Decent free software firewall?

[Neo_VR]

My missus is getting broadband in a couple of days, but isnt going to get a proper router just yet... can anyone reccomend a good software-based firewall thats light on resources and easy to use (shes only using a pIII laptop)

Am i right in thinking that windows firewall should be avoided? or is it not as bad as i expect?

[Waka]

I'm using Windows firewall - the one with SP2 is much better than the one with SP1 - and it's fine.

I'm sure there are better firewalls out there. Zonealarm is a very good free one - but it used to bugger my connection to my xbox :-(

W.

[Norky]

I use Windows firewall too, a decent virus checker is far more important

[bindo]

I use Sygate's free firewall, you can get it from : http://www.tucows.com/start_dl/213160_90233_1155 .
It doesn't take up much memory and does it's job well. Hope that helps!

[Ripper]

Zone Alarm is a very good free firewall. http://www.zonelabs.com/store/conten...try=GB&lang=en
I use the Nvidia firewall that came with my motherboard which seems quite good. But TBH you can pick up firewalls such as Panda internet security from ebuyer.com http://www.ebuyer.com/UK/product/108981/rb/18930511349 for about 7 quid. The other alternative is to check PC magazines as they sometime throw free internet security at there readers!

[BigBry]

Kerio gives you a full version initially then resorts to a pretty good still functioning version at the end of the trial (for free);

http://kerio-firewall.netwebpages.co...all-djdinc.htm

[pp05]

Agnitum free version is very easy to use.

[Nat101]

Have a look at Filseclab. It doesn't have the most polished of GUIs, but it has a smaller footprint than either the now bloated Kerio or ZoneAlarm, its still being maintained (unlike Sygate PF) and it gets the job done!

[Kumagoro]

I found that the sygate one on a computer i tried it on (PIII) use to make it freeze for a
fraction of a second about every 5 seconds.

On another PC I used zone alarm but the internet just stopped working sometimes for
no apparent reason.

As such I dont know what to recommend.

[UltraMagnus]

another vote for kerio here, also has options between a "learning" mode for advanced users or a no hassle "simple" mode