f13.net

My NAV2006 is counting down the days until my subscription expires (20-something at this point). I am not particularly enamored of NAV- I have had some annoying problems with it in the past, but it has worked to keep me virus free (as far as I know) for a few years now (I have used several versions).

Is Norton good enough to use again in 2007? Anyone have any alternatives? I don't mind paying for a decent product, and would RATHER pay for a good one than get one for free that isn't quite as good.

I prefer the free AVG then that claptrap Norton.  Seen that damn program eat as many systems as it claims to protect. 

I haven't had any major problems with NAV, but there are little annoyances. I have also heard people squawk about the footprint of it, but I just keep adding resources until my machine runs the way I want it to =P

We use the corporate version here at work, so that is why I originally started with Norton. I don't have much experience with the other major brands and was just wondering if I am really missing out on something. I am guessing there isn't much difference in the long run, but it is always nice to hear opinions.

AVG sucks. ClamWin sucks. Pretty much all free antivirus solutions suck. If you're tech savvy and the only person using the PC you don't need antivirus.

Firewall? Windows Firewall and a decent NAT router are all you need.

There you go.

If you really really really want AV protection for some reason I hear NOD32 is amazing.

I bought ZoneAlarm's big suite of stuff. It has a good Firewall, Anti-Spyware/Virus stuff, plus some other functions you may or may not use. The resub time is coming up soon. As I've been very happy with it, I'm gonna just pay the $30 to re-up later this month.

Though I will warn you, if you go with this, make sure you have a fairly clean system to begin with before installing. I had to reload Windows because I had something on my system that I could not detect or remove, but was blocking the end of the install.

I used to use NOD32 and had no problems with it while feeling it protected my machine.

When I bought a new machine, I bought ZoneAlarm Security Suite and that also seems to be doing a pretty good job.

Norton is very intrusive, it pokes its ugly head almost in everything your PC does. I personally avoid it. I use McAfee Enterprise and it yet to cause any problems but way I run my PC I don't really need anti-virus.

I've used AVG for years, and haven't had any problems or major viruses with it. It just works.

I use AVG.  It thinks there is a virus in some old USRobotics modem drivers I was clinging to for some reason.  Stupid modems.

I rolled out NOD32 at work - I've used McAfee and Norton in the past. Norton is getting way, way out of hand. It's probably my most hated application suite now.

AVG is great if you don't want to pay, and as far as software firewalls go - Don't. Get a WRT54GL and put dd-wrt on it.

Is there a good reason to use a personal firewall if you are behind a router?

I am too lazy to learn how to use my router other than to make sure I can get online with my PC and my Xbox, so software firewalls make me feel better.

Routers for incoming, software firewalls for outgoing.

Nod32 is the best of all.

It won the most vbulletin awards and have incredibly small footprint. I always laugh at magazine AV comparsions that don't include it and write something like "with 50mb footprint, NAV is least resource consuming AV available". (ATM nod eats 23 mb ram and that's with all options on and several days of running). It's also blazing fast - other AVs slow down to glacier speeds with advanced options ON - NOD32 can scan everything with reasonable 16mb/s throughput.


In short, NOD32 FTW.

Oh, and it doesn't cause any problems.

Yes, exactly. If someone manages to get nasty software onto your PC, it still can't send stuff back to that person without your approval (because your software/personal firewall will query it with you). If there's only a NAT router, you have no control over what your PC sends out, only what comes in.

I use the ZoneAlarm firewall (free version) but I do not keep an antivirus program active. Instead, I run the free DOS version of F-Prot on my downloads and occasionally on the whole machine. Unfortunately they've just stopped development on it, but the definition files are still being updated. Here's a summary and links I put together for someone else:

F-Prot writes antivirus engines used by other companies. Their fully functional DOS version runs fine in Windows and is totally free.
http://www.f-prot.com/download/home_user/download_fpdos.html (http://www.f-prot.com/download/home_user/download_fpdos.html)

It works with the definition files used on their other products. I just manually update them from time to time (it reminds you if you forget):
http://updates.f-prot.com/cgi-bin/get_randomly?fp-def (http://updates.f-prot.com/cgi-bin/get_randomly?fp-def)
http://updates.f-prot.com/cgi-bin/get_randomly?macrdef2 (http://updates.f-prot.com/cgi-bin/get_randomly?macrdef2)

It retains your preferences for the last directory you scanned. So I just save all downloads to a single directory, and put this shortcut on XP's quick launch bar: C:\f-prot\F-PROT.EXE /NOFLOPPY (it needs to know I don't have a floppy drive).

