aside, 6-stream ZAP has some nice new features. When they're working dependably, I'll be giving it another look-see.

wingo reviewed v6.0.591.002 Beta on Jun 14, 2005

strange reviews, i do like the gui of this firewall but i don't like the features. but then i'm an look n stoop and outpost kind-of-guy. :)

midfingr reviewed v6.0.591.000 Beta on Jun 7, 2005

No XP 64? Dang :\

dannysalerno7 reviewed v6.0.591.000 Beta on Jun 6, 2005

Quit complaining you idiots thats why it's called beta

clawso1 reviewed v6.0.591.000 Beta on Jun 5, 2005

This Beta version of ZoneAlarm Pro is wack!!!

JOEWARE reviewed v6.0.591.000 Beta on Jun 5, 2005

the ui is bulky and ugly, they really need to change the interface.

Caleb reviewed v6.0.591.000 Beta on Jun 5, 2005

I will not use ZoneAlarm until they incorporate a word processor.

photonboy reviewed v6.0.591.000 Beta on Jun 4, 2005

Whatever the PROs and CONs, in the end it is all relative. I have tried them all and this is the one I stick with.

I appreciate that there is a learning curve, but that is the state of computers in general. If you want complete protection without learning a little bit, then unplug your internet connection..

bigsexy022870 reviewed v6.0.591.000 Beta on Jun 4, 2005

Zonealarm is the best firewall out there. Not that it is perfect, but much better then any of the competition. The reason people have issues with zonealarm is they themselves are the problem. If you don't know jack about computers then learn from someone who does. I'm tired of hearing people complain about their own stupidity.

jofin reviewed v6.0.591.000 Beta on Jun 4, 2005

I cannot understand the negative comments left previously about this program.
I have used ZoneAlarm pro for about 4 years and apart from a conflict with PcCillin about a year ago (which has since been fixed) I have never had any problems. I would however concede that the support leaves a lot to be desired. Have you ever tried getting support from other companies? They all suck too! Try Microsoft for example - we'll all be dead by the time they reply!!
Re: other reviews---
"slower browsing" - I have never noticed any slowing of browser speed and I have used it with Netscape, IE and Firefox.
RE: "especially if you have a dialup" - never had a problem when I used dial up nor with broadband. Does anyone still use dialup?
RE: ...... "had a history of crashing" - never experienced it with mine in 4 years and various machines!
RE:... "slowdown of traffic between network PCs" - Perhaps this is due to the fact that it is protecting the machines in your network! Come on, when it comes to a network, if you want full speed, then turn off your protection, if you dare. I wouldn't complain about slightly slower speeds, think how long the alternative could take to fix!
RE: "This made my system crash every couple of hours." -- Well it either crashes or it doesn't. It does not make sense that you claim it crashes every couple of hours. I would suggest the problem lies elsewhere! Look in the mirror for the culprit.
RE: "the problem with these easfirewalls is that noobs decide yes/no on a question for a connection. if they answer yes they have a potential risk beeing targeted." -- Neglected to say that the program has a database and when asking for permission it recommends a course of action. Only a total plonker will give an unknown program rights! If in doubt, click NO. If all else fails, try reading the instruction manual.
RE: "also there is probably no way you know you've been hacked either. :(" -- The program records all attempts at access plus the number of times it has taken the blocked action etc.
I still believe this is the best firewall available and have no reservations in recommending it.

Added 5th June 2005
The complete idiot above who says he will not use this program until they incorporate a word processor, is a fine example of some of the people who leave comments on this website. "incorporate a word processor" - WHAT THE HELL FOR? obviously doesn't even grasp what this program does!

In response to Utaker: I absolutely agree that it should not slow down a network (depending on the machines being protected). I would just add that I have installed it on lots of machines too without problems, other than the one I highlighted earlier.

terminalx reviewed v6.0.591.000 Beta on Jun 4, 2005

Zone Alarm is a great product for what it is intended for the problem though is its sold to novices constantly and novices under no circumstance should use it...then again that could be said about any firewall because everytime I get a call and someone is yelling at me "why do you guys have such a horrible internet service..." The first thing I'll say is disable zonealarm or basically any firewall it seems to be typical though zonealarm is widely used..."whats that you say you can surf now?" imagine that! And as stated this is a BETA..thats what people need to realize with everything on here its BETA hence BETANEWS...so a product can be great but since it has bugs in it it still has issues its our job if we d/l a beta product to inform the creater that hey it does this and this...

ibod reviewed v6.0.591.000 Beta on Jun 4, 2005

Bought it after reading all the recommendations. I was disappointed enough with the discernable slowdown in browsing and high resource usage to remove it and get the 50% off crossgrade from agnitum for outpost. Outpost does an all round better job and has an automatic option for anyone who doesn't want to have to learn all about TCPIP and the various ports/apps that need blocking.

UTAKER reviewed v6.0.591.000 Beta on Jun 4, 2005

PROS:
easy for a single PC with a simple novice user

CONS:
Poorest support
Very problematic on NAT machine gateway, especially if you have a dialup
...... had a history of crashing
... slowdown of traffic between network PCs

IN REPLY TO jofin :
if you did not encounter any problem, that does not mean it is okay for everyone else too
I try and test firewalls and other software on many PCs under various circumstances to find problems
People complain because there is a genuine problem too (ignoring the newbies)
and No, it shouldnt slow down other PCs comm on a NAT gateway because it is protecting :)

CyberDoc999 reviewed v6.0.591.000 Beta on Jun 4, 2005

This made my system crash every couple of hours.
I switched to Outpost and now I have no problems!

wingo reviewed v6.0.591.000 Beta on Jun 4, 2005

the problem with these easfirewalls is that noobs decide yes/no on a question for a connection. if they answer yes they have a potential risk beeing targeted.

also there is probably no way you know you've been hacked either. :(

i have used it before and it has a really nice gui. it annoys me that when you make a new (update) rule it takes time untill its done.

Aloof reviewed v6.0.591.000 Beta on Jun 4, 2005

Good, I gave it a 3 because they still haven't released a 64-bit version :-\

Nikkie reviewed v5.5.094.000 on May 3, 2005

works fine for me . i have the antivirus + firewall version on another pc and its fantastic .. ive tried them all . also , its def. noob friendly ..

uberfly reviewed v5.5.094.000 on Apr 28, 2005

Never even the slighest negative issue w/ zone alarm for years. Always reliable for me. Also, they've succeeded in making the program easy enough for almost anyone to install and start using right away (ie: your mother), or, if you dig into the program deep enough, more than enough advanced rules and configurablity for 99% of pc users. You'll never make ALL the poindexters happy, but close enough.

hardgiant reviewed v5.5.094.000 on Apr 27, 2005

1. Reliable
2. Easy to use
3. effective
4. advanced
5. feature rich

Basically a powerful firewall for noobs to run and no rules for them to try and configure.

pvolk reviewed v5.5.094.000 on Apr 27, 2005

Stop removing these posts betanews, were not flaming, simply addressing other members of the board. Still like this program though. Its nice and customizable in hundreds of ways, and is a good protector and fairly lightweight. Its also good for noobs as well as experienced users. I love its ad blocking because it cleans up the internet experience a lot. However it corrupts the winsocks file in window which is REALLY annoying especially for ftp transfers. Therefore it gets a four.

JazzyTech reviewed v5.5.062.011 on Feb 11, 2005

I give ZoneAlarm a 5 for many reasons. There are few programs that are as useful as this one. I have tried and purchased various software-based firewall programs, and I always return to ZA. No, it does not have a lot of the bells and whistles that some people think should be included. I agree that it is not very user friendly if you are a novice attempting to learn more. It is very informative if you can comprehend the data that you are viewing. The amount of information depends on the initial level you enter when first installing.
It would be nice to see how many kb/sec is traveling through your system, but I think that there are tons of programs out there to do that.
If you can't afford a router/firewall, then ZA is the best alternative. As for programs being allowed network access without the user's knowledge, I can only state that this has only happened to me due to the settings that I used in ZA. ie: Novice settings, or alternatively allowing a program that utilized another program for Inet access. I think that Zone Alarm has reached their goal for providing a solid software based firewall. The only better alternative is hardware IMHO.

Stefu reviewed v5.5.062.011 on Feb 11, 2005

Not so good! I had problems with previous versions and still have with curent versions. Dosen't show the ip when a program asks to connect to the internet. It just shows, app connecting to 0.0.0.0 wtf!!! And it's missing some usefull components like graph view, net speed and app connecting ports.

httpd.confused reviewed v5.5.062.011 on Feb 11, 2005

Sure, ZAP has a "user-friendly interface" if you're not after granular control. Or what, you haven't noticed? When ZAP detects an application connecting out, it asks a simple "Yes/No" question. And guess what, if you allow it, that application can do whatever it wants; there are no port or remote host restrictions whatsoever. Configuring the "expert rules" is problematic, and a real pain. I've found them not to behave as expected.

