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ZDNet Rating: ZDNet Review
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In theory, Internet security is simple: you need to keep intruders out of your PC and allow only authorized programs on your system to access the Internet. Fortunately, McAfee Firewall makes Internet security just as simple in practice. This firewall is easy to set up and protects your system from incoming and outgoing communications on dial-up and broadband services. McAfee Firewall also thoroughly logs and tracks security events, so you can keep detailed records of any threats. This update fixes many of the limitations found with previous versions. For example, you can now block or unblock specific IP addresses. In short, McAfee's attractive interface and feature set are on a par with the other firewalls we reviewed. But McAfee doesn't offer anything you can't get free from ZoneAlarm or Tiny Personal Firewall.
No surprises during setup
You can purchase McAfee Firewall in stores or online or download it directly from McAfee-at-home.com. Installation itself is easy; a wizard walks you through. To speed up the process, McAfee saves configuring firewall-related settings for later.
Once you reboot your system, McAfee Firewall is off and running. Unless you disable the program, it runs constantly in the background with minimal resource drain, monitoring your Internet connection. If you want to change any configurations or preferences at any time, simply double-click the McAfee Firewall icon in the System Tray to open the McAfee control panel. Version 3.0 uses a colourful, Windows XP-style interface which may confound newbies, but shouldn't be a problem for experienced Windows users.
By default, McAfee filters all data passing to and from your PC and lets you block or allow traffic as needed. If you set McAfee Firewall to filter traffic, anytime a program (such as AOL) tries to access the Internet, McAfee Firewall asks whether you want to permit it. McAfee also warns you when an outside program tries to access your PC. The firewall even lets you personalise alert preferences and sounds. One welcome improvement with version 3.0: McAfee now offers an Activity Log that lets you see an ongoing record of firewall activities; you can clear or print the log. With one or two clicks, you can set what level of access you want each program in the list to have, including block, filter, allow full access, or remove it from the list.
Access denied
In our casual testing, we sicced Port Detective on our McAfee-protected computer. The Port Detective application--a free utility provided by the Port Detective Web site--attempted to access a series of common ports on the test computer. When we set McAfee Firewall to Allow All or Filter, ports 21, 23, 25, 80, 143, and 443 remained closed, protecting the PC against potential email and Web attacks, while allowing normal Internet access. Allow All lets all programs access the Internet, but Filter causes a pop-up that lets you accept or deny the connection. Of course, when security was set to Block All, our applications couldn't even access the Internet, which is precisely what we expected. In our labs' official tests, McAfee Firewall managed to close and hide every port on our test PC. But although the program closed port 113, it failed to hide that port, meaning that hackers can see that your PC is online.
Standard Web support
McAfee Firewall 3.0 offers a convenient link to technical support directly from the main dialog. McAfee provides online documentation and tech support, available 24/7 through the McAfee Web site. There, you'll find instructions and online help, along with an online forum where you can discuss your problem with other users. You can also email questions and issues to technical support. There is no free telephone support for McAfee Firewall, but McAfee, similarly to Symantec, does offer several fee-based telephone support plans. In our tests, email support took more than a day to respond to our questions--a bit frustrating, since there is no other free way to get hold of a McAfee representative.
Pass on this one
McAfee Firewall's attractive interface and suite of features make it ideal for the home or small-office user looking for optimal protection with a minimal learning curve. At AU$60, the cost is also very competitive. But there are other excellent firewalls, including ZoneAlarm, available for free, so unless you're considering a larger McAfee security package that includes the firewall, pass on McAfee Firewall 3.0.
The good: Easy to learn; shows activity and filter settings in a main window.
The bad: XP-oriented UI may be a bit confusing for beginners.
The bottom line: This attractive, low-cost firewall offers you effective Internet protection, but we recommend ZoneAlarm for more intuitive Internet access controls.
McAfee Firewall 3.0
Company:Network Associates
Ph: 02 9761 4200
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| • | ZDNet recommends | • | ZoneAlarm 2.6 |
| • | Norton Personal Firewall 2002 | • | McAfee Firewall 3.0 |
| • | BlackIce Defender 2.5 | • | Tiny Personal Firewall 2.0.14 |
| • | Feature comparison | • | ZDNet Labs tests personal firewalls |
15%
7%