Hit enter a few times and it scans the directory. It is genuine, reliable virus scanning and removal - it's all manual, but I prefer that to tray items and automatic scanners. I've also used F-prot for DOS to clean viruses off family members' PCs.

Yeah, that's complete bullshit with respect to NAV. My ZoneAlarm Security Suite stuff eats up about 38-42megs of ram.

I'm not even sure why Norton is so popular, as it's intrusive as shit.

Norton was effective some years ago and its enterprise network client is much less intrusive or at least overtly annoying than the shinied up end-user version. That's pretty much why it ended up the defacto standard.

Speaking of firewalls, I have a fairly common Linksys router. Right now, I just have it set to do dhcp for my computer and my gf's, using cable, with the wireless disabled. Its attatched on the other end to my DSL modem. Is this sufficient, or does it need more settings changed? Anyone know of a good source for configuring a router as a basic firewall?

AVG is the way to go.  Couple that with the free Zonealarm and you are money.  I also use AdAware just for shits 'n giggles.  I have used AVG and ZA for a couple years, and they just work period.  It doesn't get any better for free software.  As far as NAV goes, it is almost as intrusive as AOL, it pokes it's head into everything... I recommend dumping it.

I dont bother with any anti-virus stuff. I just dont let the fucktard spammers get their shit through to me. I run the http://housecall.trendmicro.com/ (http://housecall.trendmicro.com/) to look around once in a while. I use ZoneAlarm, the Pro version, and it's pretty decent I think, and has  a small fingerprint. Its good enough that I had to modify its settings to play BF2.... PB kicked me until I did that.
I figure that if I dont run unknown EXE files, allow bad graphics, activeX, Java etc... stuff to load, then I should be okay. But just in case, I haave the *wonderful* Norton Ghost as a backup. 30 minutes later I can have a fresh new install.

It was super-easy to steal. All other AV companies ban stolen serial number right and left, NAV didn't even bothered checking them. Thus it become the most popular.

I hate Norton.  It has messed up more machines than any other program I have seen, including viruses.  (Although as much as I like McAfee, the 4.x versions were terrible.)

Since I get it for free, I stick with McAfee enterprise.  I shall have to remember the NOD32 though.

Necro!

It is that time of year again. I will NOT be going with Norton again this year (got a deal too good to pass up last year). Are the recommendations in this thread still valid? Anything new to add? Help a brotha out.

I use AVG at home. It doesn't much get in my way, aside from cursing occasionally when a game starts up fullscreen and tries to open a network socket, thus forcing me to endure swapping as I alt-tab out to hit 'allow'.

Zonealarm Security Suite 7 has a new anti-virus application - they bought out (or bought the license to) Kaspersky and use that instead of their in-house antivirus. I use it on a computer that is also used by my wife and my "my friends keep sending me the funniest email attachments, which I absolutely have to open and see" mother-in-law.

I haven't had any problems with ZA. It picks up spyware and any viruses pretty easily, afaik.

If you were just looking for an AV, I'd still go with NOD32.

I'll second any mention of NOD32 and wrt54gl + dd-wrt.  I was fortunate enough to get my wireless router before Linksys gimped them (I guess they still sell the linux version, but charge more for it).  Put dd-wrt on it back in the summer and haven't look back.

Still haven't found a good software firewall for my vista laptop.

hmm no trend micro love? 

I actually prefer NAV to just about anything else but the main reason I prefer it (system center) doesn't do much for you outside of a business network environment.

Trend Micro is balls.  Coincidentally I cut that cancer out of my wife's laptop last night.  Stupid need-password-to-deinstall shit won't stop me.

I still use AVG and it works just fine.

Fuck Norton. I hate that program so much. It sticks its self everywhere, and its so fucking hard to get rid of. Good luck with that.