Not only that, but ZAP reconfigures things as it sees fit, behind your back. This is done primarily with Windows applications such as SVCHOST.EXE. The reasoning behind this annoying behavior is obvious--automatic configuration for novice users. (Don't try telling me that this is an option that can be disabled; I have seen automatic configuration applied even when I did not have ZAP configured to do so.)

And if you're going to tell me that this kind of thing makes ZAP the "most secure" firewall out there, I'll happily laugh at you.

AMazing reviewed v5.5.062.011 on Feb 11, 2005

What's new from 004 to 011?
004 works great. I am very happy with the product.

Antibuddha reviewed v5.5.062.004 on Feb 3, 2005

From reading prior reviews it's clear that not everyone is in love with Zonealarm, althought I think it's fair to point out that many of the complaints relate to earier and beta versions. I give Zonealarm a 5 rating although I believe more documentation might be helpful for non-expert users. What should be of paramount importance to firewall owners but seems to be little discussed in these reviews is the question of blocking unwanted intrustions and being able to control what enters and leaves your computer, and in this all important regard, no other firewall provides the security of a properly configured 5.5 Zonealarm. It is quite simply the best on the market.

H_TeXMeX_H reviewed v5.5.062.004 on Feb 1, 2005

All the 5.0 and up versions of ZAP have bugs, some versions more than others. Earlier versions truly did have major bugs that caused some weird stuff to happen to my computer, however, it seems that some of those bugs may have been fixed. Before 5.0, I was using an old 4.5 version and it worked quite well, it has never given me any trouble, and no slowdown as I have tested using many different sites. Compared to SVGate, which failed to install properly several times, and which sometimes failed to block things it should have, not to mention problems with remembering the rules I told it. (Note: I am talking about an older SVGate, maybe they fixed some issues since then, I dunno, but I don't trust it) So, I don't see many alternatives. I have searched thousands of places for a better firewall, but only found disappointment and a thousand different people telling me to use a thousand different firewalls that are 'the best', and most of them telling me that the one I am using 'sucks'. Well, I don't know who to believe. Consumer Reports reported long ago that Zone Alarm was the best, however, you need a subscription to see the new data. Here is the old link: http://www.consumerrepor...rg/static/0206com1.html
For now, I am using ZAP, since the other options seem to be worse from personal experience and from what I have heard and read.

betabetabeta reviewed v5.5.062.004 on Dec 31, 2004

Simply the best firewall. People complaining of the interface: This is the best, most user friendly interface, memory utilization compared to other leading firewalls. People complaining of stability and BSODs, its time to upgrade your OS. I have been using this on Win 2000 (P3,320 MB RAM) for over 2 years now and not a single crash. Just one bug I encounter often is the settings are lost when my system is not properly shut down/power failure. Though the backup/restore settings comes handy, I hope the automatic recovery is implemented in the future versions.

hardgiant reviewed v5.5.062.004 on Dec 4, 2004

Still the easy for noobs and does provide protection. A firewall should be required for anybody using DSL or Cable Modem.

To many Zombie Machines causing trouble.

Stefu reviewed v5.5.062.004 on Dec 3, 2004

Not so good!!! Had a lot of problems with it. For some of my friends it worked ok. It's seems to have problems with some software configurations. And it's not that easy to configure it blocks by default some ports accesed by programs with allow internet access set.

jofin reviewed v5.5.062.004 on Dec 3, 2004

I often wonder if some of the people who write their comments here, have even used the software or at best, even know how to operate their computers!
I have used Zonealarm pro for 3 years and apart from the conflict (now resolved) with PCcillin, have never had a problem.
Use this program as a firewall and you have what I consider to be the best available. Carefully think about which programs you will allow and which you won't. Block all intrusions in stealth mode and you will soon forget that it is protecting your computer!
If you want an all dancing, all singing software suite, that works perfectly, then take some sleeping tablets and dream about paradise when you go to bed. When you get up in the morning do so with the thought that " today, you are determined to join the real world."
For everyone else who is a realist, I wouldn't hesitate in recommending this program!

httpd.confused reviewed v5.5.062.004 on Dec 3, 2004

Finally, a ZAP 5.x version that doesn't make my system crash. And it only took them 6 or 7 months! But alas, it's still a pain to configure, and doesn't work properly with all of my software.

To those people who brag that ZAP has always worked oh-so-wonderfully for them, and who believe that people who have problems with it must be incompetent, I offer you this:

http://download.zonelabs...istory.html#5.5.062.004

See that note that says that they "Fixed more system stability issues"? That means that some people had--get read for this!--system stability issues, caused by ZoneAlarm Pro. In case it still eludes you, the point here is that a bug is still a bug, even if you, personally, don't encounter it. Believing that some bit of software is perfect, just because of your own experience with it, is awfully naive.

Zankur reviewed v5.5.062 on Nov 10, 2004

After a long while Zonelabs has come-out with a good release of ZonePro.I think it should help other users,like me,who were having problems with the earlier release.

Brian49 reviewed v5.5.062 on Nov 9, 2004

ZA Pro 5 works perfectly on my very busy system - never the slightest glitch, and with full stealth, according to Steve Gibson's port probe test.

Caleb reviewed v5.5.062 on Nov 8, 2004

Will someone stop spreading FUD about sygate?
Sygate is horrible crap.

It's missing features and last builds are buggy as hell.

Their forums are full of people that are complaining.

zridling reviewed v5.5.062 on Nov 8, 2004

Relax. ZoneAlarm WAS good in v.4.x, but v.5.x is just awful. It happens everywhere to most software. They have a couple of good, maybe even a great version, then they get ambitious and over their heads and they truly screw it up. Next thing you know customers are fleeing like their hair is on fire. ZoneAlarm 5.x is just bad, terribly bad, and continues its infamous "lockup and freeze Windows" routine without prompting. Sygate gets a high personal satisfaction from most of its users.

Jminion reviewed v5.5.062 on Nov 8, 2004

The Zone Alarm Pro (and free) firewall continue to receive accolades, by no mean chance. This product is of the same high quality consumers have associated with the Zone Alarm name.

Look 'n' Stop? yeah,i admit that title has a nice wuss ring to it.

robmanic44 reviewed v5.5.035 Beta on Oct 4, 2004

When it comes to the typical PC user, Kerio is the simplest to use and Sygate is probably the best. ZoneAlarm has become bloatware.

BlackDragon64 reviewed v5.5.035 Beta on Oct 4, 2004

As I stated in my review of 5.1.033, I have used ZAP since 4.x days, and have no problems.
I am runninf WinXP on an old AMD k6-2 450Mhz with 288Mb RAM, and a unsupported 3dfx Voodoo3 2000 video card. I have at least 12 to 16 items in my task tray on average.
Now, how come when people do reveal what they are running ZA or ZAP on they have all these much higher end machines, and they also seem to be the ones with all these problems.
I think it may actually be something in the hardware or more likely software that is interacting with ZA or ZAP. I really don't know.
But don't trash an entire product just because you are having problems with this version or that version.

QBgreen reviewed v5.5.035 Beta on Oct 4, 2004

Zone Labs dropped the ball with the initial release of the 5.x series of their ZoneAlarm products, and this version is only a slight improvement. I was a very satisfied user of ZA Pro 2.6 on Win 98 SE. It was slim and very effective. Perhaps Zone Labs should return to this mindsetand make this product respectable again. Firewall first, fellas.

Caleb reviewed v5.5.035 Beta on Oct 4, 2004

ZA may have problems ATM, but believe me, Sygate is no better.
It has so many unresolved bugs (some major ones too).

Get Kerio/Tiny Firewall.

hardgiant reviewed v5.5.035 Beta on Oct 4, 2004

I have ZoneAlarm running on 54 machines and it runs smoothly without the complaints others seem to have.

Most version have run really well for me. I'm rather baffled so many blast it but truthfully think it's just hip to trash the market leader the same way people bash Microsoft.

I have the lastest beta 5.5.035 running on two test computers and haven't had any problems with them yet.

Shoebox reviewed v5.5.035 Beta on Oct 4, 2004

5.5035 is a little better... But barely... Ever since they sold out and started to bloat it, it has been crap. My subscription runs out shortly so looking at Sygate... which is less bloated and does the job better... They need to fire some of their software people and get designers who know what they are doing.

Arutha reviewed v5.5.0012 Beta on Sep 11, 2004

Like many others say, something went very wrong when ZoneAlarm released version 5 of it's firewall. I'd used v4 a while ago and it was pretty stable, but it had a few minor problems.

But then I decided to give v5 a try and that was the beginning of a real nightmare. My computer would just crash with about EVERYTHING. I think I have seen more BSOD in the day ZoneAlarm was installed then in the 2 years before. But the worst of all was trying to uninstall it. When using add/remove it would tell me the uninstall was succesfull but ZA would still start after a reboot, and now with even more BSOD's. I had to go to safe mode and clean everyhting manualy!

I am NEVER butting this program on my PC again. If you want a decent firewall, use Outpost, Kerio or even Norton (for the newbs), but never lay your hands on ZA if you don't want a nervous breakdown !

