Norton Internet Security / Norton AntiVirus

[Kalma]

Hi there,

though I read other related posts, I don't agree with the replies provided, this is why I want to post this message in order to get the appropriate answer.

I had NAV 2008 installed on my PC as Anti-Virus Tool, together with ZoneAlarm (the free version) as FireWall. I was pretty happy with the overall performance and features I got with that configuration. Now I found out that the new version of NAV 2008 is not compatible with ZoneAlarm. The point is... why? It should be just an Anti-Virus, otherwise I would have bought NIS or Norton 360. I have tried the FireWall capabilities of NAV 2009 before posting this, and I can now say that it is clearly inferior comparing it with ZoneAlarm. With ZA I was able to control when, where and how I wanted my PC to connect to... but now NAV is making its own decisions (unknow to me). Besides this, I can not detect programs which try to connect to Internet without my permission, since NAV doesn't question these kind of connections (trust me, it was a very powerful tool for me in the past to detect malware which already entered in my PC).

The question is, are you planing to solve this problem? It would just be enough if the Internet Protection of NAV 2009 could be de-activated in order to avoid conflicts with other Firewalls.... Otherwise, I will have to uninstall NAV (and request a refund), since I don't feel as protected as I was before.

Thanx in advance.

[huwyngr Norton Fighter]

I think it would help you get a useful answer to your question if you specified very precisely which Zone Alarm you are talking about. There are different versions with different features and there are of course different "generations" of each just as there are for Norton AntiVirus.

If you specify exactly which "model" of Zone Alarm you are referring to including the version number and give similar information on Norton AntiVirus then meaningful comments may be possible.

Without the details however, it is well known that Zone Alarm has issued versions that did interfere with other applications and it is also the case that Zone Alarm has versions that include antivirus detection -- so those could well interfere with any other AV application, not just with Norton.

[Dieselman743]

Are you using the latest version of Zone Alarm free? Also Zone Alarm free does not protect your pc any better then Windows firewall does. Just ask Matousec.com that. If you want a great free firewall then use Comodo or Online Armor. If you want to spend alittle more then get NIS 2009.I have spent many years playing with pc security and Zone Alarm free isnt one of them Zone Alarm pro is good. Nothing can touch Comodo for free firewall out there. Just look and see for yourself. No where on that chartwill you see Zone Alarm Free.

http://www.matousec.com/projects/firewall-challenge/results.php

Message Edited by Dieselman743 on 10-12-2008 04:50 PM

[Stu]

I agree on Diesel.

But if you still want to try than install NAV first , reboor and than install ZA. 

[reese_anschultz]

Kalma, it's not intentional. We've reproduced some problems with Norton AntiVirus 2009 and some versions of ZoneAlarm. From our initial analysis it appears that we've exposed a bug that causes ZA to go into an infinite loop. We are currently contacting the ZoneAlarm folks to get a better understanding of the problem so that they can fix their bug and we can hopefully work around the problem in the current versions.

[huwyngr Norton Fighter]

Reese,

Many thanks for the explanation -- it's one of the most valuable features of these new Forums that we do get solid feedback from "the source" ! As distinct from "Reinstall Windows .... " <veg>

[Kalma]

Yes, I fully agree with huwyngr... That reply is the one I expected from a Company like Symantec which, in my opinion, is solid and trustable. I will wait for news in such a case. Just one comment: I never thought it was intentional, just a mistake on design or a test lack.

With the only aim of replying the other participants I have to say to huwynger that it is quite hard to know the exact version of ZA, since it updates On-Line. The only thing I can say for sure is that I installed 6.032 version of the Firewall free solution (nothing about AntiVirus or other tools, just the firewaill), but it has been updated. Now, I can not see the current version because I had to uninstall it in order to install NAV 2009.

Regarding the Diesel comment, I must strongly disagree. I am aware that ZA is not the best solution around, but combined with NAV it is very powerful... It is an empiric conclusion. I can say this because I have been using this configuration for years, with really good results (not even one intrusion, by the moment). Furthermore, I have been able to detect spyware which already entered my PC (at the very beginiing, when the Spyware detection was not a NAV built-in feature) because ZA alerted me about a "strange" programs trying to acces the Internet. In my experience, it is completely impossible to detect this with Windows Firewall, neither NAV Intrusion Protection. Apart from this, is there any other Firewall which is compatible with NAV 2009 or it only affects ZA? If so, which is the Firewall application price? (I ask this in order to consider acquiring a different Firewall application).

Thanks a lot to everyone for your replies...

[huwyngr Norton Fighter]

And thanks for your feedback.

Now you know where we are, keep coming back even if you do not have any new problems!

[Zana]

Hi

I've seen lots of ZoneAlarm posts, on different forums this week.

I really don't think this is a NAV 09 problem.

I think it's a ZoneAlarm problem

In the last 7 days...

It appears ZoneAlarm has caused complete chaos ... Whatever - AntiVirus / AntiSpyware - People are using

AVG 8 .. Is another ZoneAlarms Victim!

Actually!

From reading different forums...

I'd say that ZA has been causing problems ( On & Off ) ... Since - March

I'm glad I don't use ZoneAlarm

[Kalma]

For sure I will!!! count on me, huwyngr (impossible to remember XD)

Following the Diesel suggestion, I'm now installing COMODO Firewall (the answer to my previous question was in the page he attached, thanx)... Nevertheless, it is right now scanning my PC for Virus!!!! Again, shouldn't it be just a Firewall? Why everyone wants to do everything in just "All-in-Wonder" Super-Application??? I'm affraid it will crash with NAV 2009. I will tell you about the results.

First of all, I must say that I am not a ZA employee :-DDD   Once this has been said, I must disagree with Zana, since ZA was working fine with NAV 2008, the problems started when I installed NAV 2009 (in fact, it actually warns on the incompatibility problem).

Cheers!