First off if someone wanted
decent protection I would
never suggest a software firewall. Decent protection can be provided much better by a hardware firewall
If you want
OK protection or are only worried about outgoing data then a software firewall is by choice the best and cheapest.
I use Sygate Pro on one PC and Kerio 2.1.5 on my other 2 only because it is lighter on the resources. All Pc's are behind a NAT router so outbound is my only real concern. Software only serves as cleanup for what the router lets through for incoming.
Sygate has much better outbound detection than Kerio 2.1.5 and can pass both these tests where Kerio cannot.
http://keir.net/download/firehole.exe
http://www.pcinternetpatrol.com/downloads/pcaudit.exe
Running 2 firewalls is like using 2 umbrellas don't bother!Typically one will run on top of the other and the second will do nothing but eat up PC ram and resources. If the second firewall catches something the first one is junk anyway just get a better firewall then
CORRUPTERBUSTER I don't mean to i put you down in anyway here but......... If you really think Norton is keeping you secure and you are as paranoid as you seem to be "from other posts I've read" you best unhook your modem right now
Rule #1 .............nothing is ever secure if a hacker wants to get in he will get in! There are companies and even governments that spend thousands of dollars on security firewalls and devices and still get hacked on a regular basis
BTW: The last I knew the
free version of Zone Alarm did not cover the entire port range. I'm pretty sure at one time it left the upper port range open. Not sure if that has changed at all been a few years since I uninstalled it