Caleb reviewed v5.5.0012 Beta on Sep 6, 2004

ZA 5 is terrible.
Not only that this upgrade is meaningless (Why would I need ZA to monitor my Anti-Virus when the AV can do it on its own).
I've not seen any BSODs (although I have not used the first 5.0 versions), but even with the latest versions I get disconnected from eMule/IRC every few hours. (Ping timeout)
I don't see why they should jump from 5.1 to 5.5..

All in all ZA has lots of advantages, but with these annoying bugs it's not recommended!

httpd.confused reviewed v5.5.0012 Beta on Sep 6, 2004

Zone Labs has utterly terrible support and quality control. Every major version bump results in huge problems for a huge number of users, and doesn't get resolved until at least a full half revision later.

Version 5.x so far is a complete joke. I simply have to think that the people who claim to have no problems with it aren't doing much with their systems. Are you running P2P software? FTP or HTTP servers? I didn't think so.

Vantorax reviewed v5.5.0012 Beta on Sep 5, 2004

I have been seriously burnt by version 5.0 and everything after. It will still forget computers I set as trusted and even still block them even though they're trusted. It generates funky DNS queries to resolve IPs blocked (and put the name in the log) which forced my employer to completely ban ZoneAlarm 5 from their network.

Never again...

tech_8356 reviewed v5.5.007 Beta on Aug 31, 2004

ZA went into the crapper with v5.0 and anything after...this is no different. INterface is bloated, notifications are patchy, internet lockdown does not always stay locked down, advanced custom rules are half decent, but even after a custom rule to opent he right ports and allowing full access, it would enver let UT04 onto my trusted network. Sygate has a much better interface with a far more comprehensive notification and custom rule creation system.

animecabbit reviewed v5.5.007 Beta on Aug 29, 2004

This is an excellent software firewall and I've been using it for the past couple of years and it has never let me down. I remember quote a few instances where it blocked program access from certain spyware and other programs that somehow got on my computer. Too bad it doesn't have an intergrated spyware and adware detector. I don't use the anitvirus module as it cost a little more and I already have Norton. I wonder if the antivirus part of the program is any good. If so, I may switch from norton when my subscription runs out...

mrsense reviewed v5.5.007 Beta on Aug 28, 2004

Never had problem with ZAP. No conflict no crash issues whatsoever.

httpd.confused reviewed v5.1.011 on Aug 3, 2004

Still incredibly buggy. Still.

This version--oddly enough, deemed of "final" quality by the illustrious Zone Labs crew--crashes when I shut it down (VSMON.EXE, that is), makes Explorer freeze for minutes at a time, blocks connections for no explicable reason, and causes general system problems that I shouldn't have to deal with. And I'm sure if I left it installed long enough, it would cause BSODs, too.

But it's great software. No, really it is.

Go ahead--criticize *me* for criticizing ZAP. Then, when the next version comes out and the release notes say that some stability issues were corrected, you will realize once again that I was right.

Heisula reviewed v5.1.011 on Aug 2, 2004

Big improvement in this version. But still, it has some fatal bugs. For example, when I close the internet explorer in windows 98, error message appears: "Iexplore causes page default". I could not imagine there are any other bugs happened. Therefore, I immediately switched back to 4.9 version. After all, the error message did not appear again. I am still waiting for next version. :>

danielshimizu reviewed v5.1.011 on Jul 31, 2004

In this version i have a problem with MSN 6.2 and windows update!!!!!
But now it´s work with popfile..

jofin reviewed v5.1.011 on Jul 31, 2004

Don't get me wrong the firewall is excellent and I would strongly advise against paying too much attention to the security issues below.
What do these people expect? No program is likely to be safe and secure for ever, hence the reason vendors issue updates!!!!
My major gripe about ZoneAlarm is the next to useless support from them.
I have Trend Micro Internet Security on my computer and these two programs as they are now are incompatable. Trying to get information on their website is a very long job and when you do find the solution, it tells you to contact Trend to see if they have developed a patch. Go in to Trend and they tell you to contact Zone|Alarm for a fix!
Simply not good enough from both companies. If a rep from them reads this how about an answer as to when the conflict will be solved.

more10s reviewed v5.1.011 on Jul 30, 2004

this one fixed the bugs I were having too...
great!

hardgiant reviewed v5.1.011 on Jul 30, 2004

Fixed all the bugs yeah :) :) :) :)

Version 5 has nice features but the bugs were annoying so I'm glad they are working to fix it.

sniperg reviewed v5.1.009 Beta on Jul 27, 2004

I'm lost for words! Z5 just isn't what it should be.

GoodThings2Life reviewed v5.1.009 Beta on Jul 26, 2004

I've been using ZoneAlarm Pro since early 2.x versions. It was a fantastic product, and aside from a few minor bugs here and there, it was a great product.

Unfortunately, version 5.x has become too feature-bloated, and conflicts with too many 3rd party applications and worst of all conflicts with Windows itself in some cases (most notably with ChkDsk of all things!)

While I won't be stupid and give ZA a 1 or 2 rating, I can't give ZA a high rating anymore. If you have 4.6, I recommend sticking with it until ZA puts out a quality version again.

hardgiant reviewed v5.1.009 Beta on Jul 26, 2004

Any software firewall has plenty of weaknesses, ZAP is pretty rock solid and pretty hard to take down if you have a good AV program running with it.

PS: I have had no problems with Zone Alarm 5.x series.

I read that ZA can be remotedly invaded irrespecive whether u use a password or not, and well I found it to be true, got hacked on ver 4/4.5 and trhen dumped it.

Now use the free version of Kerio, its far better and I am confident my box is safe

Sorry, but ZA in any flavor is pants.

themanfromuncle reviewed v5.1.009 Beta on Jul 26, 2004

I read that ZA can be remotedly invaded irrespecive whether u use a password or not, and well I found it to be true, got hacked on ver 4/4.5 and trhen dumped it.

Now use the free version of Kerio, its far better and I am confident my box is safe

Sorry, but ZA in any flavor is pants.

pvolk reviewed v5.1.001 Beta on Jul 24, 2004

Great Prog!

sabbathkeeper reviewed v5.1.001 Beta on Jul 21, 2004

I do not know about the rest of you but I have used both Nortons and Zonealarm. In my own personal testing Nortons is a resource hog and slows your computer down too much. If you dont have Nortons installed and run just Zonealarm then everything works fine. I have been testing ZA since they were on version 4 and the latest version 5.1.001 is just as good. Now i can't speak for the free version of ZA but the full versions I get work great. Also I believe I read on the net somewhere that Nortons has a flaw with it. I just know my system performs much better and has caught more viruses with ZA than it ever has with Nortons. Just my 1 and a half cents.

shrink57 reviewed v5.1.001 Beta on Jul 20, 2004

I have been using ZoneAlarm for years (just renewed my subscription) and never had a major problem, including the latest release. Keep up the good work Zone Labs! It sounds like some of the reviewers here have an axe to grind.

Heisula reviewed v5.1.001 Beta on Jul 20, 2004

Frankly specking, the software has some improvement when compared with previous 5...version. But it is still not stable than version 4.9. I am looking forward to see a better one.

normangerman reviewed v5.1.001 Beta on Jul 19, 2004

I really don't know what the hell you guys (or guy, it seems like the same person reviewed via several usernames) are on about. ZoneAlarm is an excellent program, and is not crap. It has, in fact improved quite a bit over the last few years to make it the best firewall I have ever seen, not mentioning it is free.

I have the latest stable version and it is rock-solid. You people probably haven't even used it.

httpd.confused reviewed v5.1.001 Beta on Jul 19, 2004

At first, I thought the 5.1.001 beta seemed to solve the stability problems I had with ZAP 5.0x. But all it did was change the type of problems I had: Instead of system freezes, now I get BSOD crashes, hung sockets and lost connectivity, and very-long system shutdown times.

Great stuff. And I paid for this upgrade. And people can actually wonder why we have an "axe to grind"?

AlternateAthos reviewed v5.1.001 Beta on Jul 19, 2004

I'm glad that some of you have had no problems with Zone Alarm 5.1, but that doesn't change the fact that I have.

My biggest problem with this new version of ZA is not the Firewall, which absolutely is the best I have used, it's the new security add-ons that are intrusive and don't work properly with my Norton Anti-virus program and PestPatrol.

Of course, I CAN turn these features off, but then I 've got a lot of extra junk on my firewall that I either don't want to use or can't use. What's the point.

So, don't jump all over me. I'm not saying that ZoneAlarm is a bad program (clearly it's not), I'm just saying that ZA 5.X need more work... and maybe not so many new features.

kronix2 reviewed v5.1.001 Beta on Jul 19, 2004

"I dont know what these people are complaining about here"

So, you yourself haven't experienced these problems. Your point being? Dozens of people are experiencing major problems including BSODs.

"It seems vogue to bad mouth ZoneAlarm these days so my comments are objective."

You think people are lying about system lockups, BSODs etc. caused by ZoneAlarm? Notice that before version 5, people had only good things to say about this software.

