Yes … I downloaded Kerio, I have to confess that it looks better than ZA and probably does a better job … but after 30 days it will be scaled back if I don’t pay … my problem … don’t have a CC and also no paypal … how to get the license if I can’t pay up? Is it actually worth paying for or is it good enough and keeps the things you actually need to make your computer safe?
The thing with Kerio I really like is that you can actually see how much traffic is going in and out … specified by application … ZA doesn’t have that and it’s necessary to have it because than you can see what each application is doing and foreign apps don’t have a chance …
It’s a pretty good firewall (and more), even after 30 days.
Here’s a comparison between the free version and the full version:
kerio.com/kpf_comparison_version.html
Has anyone tried both Sygate and Kerio? I use Sygate (freebie version) and just wondered how it matched up against the freebie Kerio.
tks.
I know, I’ve seen it … but it doesn’t make me any wiser … :s because I don’t know what is what …
Sygate is great. But it’s a pain in the ass to configure for P2P type of stuff. So if you’re into that, then Sygate may not be the right one for you. ZA has a much better configuration GUI.
Well, let’s see…
The extra features in the full version:
Content filtering - you can do most of that from your web browser (especially if you use Firefox or Opera).
Syslog - you don’t need that on a home desktop
Run as Internet Gateway - if you want to use “Internet connection sharing” - that is, use your computer as a gateway for other computers on your network. But you should use a hardware router for that anyway.
Remote Administration and Password Protected Configuration - again, not really useful for a home desktop.
The only really useful feature of the full version is the “Host-based Intrusion Prevention System” - it can protect you from some types of viruses. But you should use an antivirus software on Windows anyway.
BTW, make sure to choose the “Advanced” mode for Kerio - it can be annoying, but you have a lot more control over what’s going in and out of your computer.
I “hear” Sygate is great for P2P! Just make sure you give the P2P full access! Not difficult to do.
A music-stealing friend of mine told me that he had no problem setting up port forwarding using Sygate and Shareaza. Shareaza has clear instructions on how to do this on its Help pages, according to my friend.