My advice, is to go with NOD32 or Kaspersky. NOD32 is a bit harder to understand coming from Norton, so I would suggest Kaspersky. Its much much much less intrusive, and it gets great marks in virus catching tests. Also, the UI is very much like Nortons, so coming from Norton its easer to use.

I have been using Kaspersky for a year now and I love it. The only problem is that it can bitch and moan about Steam some times. Thanks to another post I got it working fine with Steam now.

I've used Avast for anti-virus for a while now and haven't had any problems with it. And it seems to clean up other machines I've put it on that were riddled with viruses.

Shadowserver people run a running track of most virus's currently in their pool/honeypots and the results (daily,weekly,monthly,yearly) for detection rates. Take a look (http://www.shadowserver.org/wiki/pmwiki.php?n=Stats.Viruses) to see how effective most virus scanners are with their dataset.

I'm still looking for a replacement firewall (was using Sygate personal till Norton gobbled them up). Can anyone offer suggestions for nice lightweight personal firewalls for Windows XP besides the SP2 one.

So far firewalls tested that I cannot use:
 -Outpost firewall (had issues with it blocking software and just a general annoyance)
 -Comodo (It blocked TrackMania for no reason. I explicitly listed the application + port and I still couldn't host a game. Allowing all connections didn't resolve the problem, only uninstalling it fixed it :P)

Notes: I have a border edge router (WRT-54GL with tomato (http://www.polarcloud.com/tomato) firmware).

I'm running Avast also.  Some of the tech guys at the school recommended it.  Wonder if any of the more tech-savvy guys here have an opinion on it.

Take that crap off and stick on DD-WRT and you won't need a software firewall.

Not to derail the thread too much, but how is DD-WRT any better? Ran OpenWRT for work clients VPN links, I found no advantages of DD-WRT over Tomato from the basic bullet points.

AVG, Spybot, AdAware and if I need a personal firewall, Sygate. You can still find free copies of it if you skulk around sites like Tucows. McAfee and Norton are possibly the worst things you can put on your system as they're both memory hogs and 9 times out of 10 don't have the latest and greatest virus defs and are prone to let stuff slip through and then send out an alert. Plus, most of the virus writers out there are smart enough to know how to deactivate Norton and McAfee. I don't see that problem with AVG or the other less used products. I can put AVG on any PC at the school where I work and run Norton, have it find nothing, then run AVG and watch the red words fly up the screen. I always put AVG on any system I work on and the only time I get calls from a customer is when that version of AVG is about to run out and they get concerned about how to put a new version on. The other products I would recommend would be NOD32 and Trend Micro. So far, I've heard nothing bad about either.

Speaking of virii

http://www.nortonfighter.com/ (http://www.nortonfighter.com/)

holy fuck.

Seriously, what is in the water over there? Japan is the only country that can be cool and batshit insane at the same time.

OK, so I went with AVG free edition, and have a 'how to' question. About half the time, it asks me to reboot my system after completing and update/scan. Is there any way to set it up to reboot automagically so I doesn't bug me?

That's odd. It asked me to reboot a couple of times in a row about two weeks ago and I wondered what was going on. It hasn't asked me to reboot before or since then.

I don't think I've ever had to reboot after an update.   :headscratch:

I think I've had to reboot a couple times for big version updates and such, but never for new virus definitions.

It might depend on what you're running. I rarely have to reboot with XP but my wife who's on 2000 says she has to reboot all the time. Seems weird to me since they're both almost the same but there might be something just different enough between the two. And if you're on 98/Me, you'd definitely be rebooting a lot more.

XP SP2. I get reboots mnimum of twice a week.

My AVG-fueled reboots happen very infrequently. Maybe once every few months? It doesn't happen enough to make me notice it.

I am being persecuted, I know it! Probably some goddamned Norton artifact.

In looking through the intarwebs, it seems one possible solution is to download an update and manually install it. After that the problem may be solved. Gonna have to try this on the wife's machine.


Edit: In doing some more digging, it appears to be a setting in the Control Center portion of AVG.

Go into the Control Center and set your Update Manager properties back to ....

Update immediately - Require confirmation from the user.

My wife's computer was set to restart after every update whether it needed it or not. Don't know how that happened.

That's a relatively silly option to have at all.

Seriously.

Thanks! I will give that a go when I get home.