Version 4.5 is still an excellent product. Version 5, on the other hand, is not.

nukefixer reviewed v5.1.001 Beta on Jul 19, 2004

I used to run Norton Personal Firewall (latest version) and uninstalled it just to have Zone Alarm Pro instead. A far superior product then Norton Firewall. I am very satisfied with Zone Alarm Pro and highly recommend it to anyone. I have the latest version of it installed and will install this beta version. If anyone is thinking of purchasing Zone Alarm, than do it! Beats other firewall products hands down. Easy to use, configure and does what it says!

Chris12923 reviewed v5.1.001 Beta on Jul 19, 2004

This is a good program but is not as secure as jetico personal firewall which is in public beta as well. ZA has always hogged resources but up until a few months ago was the best personal firewall out there. Some reason they just keep wanting to add more features instead of just keeping it a firewall though.

express15_99 reviewed v5.1.001 Beta on Jul 19, 2004

I couldnt be happier with ZoneAlarm 5. It beats out any of the standalone products from Symantec or McAfee and does its job well. Blocks all internet traffic that shouldnt be coming in, and stops all malicious activity coming from the inside. Runs fast as h3ll with no problems whatsoever. I dont know what these people are complaining about here, I've been running it since day 1 and have a had a trouble free experience.

Vantorax reviewed v5.1.001 Beta on Jul 19, 2004

My experience with ZA Pro 5 has been a most horrible just as with many other users. Conflicts, non-working features, funky oddities on the network caused by ZA5, and lack of response from support. ZA 4.5 is excellent, ZA5 isn't worth my time. I already lost enough of it to this piece of crap.

hardgiant reviewed v5.1.001 Beta on Jul 19, 2004

I like it, it works fine for me. It runs stable on several machines and blocks the bad trojans like it's suppose to.

It seems vogue to bad mouth ZoneAlarm these days so my comments are objective.

httpd.confused reviewed v5.0.590.043 on Jun 29, 2004

I would give the latest version of ZAP 4.5 five solid stars, but this digital turd gets the lowest-possible rating. I tried the first 5.0 build, and it made my WinXP system freeze constantly. Tried this build, and the same thing happened.

And I am *SICK* of clueless nobodies telling people like me (and there are a great number of us) that there is something wrong with our systems, or that there is a conflict. These freezes with ZAP 5.0 happen even on clean WinXP installs!

Then again, I do see their point. There indeed is a conflict: ZAP and Windows. And guess what? Windows ain't the one that has to go!

kronix2 reviewed v5.0.590.043 on Jun 26, 2004

Does clawso1 work for ZoneLabs, or is he just dense? He cites things such as temporary files and files which aren't removed during uninstallation, which has nothing to do with the frequent BSODs that users have reported. How come users only report freezes, crashes etc. with this release, and not previous ones?

Fact is that this release is a buggy POS. Fix your product, ZoneLabs. Rated this 2 because it should NOT have been released if it causes as many problems as the reviews indicate.

dougk2 reviewed v5.0.590.043 on Jun 23, 2004

Many users such as myself had to go back to v4.5 due to Windows XP lockups with v5. I would suggest waiting for a few more bug fix releases before putting this on a mission critical PC.

zridling reviewed v5.0.590.043 on Jun 23, 2004

Few sins are worse than taking good software and suddenly making it bad software. ZoneAlarm 5 stinks and will cause WinXP to freeze randomly when you least need it. Use anything else, but I recommend Sygate's Personal Firewall.

mike_loldrup reviewed v5.0.590.043 on Jun 22, 2004

if you try to use this- u dont' need a virus
im a happy user of 4.5 version.
but this one is rotten
keep the old one

war593122 reviewed v5.0.590.043 on Jun 22, 2004

Version 4 kicks ass. Version 5 just sucks donkey balls.

QBgreen reviewed v5.0.590.043 on Jun 22, 2004

With all of the choices out there, you have to wonder why Zone Labs (or is it Checkpoint) would allow such bug ridden releases out to the GP. Not Smart.

Black-Wolf reviewed v5.0.590.043 on Jun 22, 2004

This software is good, but they did had some nasty bugs.

Even a freshly Window may receive BSOD from using this software, perhaps due to compatibility.

..::][Ben][::.. reviewed v5.0.590.043 on Jun 22, 2004

After i was trying e few commercial firewalls, i have to say - ZA Pro is by far the best.
Use it since 4 years and had just a few smal probs/bugs but never had an freeze causing by ZA, most of the times its just the permission question in the background which makes people think its a pc freeze...
If this happens just press y or z or try blind clicking on the yes button.
(i love the many settings and options of ZA)

kmleow reviewed v5.0.590.015 on Jun 21, 2004

I agree with borisf98. Just disconnect the network, everything back to normal.
This piece of crap has been crashing and freezing lots of programs. Try loading Coldfusion administrator, that page takes a century to load.
Off that ZA, no more probs.

borisf98 reviewed v5.0.590.015 on May 29, 2004

OK. About crashes. Zonealarm 5.0 freezes my system. But you do not need to restart computer. Immediately disconnect your Internet and system unfreezes. Beta version of Zonealarm 5.0 had the same problem. Too bad that company did not bother to fix it. I went back to Zonealarm 4.5 which works perfectly.

  reviewed v5.0.590.015 on May 28, 2004

Not everyone who complains of stability problems is a "nitwit". On the contrary, the person who thinks there cannot possibly BE stability issues earns that designation. I have used ZoneAlarm Pro for years, including all the most recent versions of 4.5. Everything was perfectly fine, until I installed this update. Once I did, and rebooted, ZoneAlarm Pro froze up, some applications froze up, and I couldn't even shut down without doing a hard reset. Something is "not quite right" with this release of ZoneAlarm Pro.

clawso1 reviewed v5.0.590.015 on May 26, 2004

MHJ and the rest of you "NitWits" who claim that ZoneAlarm caused you systems to crash, freeze, etc. Should try cleaning up your systems from time to time. Most hard drive are full of junk files that have been left behind by other clean up software. These junk files waste space and can even cause problems with the normal operation of your computer.

When you uninstall a program, files can get left behind. You really don't need these files because they're associated with a program that you don't even have anymore. Kinda annoying, isn't it? Believe me, ignoring those files results in loss of disk space and a system that won't run up to snuff. Heck, even still-installed programs leave temp files scattered about your hard drive.

Most of your Windows applications create temp files on your hard disk when they are running. These files are supposed to be removed but not all programs do it automatically. The temp files may have been accumulated to megabytes since you have begun using your PC, and they can waste large amounts of your hard drive space without you knowing it! This will lead to the reducing of free space on your hard disk, superfluous fragmentation, reduction of the system performance. So it is recommended to clear your hard disk of the temp, junk and obsolete files in order to keep your hard drive in perfect condition. Otherwise as well as wasting space on your system, temp, obsolete and junk files can produce very hazardous results if they are not properly cleaned from your drive on a periodical basis.

The symptoms that these garbage files can produce include:

· Lost network and Internet connections.
· Sudden application lock ups.
· Fatal errors in your applications.
· Virus like behavior
· Cross-linked drive references
· Mysterious Reboots
· Lost data
· Out of Memory Errors

MHJ reviewed v5.0.590.015 on May 26, 2004

I strongly recommend NOT using this junk. I installed The Security Suite and tried to connect to irc. After allowing the mirc client to connect, the connection is still blocked by ZoneAlarm Security Suite. Get Sygate PF or Pro instead!
The AntiVirus is very slow in scanning, too.

NikMan reviewed v5.0.590.015 on May 26, 2004

It's craching my comp a lot. Yesterday I had more than 5 craches with Internet Explorer and ZA itself. I hope they will fix that problems, becouse it looks really fine product (I like all in one with clean interface).

They should fix the IM security with Trillian and similar programs. Also no spyware detection.

i will move to Trend Micro Internet Security 11 for now!

xave reviewed v5.0.590.015 on May 26, 2004

Running it on WinXP pro on a P2-350 (yeah, I love challenge !) I runs fine for now, even better than v4.x, which had problems to launch trhough my computer boot-up stress... I certainly do not see the problems you guys have. Am I that lucky ?

Black-Wolf reviewed v5.0.590.015 on May 26, 2004

Crash crash crash, nothing but crash & BSOD.
ZoneAlarm is getting worse and worse...

g** d*** it, even a freshly installation of Windows XP can't run this software.......... pretty g**.

pvolk reviewed v5.0.590.015 on May 25, 2004

Ive been using zone alarm security suite for a day and no problems here yet. Its nice because it is an antivirus and firewall from a very trusted company. So far so good. Except there are a few hangups on shutdown and startup of windows but other than that its great.

more10s reviewed v5.0.590.015 on May 25, 2004

5.0.590.015 makes my computer freeze!
back to 4 for me

rburly reviewed v5.0.590.015 on May 25, 2004

I updated to the new version and have had 7-8 BSODs, with a Physical Memory Dump & reboot. I saw that there was no ad blocking, etc., so when I made the changes, I've never had so many crashes with a piece of software. This could be a case of Zonelabs wanting to do "everything". I've had nothing but good things to say about it before, but not today. I'll remove it from my system, basically because I'll have to. Just beware when you update & make the setting what you want them to be!

