ZoneAlarm

LincsLad_3

In most cases it is not an ISP or website striving to see whether or not you are online, but is more likely to be a trojan-infected PC conducting a ping of a random ip address, or ip address and port combination. Basically the trojan is looking for another PC with an open port which can be used to infect that PC with itself.

Most of the time, a single ping is nothing to worry about. A series from the same address might indicate a deliberate attempt to probe your ip address (and hence your PC) making a more determined search for open ports. Which is why I prefer the stealth approach: don't respond to any ping, and no-one can find out if there is a real live PC at your ip addres or not.

If you really want to look further, I can email you a copy of my ZA Logfile. PM me your address.

MisterT2

Thanks LincsLad - I thought it more likely to be a virus/hacker rather than an ISP. I have never seen a ping from my ISP unless they have been helping to diagnose a problem. My ISP generally bends over backwards to help (thats how I found that there were 8 business on my 20:1 link). Consequently I upgrades to Local Loop Unbundled (5:1). Seemed to have got rid of the hacker too.

chateau42

::)
Had Zone Alarm a few years, now on two computers. Even pay for Pro.  No problems. seems to get more complex with each upgrade. Maybe I am getting old!!!!!!!!!! :-*

Reaper

Although I liked the ZoneAlarm front end I had some problems with Zone Alarm conflicting with programs on my PC. I have to say it was a couple of years ago but I found a few other people with similar problems.

I now use Sygate (another free firewall). The front end is not as pretty but it does the job.

Allexie

Having tried both Sygate and ZoneAlarm my vote goes to ZoneAlarm by a mile

krafty_2

zonealarm works gr8 on my desktop but when i installed it on my laptop the system crashed!!!!
wonder why...so Im sticking with the windows firewall for the laptop-is that any good?

Mr_Skint_2

Sygate for me......