Norton Internet Security / Norton AntiVirus

[kcrusaders1]

what exactly is Smart Firewall?? should i enable Windows Firewall as well??? I'm a beginner sorry that my question is so elementary.

[drshlomo]

kcrusaders1 hi,

Don't let it worry you; we all start out as beginners.

Reading from this forum really helps because some of the Symantec team help with difficult problems and there are some wonderful people who spend a lot of their time helping others with difficult and easy issues, as they arise.

To answer your question, it's generally a bad idea to have two Firewalls working at the same time and Smart Firewall is Norton's product, so this is the better one to use.

Let us know which operating system you're using and which Norton product.

I'm using Windows 7 Beta, which we expect to be released in the retail version at the end of October, but the Beta, which is free until the middle of next year is really great.  I am using NIS 2010 which also is fabulous and has just been released.

Enjoy and feel free to ask anything about Norton's security products and tell us the good things as well as any not so good that you may encounter.  Symantec watch for these things and usually come up with quick fixes, where necessary.

If you're using NIS 2010 then on the main Menu of the program you'll see "Smart Firewall" and if you put the cursor over the "i"  a pop up will prefly explain what it does.

drshlomo. 

Message Edited by drshlomo on 13-09-2009 03:27 PM

[delphinium Norton Fighter]

Only one firewall should be operating on your system.  The Norton firewall is a much better one than Windows.  The Windows firewall should be turned off by default when Norton is loaded.

The Smart firewall allows necessary programs to access the internet, but refuses to allow unauthorized traffic in or out.  It runs ver well on automatic, and makes all the necessary decisions without you having to respond to constant alerts or questions.

[kcrusaders1]

thanks for the warm welcome. lol.

i'm using windows Vista Home Premium Serivce Pack 1 64- bit

Norton Internet Security 2009

[Sea_Monster]

Smart Firewall is the thing of the future, Frankly. 

Although alot of users (my friends included) find that NIS Smart Firewall really lousy.  They preferred to be IN CONTROL of the Firewall and feels that using SMART FIREWALLS are really useless.

Personally, I have used COMODO Firewall but I really hate the POP UPS.  I am not a techie, therefore, cannot understand what the informaiton on the POP UPS are.  Moreover, I do not have the time and resource to configure the Firewall.

NIS firewall, I believe is really one of the best, if not the best.  It does it all automatically, or it lets user configure. 

None of the other Firewalls can offer such features.  Top notch for NIS Firewall. 

Just hope that Norton's Firewall will remain SMART forever.

Thank you

[Turbo]

Sea_Monster wrote:     

---

Although alot of users (my friends included) find that NIS Smart Firewall really lousy.  They preferred to be IN CONTROL of the Firewall and feels that using SMART FIREWALLS are really useless.

---

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   What was it about the NIS firewall that your friends found lousy, the fact that it controls all inbound and outbound traffic without assaulting the user with endless popups, or the fact that it keeps your computer stealthed on the internet, thereby rendering your PC invisible to hackers? Or maybe they were put off by the fact that it is fully configurable, allowing power users to create their own custom firewall rules. Your friends should check out Neil Rubenkings review at PC Mag, and tell them to pay particular attention to the firewall part.  PC Mag

[Rohit1gupta]

Actually the thing is

For normal pc user or even an above average one, smart firewall is gud enuf.

But for a user who is really into tweaking and that kind of stuff, smart firewall is not suitable, he needs a firewall which he can control. He knows the program he started, and that program is connecting via diff ports and diff threads.

With manual firewall he can switch on or off to his likings.

But smart firewall follow general rules and tries to give non harmful connections access.

So in a way if u r not tweaker, smart firewall is more than enuf :) 

[ingber]

In the Settings info, Smar Firewall uses SONAR.  Since SONAR on my machines (and others in these forums) gives too many false positives and requires reboots for these High Threat false positives, I have SONAR turned Off in the  Computer section.

Since turning Off Smart Firewall turns on continual warnings of lack of protection, I have selected to Ignore Smart Firewall  under Network, since I have good reason to believe that SONAR is not mature yet, especially for people developing their own applications.

It seems that Ignore is not the same as turning off Smart Firewall.  Can you explain the difference?

Thanks.

Lester

[Rohit1gupta]

Sonar is to predict new viruses, so ignoring it will not block firewall from performing its functions.

Firewall is separate and sonar is different.

Sonar 1.0 was real bad as it couldn't detect a thing, on that basis sonar 2.0 is good. To me aggressive sonar is better than prev one. Moreover, we can retore the file immediately if we feel its ok.

BTW smart firewall has no linking to sonar. 

[ingber]

(1)

If SONAR decides a file is a High Threat you **cannot** "restore the file immediately" as you state.  This is it's biggest drawback.  In this case, unlike a Low Threat which you describe, the file is labeled Unresolved, and only on the next reboot is it placed in Quarantine from which it can be restored if you wish.  That file will not be available during this reboot & login unless you do this.  Other people have posted the same.

(2)

Click on your tray icon to pull up the NIS 2010 window.  Place the mouse over the "i" in the line of "Smart Firewall".  Can you read this?   It clearly says "Using Norton SONAR technology, ..."

(3)

Now, back to my question:   It seems that Ignore is not the same as turning off Smart Firewall.  Can you explain the difference?

Lester