Captain Hook reviewed v5.0.590.015 on May 25, 2004

The final release is a disaster. ZoneLabs even removed it from the ZoneAlarm UpdateCheck.
Just check their Forum (Install,Upgrade...)
and you understand why...

Tokar reviewed v5.0.574.004 Beta on May 20, 2004

I gave it a rating of 3 because of a big issue I had with it. I didn't have this issue with Zone Alarm Professional 4.X. Zone Alarm Pro is a great firewall, probably the best out there; best since it first came out. Comes with Web Filtering...ad removal and such. Great stuff. Has great support for ICS/NAT. All the goods. My issue comes with the internet connection though. I found that when im browsing the internet thru Internet Explorer, while running Zone Alarm Pro 5.X, that a webpage, any webpage, just stops loading a portion of the way through if the page doesn't load fast enough. I found myself hitting the refresh button (or F5) too many times just to load a single page. I first thought this was a result of my laptop internet connection, since it never seemed to like the HPNA adapter I am using to connect with. But after I downgraded Zone Alarm Pro back to 4.X, the problem disappeared and webpages loaded without having to click the refesh button ten to twenty times.

Tinker reviewed v5.0.574.004 Beta on May 7, 2004

Version 5.0.574.004 doesn't work with Admuncher 4.52 --- Causes the windows to freeze.

Zankur reviewed v5.0.574.004 Beta on May 1, 2004

Simply the best!No one comes close to it!Awaiting anxiously the free version of new zonealarm.

bassfoot reviewed v5.0.556.003 Beta on Mar 29, 2004

I have been using ZoneAlarm Pro since the days of Windows 95. I currently use Windows XP with the latest release and experience no problems at all. I, as a rule, avoid beta's as they are generally buggy to some degree or other. With the general release of ZoneAlarm Pro you can't go wrong with its ease of setup, use, and intuitiveness.

tafugate reviewed v5.0.556.003 Beta on Mar 28, 2004

5.0.556.003 seems to be working fine on my xp pro sp2 rc1, though i did have to disable privoxy to surf. maybe a conflict between the popup or ad blocking, i haven't investigated yet.

sjc001 reviewed v5.0.556.003 Beta on Mar 28, 2004

It's a good firewall in and of itself, but the way it works tends to cause problems in my system as well. I've tried it over the years when one version will work fine, but after an update I would get BSODs and worse. I tried that last version and it was updated to .001 and then I got a BSOD and than at bootup it wasn't finding my drives (The BSOD was also an error about a drive cable failing), but as soon as I was able to get into my system and remove ZAP everything was fine again.

borisf98 reviewed v5.0.556.003 Beta on Mar 28, 2004

New beta freezes up my WindowsXP system. Please do not even attempt to install it unless you like system crashes.

kmleow reviewed v4.5.538.001 on Feb 23, 2004

This problem in ZoneAlarm is very problematic to me.
I'm not sure if anyone out there gets similar problem
The Zonealarm's database keeps on getting corrupted. Some programs which I've already allowed to go through doesn't appear the next time the zonealarm is restarted.

besides that, try this out:
set deny access in/out for both local/internet.

The default is "ask".

Now try out some programs that requires connection but has not been authorised inside the zonealarm.

That TrueVector component of ZA crashes.
Hmmm, I guess it got "DoS"ed by those appz.

betasun reviewed v4.5.538 on Feb 11, 2004

the new version of Outpost pro 2 works fine .ZAP twists not
rocks ,twists your system and your connection .it has some
redundant features which makes it to work as a alarm system
when there is not any fire ,its like a wall but not firewall.

kmleow reviewed v4.5.538 on Jan 20, 2004

This is no doubt a good firewall for most home users. It however has been giving problems to me. I allowed Apache web server to run as server in the Zonealarm, but it seems to block the ports so I had to manually open the TCP port 80. Other server applications too have problems.

pvolk reviewed v4.5.538 on Jan 12, 2004

still is and will always be the BEST firewall on the market. Easy to you, yet powerful enough for any situation. An excellent choice.

vietfobster reviewed v4.5.538 on Jan 5, 2004

a great firewall! very easy to use! but freezes my comp sometimes when i open up its window for too long. no biggie. its an excellent firewall overall. what are u waiting for? GET IT!!! NOW!!!!!

robin_v reviewed v4.5.538 on Dec 20, 2003

This is a most remarkable Firewall. It's easy to use and both understandable and educational. If there's the slightest doubt, one can get immediate online help. I also like their general philosophy of providing a free version which, although not as sophisticated as the Pro version, will provide ordinary users with an adequate and easy to use firewall. It's a pity one can only rate up to 5. I would give it more, if possible.

Darken reviewed v4.5.538 on Dec 20, 2003

Once again... An excellent firewall. Very stable.

Darken reviewed v4.5.530 on Nov 19, 2003

An excellent firewall. Very stable.

scodan reviewed v4.5.517.0 Beta on Nov 19, 2003

I'm actually running version 4.5.530.000. I've had MANY problems with past versions of ZAP, but since version 4, it has behaved wonderfully for me. The new "ID Lock" feature is awesome; it will alert you if any (user-specified) sensitive information is going outbound, via web or email. If you reply "No" to the alert, the connection isn't blocked, but rather, the sensitive data is replaced with asterisks (i.e. *******). And Trend Micro wants me to dump ZAP to install its lame firewall? Yeah, right!

Nigma reviewed v4.0.207 Beta on Oct 18, 2003

Very good program. I can't imagine my life without it :).

kmleow reviewed v4.0.146.035 on Sep 13, 2003

This is a good firewall

but sometimes betanews just released things just a bit too early.

*This 035 is german version*

borisf98 reviewed v4.0.146.035 on Sep 13, 2003

Program is excellent and stable, but 035 version is in German. Betanews made mistake. Also, make sure you have enough RAM to run in. It used to crash on my previous computer. WindowBlinds/WebWasher and Zonealarm sometimes do not play with each other nice too.

marty reviewed v4.0.146.035 on Sep 13, 2003

Program is excellent in all respects that I can find. You may wish to turn off the popups for intrusion alerts and just keep a logfile.

BTW the latest version on the Zonelabs site is 4...029. How and where did Betanews obtain 035?? Zonealarm Pro will notify you when an update is available

Dwarden reviewed v4.0.146.029 on Aug 29, 2003

Tested this new version, still bloated, some stability issues also it get problems with advanced trojans (not laughly outdated symantec/gibsons tests). Kerio PF 4.0.2, Tiny PF 5 and Agnitum Outpost PF 2 seems to be much better in these areas...

randman reviewed v4.0.146.029 on Aug 28, 2003

An excellent program. It's always run well on my system and passes every security test (Gibson Research, Symantec, etc.). Easy to set up and unobtrusive. What more could you want?

Dapple reviewed v4.0.146.029 on Aug 28, 2003

Works fine here , I dont use the popup stopper of ZA but, MyIE does a great job at that :)

kmleow reviewed v4.0.123.012 on Aug 21, 2003

Anyone has this problem?
U remove an app from the list, then when u restart the program, the app that u deleted is still listed!

betasun reviewed v4.0.123.012 on Jun 29, 2003

After installing ZAP 4.xx : 1-Privacy tools doesnot work
properly.some good browsers like Opera ,IE ,MYIE and avant browser all have some kinds of privacy tools that can stop pop ups and manage cookies ,even google toolbar 2 beta blocks popups and fill forms ! 2 -it slows down my dial up
connection speed and even sometimes blocks it .3- it consumes too much resources .4-sometimes it loads as an empty window .5- it doesnot have a to see the situation of yr apps or sometimes malicious codes .6- some free and good antiviruses
have protection for email attachment files .7- installing
ZA PLUS : i think its better than pro version.
......but no firewall is like TINY 5 ,which is a very comprehensive and sophisticated security system .

robin_v reviewed v4.0.123.012 on Jun 24, 2003

I've tried a number of different firewalls but this version of ZoneAlarm Pro is about the best I've used thus far. You choose the type of interaction that you want with the firewall and can change it for different situations without the need to reboot.

This one is so good that I bought it.

As an added bonus, I was given a MailWasher. This, on the other hand, is quite useless. Mail Magic (freeware) is much easier to use and doesn't cause my PC to crash like MailWasher.

ssb reviewed v4.0.123.012 on Jun 24, 2003

What's the good point with ZA ? Every modern soft firewall i used has the same if not more functions, better user interface (instead of ZA silly one), and less memory & resources requirements.
I admit that two years ago ZA was one of the best but nowdays there are many pro class apps that work much better. Of course it's just my opinion :)

jespielm reviewed v4.0.123.002 Beta on Jun 5, 2003

For everyone who keeps saying that ZoneAlarm uses too many resources and that Sygate is so much better, I tested both firewalls on my machine under Windows XP*: when both programs were minimized (just running in the system tray, no open windows) Sygate used between 6 and 9 megs of ram, while ZA used only 1.6! That's a HUGE difference. Sygate may have some more advanced features than ZA, but they definitely come at a price.

