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Sunbelt Personal Firewall Review

June 3, 2007 By

Sunbelt Software has recently renamed their Sunbelt Kerio Personal Firewall to be Sunbelt Personal Firewall. It’s their personal computer firewall software package. SPF is available in full-function mode (paid license) and in a reduced-function free (licensed free for personal non-commercial use) versions. Actually, it is the same program — after the full-function 30-day trial, you can purchase a license key to reactivate the additional functions or if you don’t qualify for the free license.

Sunbelt purchased the existing, respected firewall program Personal Firewall from Kerio in December 2005.

Sunbelt has reduced the price significantly, too. Sunbelt Personal Firewall is only $19.95, which includes 1 year of upgrades, as opposed to the usual $40 for firewall programs. Sunbelt’s web site shows that upgrade subscriptions will be priced at $9.95 per year.

Since I have already registered my copy, I know that the License and the Upgrade Subscriptions are two different things. My license expires “Never,” while my upgrade subscription expires next February.

First, what do you miss with the “free” version?

  • *  It is licensed for personal and/or non-commercial use only.
  • *  Web content filtering is not available in the free version
  • *  The powerful Host Intrusion and Prevention System (HIPS) is not available in the free version
  • *  It can not be used on a computer that is providing the “Internet Connection Sharing” functions for your local network (the “Internet gateway” computer). It will block the ICS data packets, since they are not destined for this computer)
  • *  Logs can not be sent to the Windows “Syslog” server.
  • *  You can not password-protect your firewall configuration, and
  • *  You can not access and administer the firewall remotely.

I am currently using Sunbelt Personal Firewall on all my family’s computers as well as on my notebook (my primary computer) and I am impressed. When you install SPF, you can choose between the “simple” and “advanced user” installations. Even if you’re an advanced user, pick the “simple” installation…

Continue reading Sunbelt Personal Firewall Review

Filed Under: Firewall, IE, Opera, Security, Security Issues, Terry's Computer Tips, Web browsing, Windows XP, Wireless

Fighting Against Spyware & Malware

March 9, 2007 By

Spyware is software that enables a third-party to track where you go on the Internet. Usually this does not involves specific tracking cookies and companies that specialize in tracking your visits to advertiser sites.

Although this capability has given cookies a bad name, cookies are not inherently evil. They are used for many good purposes such as automatically logging you into a site like My Yahoo! or the New York Times. Most sites do not use cookies to spy on you.

Spyware, on the other hand, is almost always software that is actually installed on your computer — without your knowledge, usually, to monitor and report on what you do. It may be for the purpose of giving you specific advertising. More often, it is designed to steal personal information such as user IDs and passwords or credit card numbers.

Adware is software that generates ads, especially popup ads, to interfere with your computing and Internet surfing experience.

As most people use the term “adware,” and I agree with them, “adware” does not include software that displays unobtrusive ads with your conscious agreement (not buried deep in a license agreement or installed without your agreement) as a way to provide free software for you.

Examples of this latter “non-adware” case are Eudora (email) and Opera (web browser), both of which give you the option to purchase versions without advertising and have ad-sponsored versions available as free alternatives.

Malware is a more generic term to mean any program that is designed to abuse your computer system or trust. Spyware and Adware are in this category, as are Browser Hijackers, Trojans, Viruses and Worms.

Read more in Fighting Against Spyware & Malware

Filed Under: Anti-adware, Anti-spam, Anti-spyware, Anti-virus, Firewall, Security

Problems with Pre-loaded Software

March 4, 2007 By

We’re all used to our computer manufacturers preloading Windows, Windows Media Player, AOL and a couple other dial-up services, anti-virus trials, Microsoft Office trials and a bunch of other stuff.

I usually delete the junk quickly. Whether it’s a trial version of an antivirus I don’t want or a trial of Microsoft office, I want the software that I pick — and from the vendor of my choice. Those preinstall “deals” often seem to be at list price.

I recently ran into a client’s computer that would not communicate on his network or access the Internet. Guess what?

It was the pre-installed, partially activated Norton Internet Security that was causing the problem. Since it was installed but not activated, it was blocking everything!

Since he used a different anti-virus program and a different firewall, and since Norton showed that it was not protecting his computer, he thought that was ok. NOT!Read more in Problems with Pre-loaded Software at Terry’s Computer Tips.

Filed Under: Firewall, Operating System, Pre-installed Software, Registry repair, Security, Terry's Computer Tips, Windows XP

CounterSpy, iHateSpam and Sunbelt Kerio Personal Firewall coupons

January 28, 2007 By

I wrote in my PCRepairSite.info blog on December 10th that Sunbelt Software had some unadvertised coupons for ComputerSpy, iHateSpam and Sunbelt Kerio Personal Firewall.

These were supposed to expire, but for some reason, the discount codes still seem to be active. I have no idea how long these discount codes will continue to be good.

Here’s the original article:

Sunbelt has an unadvertised coupon sale that runs until 12 midnight, Eastern Standard Time, December 31, 2006:

* Get $5 off a CounterSpy license with coupon code CSC5TY.

* Get $5 off a Sunbelt Kerio Personal firewall license with coupon code SPF5TY.

* Get $5 off a license for Sunbelt’s award-winning anti-spam program iHateSpam with coupon code IHS5TY. iHateSpam is for Outlook and Outlook Express only.

Sunbelt also has great discounts on multiple license purchases (of the same program). For example, 2 CounterSpy licenses are $29.92 instead of 2 times $19.95. Plus, you can use the discount code to get another $5 off your purchase.

Be sure to purchase by December 31, 2006 to get the coupon discount. Coupons have no cash value and are good only at the time of purchase. You can only use the coupon on one license per transaction and only one coupon per transaction.

Filed Under: Anti-adware, Anti-spyware, Coupons, Firewall, Shopping Deals, Windows XP

CounterSpy, iHateSpam and Sunbelt Kerio Personal Firewall coupons

December 10, 2006 By

Sunbelt has an unadvertised coupon sale that runs until 12 midnight, Eastern Standard Time, December 31, 2006:

* Get $5 off a CounterSpy license with coupon code CSC5TY.

* Get $5 off a Sunbelt Kerio Personal firewall license with coupon code SPF5TY.

* Get $5 off a license for Sunbelt’s award-winning anti-spam program iHateSpam with coupon code IHS5TY. iHateSpam is for Outlook and Outlook Express only.

Sunbelt also has great discounts on multiple license purchases (of the same program). For example, 2 CounterSpy licenses are $29.92 instead of 2 times $19.95. Plus, you can use the discount code to get another $5 off your purchase.

Be sure to purchase by December 31, 2006 to get the coupon discount. Coupons have no cash value and are good only at the time of purchase. You can only use the coupon on one license per transaction and only one coupon per transaction.

Filed Under: Anti-adware, Anti-spam, Anti-spyware, Firewall, Windows XP