Hello all. I'm about to install WR shortly, but need to ask a question or two about firewalls. I'm currently running MS Vista, 32 bit- SP2, an older but remarkably stable OS for me. Recently MS notified older OS users of 'end of product life cycle' for Vista and MS Essential security updates, which I presume also includes the Windows Defender Firewall.
Questions: 1) Is my presumption correct that Windows Defender will no longer be a viable firewall for me to pair with WR because of end of support from MS for older OS's ?
And, 2) If I do need another good firewall to pair with WR, could you suggest one ( or more) that have proven equally compatible that I might run in tandem with WR?
Your helpful/knowledgeable answer to these questions will be most appreciated by a newbe to this forum. And then, I can confidently install WR with the assurance that it'll work as intended. Hope all of you have a great weekend !
Userlevel 7
Hi huntspatch
Welcome to the Community Forums.
Let's have a go at answering your questions as best we can:
1) Is my presumption correct that Windows Defender will no longer be a viable firewall for me to pair with WR because of end of support from MS for older OS's ?
May I first disabuse you of the notion that Windows Defender and the Windows built in Firewall are linked...they are not. The Windows Firewall is a separate feature from Windows Defender. Having said that what you get for each in terms of the version of the OS that you are running has changed. And versions prior to WIndows 7 are much less efficient than the more recent versions (although to some that is a moot point).
So to answer your first question, yes...in my humble opinion, because if it is unsupported it will no longer be upgraded / patched to keep it up to date...this is not as relevant as for antimalware applications but nevertheless you want cutting edge defences, and unsupported apps will eventually no longer provided that.
2) If I do need another good firewall to pair with WR, could you suggest one ( or more) that have proven equally compatible that I might run in tandem with WR?
Again, I can advise that WSA is design to work with/requires the Windows bulit Firewall OR an equivalent 3rd party firewall to be active for you to have complete protection, so there is no 'might' about it. . This is because whilst WSA handles the outbound connections (with the Windows or 3rd party firewall) it leaves the inbound connection protection to the Windows or 3rd party firewall solely.
In terms of a good 3rd party alternative for your current OS level; well, there are a number out there, both freeware & paid, and one of the best things to do is to Google "Best free firewall for Vista" and/or "Best firewall for Vista" and you will see a number of good reviews & articles providing guidance, etc. That will be far more informed than my thoughts...but make sure that you select articles from reputable sources, i.e., PCMag, TechRadar, etc., rather than blog sites & the like.
Having said that, from a personal perspective I would suggest looking at (free) 1. ZoneAlarm Free Firewall (although that now includes AV functionality but I believe that this can be turned off), 2. PrivateFirewall (previously a commercial product, that includes HIPS functionality).
In terms of paid firewall software, well, most of the big players still support Vista (but for how long is the question) and their offerings would provide a suitable alternative...and from then on it is really down to what is included (as many are now no longer just plain firewall applications), interface & price.
Personally, I believe that Zonealarm is still a good one to look at. I used it back in the day and never had any issues. But again it is best that you do some research of your own as to precisely which is best for you once you have tracked down some suitable candidates.
Well, apologies for the long and rambling response...it is a tricky area, but I hope that I have given you some help in the matter?
Do post back if you have any further specific questions and we will try to assist.
Regards, Baldrick
Welcome to the Community Forums.
Let's have a go at answering your questions as best we can:
1) Is my presumption correct that Windows Defender will no longer be a viable firewall for me to pair with WR because of end of support from MS for older OS's ?
May I first disabuse you of the notion that Windows Defender and the Windows built in Firewall are linked...they are not. The Windows Firewall is a separate feature from Windows Defender. Having said that what you get for each in terms of the version of the OS that you are running has changed. And versions prior to WIndows 7 are much less efficient than the more recent versions (although to some that is a moot point).
So to answer your first question, yes...in my humble opinion, because if it is unsupported it will no longer be upgraded / patched to keep it up to date...this is not as relevant as for antimalware applications but nevertheless you want cutting edge defences, and unsupported apps will eventually no longer provided that.
2) If I do need another good firewall to pair with WR, could you suggest one ( or more) that have proven equally compatible that I might run in tandem with WR?
Again, I can advise that WSA is design to work with/requires the Windows bulit Firewall OR an equivalent 3rd party firewall to be active for you to have complete protection, so there is no 'might' about it. . This is because whilst WSA handles the outbound connections (with the Windows or 3rd party firewall) it leaves the inbound connection protection to the Windows or 3rd party firewall solely.
In terms of a good 3rd party alternative for your current OS level; well, there are a number out there, both freeware & paid, and one of the best things to do is to Google "Best free firewall for Vista" and/or "Best firewall for Vista" and you will see a number of good reviews & articles providing guidance, etc. That will be far more informed than my thoughts...but make sure that you select articles from reputable sources, i.e., PCMag, TechRadar, etc., rather than blog sites & the like.
Having said that, from a personal perspective I would suggest looking at (free) 1. ZoneAlarm Free Firewall (although that now includes AV functionality but I believe that this can be turned off), 2. PrivateFirewall (previously a commercial product, that includes HIPS functionality).
In terms of paid firewall software, well, most of the big players still support Vista (but for how long is the question) and their offerings would provide a suitable alternative...and from then on it is really down to what is included (as many are now no longer just plain firewall applications), interface & price.
Personally, I believe that Zonealarm is still a good one to look at. I used it back in the day and never had any issues. But again it is best that you do some research of your own as to precisely which is best for you once you have tracked down some suitable candidates.
Well, apologies for the long and rambling response...it is a tricky area, but I hope that I have given you some help in the matter?
Do post back if you have any further specific questions and we will try to assist.
Regards, Baldrick
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