firewall problems

firewall problems

I have used zonealarm 2.262 for sometime now and have had good luck until I started using Windows XP. Now, mind you this may not actually be a ZA problems, but just another XP mess. I have had a problems with windows starting my DSL connection for a long time. After disabling ZA most of the time the connection will come up and then I start ZA. Surfing is very slow and sometimes I can't get to a certain site without trying it numerous tiimes. I've lowered the security settings (something I really don't want to do) with occasional success.
I've stopped using ZA for the time being and am trying out other firewalls. Fiero, I didn't like at all. I'm currently using one called Outpost. Anyone have any experience with it?


Also, are there some special settings in XP I don't know about that may be part of this problem. I never had a hiccup in 98SE.

I don't use XP for very much internet activity, just for some special email and MsPublisher use. Linux (MD 9.0) causes me no grief what so ever.

I'm using Sygate's fireall with XP........no problems.

If you haven't already, turning off XP's unecessary services will help system performance, including web surfing, noticeably.

There are a number of guides online for determining which services to turn off, which to set to manual and which to leave on automatic but I've found the one on Black Viper's site to be the easiest to use.

I use OP firewall with win98 and cable isp, no problems at all. And I like it better than ZA, wich I had problems with.