Zonealarm users - What version do you use?

[Muse]

I'm speaking of the firewall. Maybe some of you recommend some of their other stuff. I'm unfamiliar with anything but the firewall. I've used version 4.xx for a few years and like it, although it's the only firewall I've ever used.

Most download sites, even if you click to download version 6, redirect to the latest version 7 download and it includes the Suite, whatever that is, and is a hefty 40 MB download. Versions 4 and 5 of ZA were around 4-5 MB. I found a site that seems to have just the firewall without the suite and versions from 5 through 7:

http://www.filehippo.com/download_zonealarm_free/?355

What version do you use and recommend and why? TIA.

[DarkMark]

Woa!

When did zonealarm go from yellow to purple?
Is that still the same?

I use 6.5.something.
I installed it and it kept updating itself.

Why? I got it recommended by my father a few years back an stuck to it since I never had any problems.

EDIT: Just saw that you can still download the firewall only, for free at the german website so it ought to be available to you too.

[ronbo613]

I've got 6.1.737.000. Works great. I wish I would have kept the original installation software because it is my understanding the newer versions are not as good as some of the older products.

[Purcy]

What version do you use and recommend and why? TIA.

Hello, I am no expert on firewalls, but I do use Zone Alarm free version and it has updated itself to version 6.5.737. It was installed on my laptop when I purchased it and I liked how it automatically configured itself by going through all the program installed and listing them in the program section. I have it set up for automatic updates which it does quietly in the background and I just checked and the file size is 8MB. I assume it is doing it's job and I say if it's not broken don't fix it, so I'll stick with Zone Alarm.

Good luck.

[DarkMark]

I assume it is doing it's job and I say if it's not broken don't fix it, so I'll stick with Zone Alarm.

That's the way.

Same goes for me.

[pipspeak]

I use v6.5 but as part of the internet security suite. The firewall seems fine although the logging feature sucks. It says it has blocked thousands of access attempts yet when I go to look at the (enabled) log viewer it is totally empty. Just one of the many, many weird glitches with the software.

IMO v5.5 was better. Zonealarm seems to screw up the more it updates its software. I've heard advice to steer well clear of v7 until there is some sort of update to fix the numerous bugs it contains.

[Muse]

I've got 6.1.737.000. Works great. I wish I would have kept the original installation software because it is my understanding the newer versions are not as good as some of the older products.

Check out my link in the OP. I think the firewall only products are mostly if not all there going back to 5.xx versions.

[Muse]

I use v6.5 but as part of the internet security suite. The firewall seems fine although the logging feature sucks. It says it has blocked thousands of access attempts yet when I go to look at the (enabled) log viewer it is totally empty. Just one of the many, many weird glitches with the software.

IMO v5.5 was better. Zonealarm seems to screw up the more it updates its software. I've heard advice to steer well clear of v7 until there is some sort of update to fix the numerous bugs it contains.

Yes, I had similar problem with version 5 when I first updated from one of the several 4.xx versions I'd been running. I had to uninstall and go back to a 4.xx version and I still run a 4.xx version on this my desktop to this day. I figure by now, the failure I was having with version 5 has been long fixed, but have never bothered to upgrade. There may be good reasons to do so, but it seems to me that most of what 4.xx did was good enough for today. I could be wrong, but firewall software isn't like AV software, where you have to constantly upgrade capabilities and virus definitions.

Thanks for the recommendation of version 5.5. The following versions are available for download at the link in my first post:

ZoneAlarm Free 5.5.094
ZoneAlarm Free 5.5.062

I've got 6.1.737.000. Works great. I wish I would have kept the original installation software because it is my understanding the newer versions are not as good as some of the older products.

That version is available as well at the link in my original post. It's a 10 MB download (i.e. it's the firewall, not the Suite).

[goofyGAguy]

I've been using v. 5.5.062.004 for a long time. No complaints.

[ronbo613]

Sorry, I didn't check the link in the first post, I thought the file sharing places would just offer the latest version.
I usually don't upgrade ZoneAlarm either because of the bugs that seem to be fairly common with newer versions. The older versions seem to do just as good a job as the newer versions anyway.
I was thinking of using Comodo on my T-30, now I'm debating if I should go with one of the older versions of ZoneAlarm, which I had used without any problems.

[ryengineer]

I am using ZoneAlarm version: 6.5.737.000.

[Muse]

I am using ZoneAlarm version: 6.5.737.000.

I installed that version today. Seems OK so far. It appears to be the last of the version 6 series.

[acz]

I have used ZA for a few years, and version 6.5.737.000 seems to work just fine on my T41p with Windows XP SP2. I have no reason to change it.

I am wary of downloading an entire "suite" of software when all I want is a simple firewall; but I suppose I might update it to the new version 7.0 if I were smart enough to understand just how it is an improvement.