(*NOTE: Sygate and ZA were tested seperately - i.e., they were not running at the same time.)

kandjar reviewed v4.0.123.002 Beta on Jun 4, 2003

Kerio is better... And the full version is free for personal use !

allan.peever reviewed v4.0.111.004 Beta on May 24, 2003

Description says expert mode allows you to block specified ports - can't find that option anywhere, shame really, only reason I downloaded it.

sirhardi reviewed v4.0.111.004 Beta on May 24, 2003

Ok better wizzrds, pop up and ad cntrol work .........B U T
Adding a trusted zone IP such as router with subnet, and hitting "apply" erases the entry, it doesnt safe the entry..........so at this point it is useless for networkinjg for me.

xippon reviewed v4.0.111.004 Beta on May 24, 2003

New version of ZA is musz improved. Load faster and is easy to configure. But still missing some good functions, like those in Sygate Personal Firewall.

nevers reviewed v3.5.169 on Dec 14, 2002

ZAPro iss still the best, although we all would like it to be even better, and I am not stupid. Period.

ssb reviewed v3.5.169 on Dec 14, 2002

I always wondered why so many people like ZA. I've tested twice and had it installed for more than a month before my verdict. This is just another silly "do anything" firewall adstopper etc. It has no advanced configuration (like Kerio products, SI3), and even it's base options are complicated for most users. And btw i've seen many FW more secure and stable than this (e.g Kerio & Tiny products, Sygate, ISS etc)

DigitalSin reviewed v3.5.169 on Dec 13, 2002

Excellent. I moved to ZA after Kerio started giving me lots of problems. I upgraded this morning and have had no problems with web filtering.

ssb reviewed v3.5.166 on Dec 2, 2002

ZA is the most famous known firewall app out there. It has some interesting advanced features like ad-blocking etc.
Unfortunately it's a bloated unstable application, better suited for home users who want a "do them all" solution.
An advanced user should avoid ZoneAlarm family of applications.

NikMan reviewed v3.5.166 on Dec 1, 2002

my internet didnt work anymore. It finds some strange Ip on my computer and use it. You cannont change the IP in ZoneAlarm so I am returning back to 3.1 until they fix that.

popeye123 reviewed v3.5.166 on Dec 1, 2002

Have 3.1.195-Tried 3.5.166-get a BSOD and restarts when starting computer. Did complete uninstall and reinstall for new version-definte problem/conflict. Went back to 3.1.195.

cyberia reviewed v3.5.132 Beta on Nov 11, 2002

It may be good, but it expires, even if you own 3.1. Why doesn't FileForum or the ZoneAlarm peeps mention that?

As far as being a hog is concerned, what's 5 MB these days? Really.

I'm not rating the program per se, which is the most automated and effective PC security program around. It's that if you install over your current ZA, you get a beta with an expiration date and by the time you've uninstalled it and reinstalled your paid-for copy, you've probably lost all your rules.

Serge reviewed v3.1 on Oct 4, 2002

The "best feature" of ZA - rename "dangerous" attachments in email without my opinion...Tiny personal firewall - the best among others...

Zootopia3000 reviewed v3.1 on Oct 4, 2002

ZA Pro 3.xxx is a frickin' hog. I switched to Kerio and am anxiously awaiting the 3.0 final version release of their firewall. Kerio uses 1% resources while ZA Pro 3.xxx uses 12%+. Hmmmm... Go with a HOG, or not to go with a HOG. That's a tough one, NOT.

TrZ55yjWRppP4390Qx reviewed v3.1 on Oct 3, 2002

Hey, bobad, The only issue with the "uninstall/loss of internet" is from those who cannot follow ZoneAlarm's "step-by-step" operating instructions. The purpose of the uninstall procedure is to protect the user from malicious code absconding control of their machine and turning off the firewall's .exe program. If a shutdown or uninstall is done incorrectly, ie, not per the basic instructions, ZoneAlarm goes failsafe by locking down ALL outside access to your system, until you can determine if a breach has occured and fix the issue, again per the rules/instructions...I used to feel the same way you did, after I screwed the pooch on an uninstall, but after the light bulb went on (10watt for me anyway) I don't have the issue anymore. Anybody who doesn't follow the instructions should consider it a forfeit of their right to complain... :)

rburly reviewed v3.1 on Oct 3, 2002

A hearty "me too" for the uninstall killing the net. I tried to do a clean install on one machine (my son's) and couldn't connect to the net. My ISP checked everything else out, it's ZA. I called Customer Service and was given a link to their Support page, because "You can't talk to technical support. You can email them". That will take 2 weeks (past experience) without net service. I usually have to do the fix myself. B/c this is the box in question has Win98SE, I'll end up doing a complete reinstall. The prog works, but should be sold without these major bugs.

Night Knight reviewed v3.0.133 on Jul 12, 2002

Another great version of a great firewall. the only problem that i can find in it thats the window of the program is too big, and its kinda anoying when your on a res. 800x600

sirhardi reviewed v3.0.133 on Jul 11, 2002

Thanks for listing the "changes" unfortinuatly, I see no one here with a network report if the problem has been solved there local ip "private" issue was fixed, waiting for this to be addressed.

controler reviewed v3.0.133 on Jul 11, 2002

And oh boy !!!!!!!!!! The Beta is only good for 54 days
Whoohoo!!!!!!!!!!!!!

controler reviewed v3.0.118 on Apr 3, 2002

I like ZoneAlarm but for those who DARE to read some insitefull information about friewalls. read the link below
Then come back here and complain about how you heard from PChelp guy this company was such a scam. I personaly think LockDown is a good product and has come along ways from the old days. Come on be brave

john_mcpherson reviewed v3.0.118 on Apr 3, 2002

I like the program. It still has some bugs on XP where the firewall service will continue running but will not allow requests in or out. I have contacted the company on three occassions with no reply. I give the product a 3 but the companies service a 1.

Nelson Conceicao reviewed v3.0.091 on Mar 24, 2002

Good Firewall, been using Sygate 3 Pro since it came out. Much better, never really like ZA. It does work well and seems to be pretty fast. But Sygate works great with no problems.

bobad reviewed v3.0.091 on Mar 24, 2002

Weird. Just plain old plain. Windows Paint (any version) has more features, and this is a bad insult. All this program does is rudimentary pixel editing and flipping, rotating, etc. It's pretty useless when the standard Windows software beats you out! Why not get to work and do brightness, contrast, red eye, etc? Then it would be useful. There is a dire need for a free or cheap photo editing program that does such edits in real time, with sensitive controls. Get with the program! (bobad@charter.net)

nevers reviewed v3.0.091 on Mar 24, 2002

It is good but it burns MUCH more gas than version 2.6.

ditoa reviewed v3.0.091 on Mar 24, 2002

the only problems i get are some minor UI glitchs. i understand that other people with different machines get problems but personaly myself i dont. it works a dream on Windows 2000 SP2 with all updates, it has never crashed, it is very fast, and it is very easy to use. i dont want to have to set up rules i just want to give access to programs i trust quickly and deny access to programs i dont trust. i dont care to much about ports etc that are used as like i said i trust the program, i have antivirus software which is updated daily so if i do get one of these virus that edits programs and shuts down ZAP then it will have to get past the antivirus software also and if it can do that then it doesnt matter if i am using kerio or whatever does it?! ZAP is a lovely firewall for users you want to have some control but are not crazy about network security. also kerio and sygate on my system totally messed up the system, kerio kept causing faults at boot so it could not even load! (i know it is in beta though) just my 2 cents

GimieGimieGimie reviewed v3.0.091 on Mar 24, 2002

Kerio Personal Firewall is a pile of crap compared to ZoneAlarm Pro. Heck even the new bloated versions of Norton Internet Security are better then Kerio Personal Firewall. I've tried Kerio Personal Firewall, was not pleased with it, very primitive, already been covered along time ago. @Guard was probably one of the best Firewalls ever made. ZoneAlarm 3x isn't as bloated as the 2x, just slightly slower. Hats off to them. People should take into concideration that as software developes, the change sometimes has to envolve a new complex graphical UI, thus ZA 3.0, to stay ahead of the game, get a 1gig processor at least. I'm on a p3 500mhz, i don't mind the speed of ZA.

DBright reviewed v3.0.091 on Mar 24, 2002

Ok, I understand that you guys are complaining about this proggy being bloated, thats fine.... All I can say is WHY DONT YOU UPGRADE YOUR SYSTEM@?!?! I run this because it integrated perfectly with my router (Linksys) and I havent seen ANY hourglass icon EVER with it. I feel for you guys running the pentium 166 mmx chips that make it "seem" slow... I love it@! You all know you should have upgraded to Athlon YEARS ago...

nevers reviewed v3.0.26 on Mar 7, 2002

I repeat this is version 3.0.081, NOT 3.0.26, and it is final not a beta any more. Betanews please note!

