Windows Server Firewall

[ccandg]

We're currently running two managed Windows servers with Plesk interface. Can anyone suggest a software firewall to use? Thanks.

[Senad]

Before making several suggestions...I will always advocate this disclaimer:
If this will have any commercial purposes and you are using a none commercial license you are illegally using the software by the vendors and they can further pursue you in courts.


Free Non-Commercial Firewalls (Personal):
AVG Free Edition (Great Anti-Virus)
ClamWin (Free AVG Style Anti-Virus)
Comodo Firewall (Yep the same guys that offer wonderful certificates)

Commercial Firewalls (Business):
AVG Full Edition (Great Anti-Virus)
ClamWin (Free AVG Style Anti-Virus)
McAfee (GREAT anti-virus solution especially for multiple servers if you want easier management solutions).
Norton Anti-Virus (Well known...a little bit bloated and resource intensive in my opinion).

[Kevin]

Senad... you listed Anti-Virus suites instead of firewalls, for the most part. :P

My knowledge of the Comodo firewall seems to indicate it doesn't work very well. Norton's firewall, from what I understand is clunky. The two I've always found most popular are Zone Alarm and Kerio. I don't have a lot of experience with Windows firewalls, though, as I tend to avoid it. :-)

[ccandg]

Thanks Kevin & Senad. Unfortunately Zone Alarm doesn't offer a server firewall, so that knocks them out of contention. And there doesn't seem to be many reviews of server firewalls, either. I was hoping someone had personal experience running a Windows web server. And since we would be using it in a commercial environment, we would be purchasing the appropriate licenses.

[Senad]

Senad... you listed Anti-Virus suites instead of firewalls, for the most part. :P

My knowledge of the Comodo firewall seems to indicate it doesn't work very well. Norton's firewall, from what I understand is clunky. The two I've always found most popular are Zone Alarm and Kerio. I don't have a lot of experience with Windows firewalls, though, as I tend to avoid it. :-)

:o Ok note to self: never write late at night again :D.

There is a good firewall called tiny firewall.

Very simple and works great. Windows Firewall will be a complete nightmare and security risk/hole.

There is also AVG Firewall.

McAfee has always to me given high quality products. Another good one is Integos security line as well.

http://personal-firewall-software-review.toptenreviews.com/

[Henrik]

Just a question; Are companies that have heavy duty windows servers most often running hardware firewalls before the actual server(s)? It seem to me that running a windows server doesn't have the same excellent "local" firewall choices that the bsd/linux community have to choose from.

[Kevin]

It seems from my poking around with Windows routing and remote access, a firewall could be tricked into existing with many of the features of iptables, but not so cleanly. iptables is a very nice kernel-level firewall, and basic router implementation, which is why pretty much all Linux firewall "tools" use it, rather than hooking their own implementations into the kernel, and why pretty much all Windows firewall "tools" have to keep reinventing the wheel.

[delex]

I use Norton Antivirus

yes, it takes some of your pc's resources
but does detect everything

[ccandg]

Thanks, all. Seems like Plesk will only work with the Windows firewall, so that limits my choices.