GimieGimieGimie reviewed v3.0.26 on Mar 7, 2002

While i take Steve Gibsons advice into account always, as he is a very respected person of security. I don't always believe everything he says, people take him too seriously i believe, and by the last person giving this product a 1 star rating just because of a security test it failed, that proves it.

ditoa reviewed v3.0.26 on Mar 6, 2002

Reply to GimmieGimmieGimmie (not a review): I understand that the security is/should be the same, if not better than 2.6 however the stability of the product in a BETA stage will not be as good (from all past BETA testing experience BETA s/w is not as stable). I work in SQA (Software Quality Assurance) so i am used to testing software to the limit. If i had had a spare machine i would have tested ZAP3 however i currently have only the one system. However i am very pleased with ZAP3 i do wish that the user (myself) could surpress some alerts as i do not wish to know when a page has had ads blocked! i would rather have the ads than have a little message each time!! Hopefully Zone Labs will get wind of these ideas for future version and implement them. Other than that though ZAP3 is nice looking (different but still very easy) it is just missing a few very minor but highly wanted functions!

GimieGimieGimie reviewed v3.0.077 Beta on Feb 28, 2002

The only problem i have with 3.0 on the whole, is a few options to get rid of messages and warnings are missing.
I hate the way ZA pops up a window each time you connect to the Internet asking if it's ok to allow the dial up. That is really annoying, i want a option box to allow it with little fuss.
Also, i get very annoyed with a window that pops up informing me a bad cookie has been blocked, tho that is not the exact words, that's what it's telling me.
I want a firewall that is 100% silent, working in the background, no fussing. Also, ZA 3.0 is very slow at loading up compared to 2.6. I'm gonna post these suggestions in a e-mail to zonelabs too, i only want things to get better for ZA :).
If ZA protected 100% silently in the background, then it will be a perfect firewall to me, everything else is in place to already make it the finest firewall i've ever seen! ;)

ditoa reviewed v3.0.077 Beta on Feb 28, 2002

This isnt a review as i have not installed the firewall, i am still using ZAP 2.6 (security is a big issue for me, cant use a beta firewall).

For people who are thinking about getting ZAP i would advise you do. I have been using since the day it was released. I have never had any problems (except with the support team and updates, they said i wouldnt get an update to version 3 for some reason but that is sorted now). It is a very stable firewall, has a nice userfriendly interface (2.6), it is very easy to setup for any type of network. It is secure, it alerts you of everything (some people say it "misses" alerts but if you edit the alert settings you get EVERYTHING, it is stupid to know everyone anyways way too much information it just fills your logs up!)

Also as for virus' bypassing it by deactivating it... If you have a good antivirus and update everyday (if you can) then it shouldnt be a problem, but ANY firewall even hardware firewalls can be bypassed, nothing is impossible.

To sum it up ZAP is a veyr good firewall, it is secure, easy to use and smart. Kerio (TPF) is good also but has a none userfriendly (intelligent) interface and has so many problems on Windows 2000 it isnt funny. I would get ZAP without question, i am sure version 3, when it is released, will be better then 2.6 (infact i am sure it will be).

i cant wait for the final release, does anyone have an expect release date? to me it is looking at being at least another 2 months until stable fully functional code is released.

Cormac reviewed v3.0.077 Beta on Feb 28, 2002

Bad, bad, firewall. Used it for half a year, forgot my settings after every restart, all of a sudden. I tried everything, but nooh... I know I'm not the only one with this problem. It's probably going to be / is fixed in ZA3, but they shouldn't claim that it's compatible with Windows XP, when it's not. And what's with the UI? It's giddy...

So now I'm using Sygate.

nevers reviewed v3.0.070 Beta on Feb 20, 2002

I quickly moved back to 2.6.362.

Madjock reviewed v3.0.070 Beta on Feb 17, 2002

It has a new control panel window, which is nice. I had to disable all the web ad / cookie blocking features, as the internet was going crazy - may be a good feature once its developed more.

For now, it looks like a decent start on 3.0 - no problems upgrading my 2x version either.

GimieGimieGimie reviewed v3.0.070 Beta on Feb 17, 2002

Thought i already suggested that :\
I still do prefer the new design, i think it's more for the more complicated customers.

stevewm reviewed v3.0.070 Beta on Feb 16, 2002

The interface is got to be one of the worst designed I have even seen. Maybe an option to switch between the classic ZA interface and the new one should be added?

aeroe reviewed v3.0.070 Beta on Feb 16, 2002

i too prefer the new ui, it's not that different to me but it seems much cleaner. no other problems here...

espectro reviewed v3.0.070 Beta on Feb 16, 2002

Some questions:
-Is this version legal to use? On the za website i see that you have to join a team in order to get beta software
-Will this version (and final version) respect existing 2.6 licenses? Can you install 3 on top of 2.6?

sphiggo reviewed v3.0.070 Beta on Feb 16, 2002

Interface is brutal

ScReWfAcE reviewed v3.0.070 Beta on Feb 16, 2002

Its a alright Program but the interface is way to diffrent.
Too much of a learning curve .. it would rock if it stayed with a normal GUI ui that everyone could understand.

And I could not do a custom rule I have that.

dave2019 reviewed v3.0.062 Beta on Feb 11, 2002

Looks good i am useing Outpost firewall which is Better then ZA 2. But it looks like ZA 3 ads all the things Outpost has like ad blocking

seudafed reviewed v3.0.062 Beta on Feb 7, 2002

To the person having problems with ZAP 3.0 and IIS: Try turning off all the privacy features.

ch_chia reviewed v3.0.062 Beta on Feb 7, 2002

damm! can somebody show me how to make this program to work with my IIS? i have a WinXP, and have a IIS running my ASP Application, but after installed ZAP3, the ASP page become inaccessible! only when i shutdown the ZAP3, everything will be ok again! but no problem with all my others program... so? help....!

cginzel reviewed v2.6.362 on Nov 28, 2001

I disagree, I've tried tiny and I've found ZoneAlarm to be more user friendly and more stable overall.

sawk reviewed v2.6.357 on Oct 13, 2001

For those that run Windows XP this version will allow you to reboot your computer without having to reinstall ZoneAlarm or ZoneAlarm Pro. in the Version imediately previous to this there was a problem with the Truevector Engine. The symptoms are quite obvious. If you have anything less than this version and are Running Windows XP you will loose internet connectivity after rebooting. The only way to restore your interente and continue to use Zone Alarm or Zone Alarm Pro is to reinstall it.

Thank God they were able to fix this! I have been in contact with Zonelabs regarding this issue from the second I encountered it. They took no more than 8 days to come up with the fix. Cudo's to you guys at Zone Labs!

This latest version of Zone Alarm and ZoneAlarm Pro is the BEST version to date! 2.6.357 is the one to use with Windows XP!

[spectre] reviewed v2.6 on Jul 6, 2001

ZA PRO 2.6.88 works great for my shared networked aDSL connection. Only complaint is its a bit of a resource hog, with the TrueVector and Minilog files running. Sygate Personal Firewall much more configurable and less taxing on resources [and also freeware]. If I had to choose one, Id pick Sygate. If you are new to firewalls, try ZA. If you want more flexability, try SPF.

gwrepray reviewed v2.6 on May 8, 2001

Fabulous product! I am constantly amazed by the number of overseas port-scans ZoneAlarm blocks on my cable-modem. Kudos to the folks who made this FREE for individual users!

jamwheat reviewed v2.6 on May 8, 2001

As a user of the ZoneAlarm Pro ver. 1.0, I got the email about this last week or two.
I like the new "password" feature, keeping things from changing zonealarm pro unless they know the password- I just wish it also would password "shutdown". I know some people that would turn ZA off, just because it was keeping people out of their machine! LOL!!
Otherwise, very good program, works great so far on Windows Whistler Beta 2, with cable internet connection through a NIC. No known issues right now.

James

ditoa reviewed v2.1.44 on Nov 15, 2000

Zone Alarm is excellent, the best firewall on the net i say.

BUT Zone Alarm Pro is even better, more controsl and better security features for ICS computers etc are excellent

i feel more secure and when i get my mates to scan me they get nothing! neither does SheildsUP! website! very very impressive

keep up the good work ZoneLabs!

usafle reviewed v2.1.44 on Oct 20, 2000

I had to rate it a 3. It worked great under Win98 but has some problems with allowing ICQ and my FTP server client to operate under WinME. I sent them a Email but I just got the basic "How to re-install ZoneAlarm" nothing to do with WinME specifically. They say that ZoneAlarm PRO is compatible with WinME but make no mention of whether or not the normal version works with it. I tend to think not.

Fundoctor reviewed v2.1.44 on Oct 20, 2000

Hehehe with Windows 2000 - I only have to see the splash on my once a month reboot. :o)

Scipio reviewed v2.1.43 Beta on Sep 30, 2000

Zone Alarm is an excellent program that has given me no problems. I use it together with Black Ice Defender, and so far Zone Alarm has blocked all probes so BIDef can't even see them. But when I updated from build 25 to 43, I was disappointed that it now puts a splash screen on my computer at bootup into windows and offers no way to turn this "feature" off. I think this is a first step toward nudging free users to pay for the Pro version, to get rid of this annoyance. It's their right to charge for the product, which works very well, but it's disappointing.

rburly reviewed v2.1.43 Beta on Sep 28, 2000

Pretty d**** good for a free firewall utility! Thanks, ZoneLabs!

adam.hampton reviewed v2.1 on Sep 27, 2000

It wasn't really all that bad. It just doesn't ask about which port you want to try and control. It'll simply allow whatever application you want to send or receive, and if your app is using port 80, and someone comes in on port 21 it doesn't seem to care.

But I guess for something that's free, it's better than nothing.

sumstuff reviewed v2.1.41 on Sep 13, 2000

I had not one problem ,and Great options,very easy to use.

controler reviewed v2.1.18 Beta on Apr 29, 2000

in REGARDS to the network shutdown, I agree
When you come back to puter after in suspend mode , your e-mail ect has been blocked and many times the puter is locked , with Zone telling us in ctl, alt, del that zone is not responding, humm timeout thing huh?
I am experiensing way more illeagle programs with the latest build ..
Otherwise it is a awesome program , and we can not complain too much for free . I have seen many more bloated programs
for big bucks ..
controler

reidyn reviewed v2.1.18 Beta on Apr 28, 2000

I'm knocking my score down a bit from my earlier review because not a single one of the problems I've reported have been fixed. They STILL shut down the entire network traffic through the machine running ZoneAlarm until the users responds to a request for some program that wants to access the network. Why won't it just stop THAT program and still let everything else get through!?!!?? I hate that, as it seems to always happen while I'm away or asleep. I have ZA running on an ICS router, and other local machines transact constantly with and through the router. Even though I have repeatedly told ZA to remember that it's *always* OK for WinLogin.exe to access the local network AND the internet, it still periodically pops up a WinLogin.exe inquiry and freezes the entire network until I respond. Further, I really am looking forward to ZoneLabs getting this program working 100% on ICS/NAT routers. It is functional, but I just don't like having to set the security to "Medium" as a work-around. This prevents the TCP/UDP port "stealth" mode from working. It would be great if the program would capture a little more information on suspected attacks, like BlackIce Defender does. All b****ing aside, it's a nice program with hell of a lot of potential. The price is definitely agreeable :-) ZoneAlarm does the job well, and anyone who is patient enough to "train" it for a few days will find it worthwhile. If the ZoneLabs people are reading this, I would be eternally grateful if some of these issues were resolved.

Arnvid reviewed v2.1.18 Beta on Apr 28, 2000

For my five star rating, let me *sign and upload* what is said by the others who gave a five star rating here. Let me still add another feature I could like to see later? This is a feature found in the new Opera beta (of which the last version is VERY good). Here a message pop up telling you when someone try to put a *not so correct* cookies in your PC, along with a recommendation to contact the webmaster. Also quite some *funny* messages one get back here (-; To the mentioned two points! **A** Below it's mentioned *unbinding*, which of course is good - still it hardly help you with the small buggers that already have found their way to your computer sending *Trojan Pigeons* back home… **B** To the question why ZoneAlarm is free? In fact it's not free, it's a shareware for business use, but for personal use it's free. It's the same happened some time with AntiVirus programs - suddenly it came some producers who understood that all users should have the *right* to protection. Same for ZoneLabs (add the fact that it's a very good promotion of a company, he, he...). Still - ALL honour to ZoneLabs for understanding this, being the first to give all the option of a Firewall protection - along with making a very good software program. So they deserve EVERY bit of positive mentioning! On the other side one could (should) wonder if not AntiVirus and FireWall should be included in any OS distribution - same as safety belt HAS to be included in any sold car today (in most countries at least? *5-Thumbs-Up* for ZoneLabs and their ZoneAlarm.

Raiderrzulu reviewed v2.1.18 Beta on Apr 28, 2000

ZoneAlarm is a damn good firewall at zero cost to the user, but I prefer the much simpler BlackICE Defender. It's $40 but it's basically set to defend as soon as it's running, with little or no configuration. The one advantage ZoneAlarm has over BlackICE is that it alerts the user to any outbound activities, such as an installed trojan. No need for that though if you're the sole user & you take precaution in what you download, as well as having a decent virus scanner, which EVERYONE SHOULD HAVE! The bottom line is if you feel that you're capable of avoiding the accidental installation of a trojan, then the configuring of every outgoing app is an annoying interference, thus making BlackICE the best choice, assuming you're willing to part with a couple twenties. So cost & ease of use not being an issue, these are the best, in order: BlackICE Defender, ZoneAlarm, Conseal PC Firewall, AtGuard (pre-Symantic bloatware--whatta shame), & last but least, nothing at all!

2McAbre reviewed v2.1.18 Beta on Apr 28, 2000

Zone Alarm is the best, and Now that ZoneLabs has added the Alert logging feature its even better! I use PCHelp's Network Tracer which is free for non-commercial use. Free for any use. visit the site to get your own copy. Its one of the most thorough tracing tools I've found.

What's even better are the responses I get from the companies when I email them asking why I am being contacted by their sites :o) (email addresses are returned with the trace app above). The most comon culprits are Sprint Network and WebTv, followed by Netscape (if you use the browser). They say its because I am using a static DNS and that when their site sends out packets to one or more of thier users it pings my DNS to see if I am that person.

Whooo Yaaa,

Jon

bmelby reviewed v2.1.18 Beta on Apr 28, 2000

I have been using Zone Alarm for about one month now and I absoulutely love it!!!!!!!!!!!!! For a free firewall it rocks.

reidyn reviewed v2.1 Preview on Apr 11, 2000

Incredible for a free program. Before I review it, I have to add something to the guy below who mentioned unbinding Microsoft Networking from TCP/IP. This is excellent advice, but you also should remove NetBIOS binding from TCP/IP to be even less vulnerable. See www.grc.com for info on how to make yourself more secure without a firewall. ZoneAlarm is simple to set up, and once you get used to its conventions for granting and denying application access to network resources, you're in business. The only difficulty for some users will be trying to determine what actually has a legitimate reason to access the Internet and what doesn't. I use it on a Windows 2000 ICS environment, and it functions perfectly. The only problem with this is, the every time some program tries to access the Internet for the first time, *EVERYTHING* gets blocked until you walk over to the server/router and make an access decision on it. Pain in the a** while you're trying to make it "learn" about everything. A few hours with it, though, and you don't have to worry about it again. By the way, it's amazing how many outside people or computers try to access my machine that I didn't know about until I installed ZoneAlarm.

jauvane reviewed v2.1 Preview on Apr 10, 2000

I have been using ZoneAlarm for a few months now and I am really pleased with its features. It is pretty easy to set up and works gracefully with VPN, SyGate and alike.It is one of the best freely available (for personal, non-commercial use) software around and certainly one of the best Firewalls I've used. I tried a few other firewalls before and ZoneAlarm has been the best one so far. I am now using 2.1.10. Of course that there are improvements which can be made but that's what feedback from users is useful for.

controler reviewed v2.1 Preview on Apr 10, 2000

I HAVE BEEN USING 2.1.3 FOR A MONTH NOW WITH NO PROBLEMS.
IT IS THE BEST FREE SOFTWARE FIREWALL AROUND NOW.
NEXT BEST BUT NOT FREE WOULD BE SYMANTECS VERSION OF ATGUARD INCLUDED WITH INTERNET SECURITY 2000 SUITE.
ACTUALLY ATGUARD IS BETTER OF THE 2 .. AND YES , THEY DO LET YOU KNOW WHO IS CONNECTING TO YOU OR WHO HAS ADDED SERVER SOFTWARE TO YOUR COMPUTER ..AND STOPS THE CONNECTION OR ALLOWS IT . YOU MAKE THE CHOICE .. WHICH IS ALWAYS NICE

kmarf reviewed v2.0.22 on Feb 15, 2000

Sure, there are other ways to block this kind of access, but I'm SO GLAD to be able to see it happening at last, rather than just feeling paranoid. Great tool to verify your suspicions about odd disconnects from your cablemodem provider...
Feature request: I'd love if it this thing logged.

Fixerman reviewed v2.0.22 on Feb 15, 2000

good firewall app. small and powerful. why is it free?

CrowII reviewed v2.0.22 on Feb 15, 2000

If you simply 'unbind' your microsoft family login, or microsoft network from your TCP/IP in Network Settings, and and click 'NO' when it asks you if you'd like to complete your network configs in the Control Panel, you'll accomplish the same thing. If you use a virtual network, you won't be able to do this, tho'.

bobad reviewed v2.0.22 on Feb 15, 2000

This is a useful program. It works pretty well, although it seems to use a lot of resources. The interface is another story, however. It's really cheesy and a little confusing.

jamwheat reviewed v2.0.22 on Feb 15, 2000

I have to say ZoneAlarm 2.0.22 is the best yet! Once things are configured (easily) you can check at the SheildsUp! site and- ALL tested ports come back in stealth mode! I let a friend scan me, after giving him my IP address, and he found nothing!
It also let me know that certain programs (like RealPlayer) kept wanting to access the internet, even while not running. One click, and ZoneAlarm keeps them from doing that permanently. Great, yes??
By the way- am running ZoneAlarm 2.0.22 on both an AMD K6-2 with windows2000 pro build 2128 and an Athlon with win2k build 2128. NO problems!

James