Advanced Plus Security Gandalf_The_Grey's Laptop Config 2024

[simmerskool]

-Secure still slows down my browsing somewhat so I'm back to Windows built-in protection configured by Hard_Configurator.

Surprised ,as I'm sensitive to performance / speed and I was running my win10_vm with F-Secure 19.0 last night & thru vpn, and it was fast+, subjectively as fast as Bitdefender free and both are faster than MS Defender + H_C. Both Bitdefender & F-Secure on VM seems as fast win10 hardware host running ESET. And even MS Defender on VM is only slightly behind, but I am lucky enough to have download bandwidth of 500 mbps / and round 250 thru vpn.

 

[Gandalf_The_Grey]

Surprised ,as I'm sensitive to performance / speed and I was running my win10_vm with F-Secure 19.0 last night & thru vpn, and it was fast+, subjectively as fast as Bitdefender free and both are faster than MS Defender + H_C. Both Bitdefender & F-Secure on VM seems as fast win10 hardware host running ESET. And even MS Defender on VM is only slightly behind, but I am lucky enough to have download bandwidth of 500 mbps / and round 250 thru vpn.

Maybe it is different on a VM? And it is always different between systems and configurations.
For me this feels faster and I can get 350 mbps on wifi, before with F-Secure it was 250 mbps on a 350 mbps connection.

 

[simmerskool]

Maybe it is different on a VM? And it is always different between systems and configurations.
For me this feels faster and I can get 350 mbps on wifi, before with F-Secure it was 250 mbps on a 350 mbps connection.

good to hear, so you think there is (was) slowdown with F-Secure servers? I did not see that here yesterday, but then lately I was spending more time with Bitdefender VM and last 2 days with Linux VM, all I can say FS was standard fast+ for me yesterday.

 

[ForgottenSeer 97327]

Maybe it is different on a VM? And it is always different between systems and configurations.
For me this feels faster and I can get 350 mbps on wifi, before with F-Secure it was 250 mbps on a 350 mbps connection.

When I recall right you have a TP-link router. I don't know whether you make use of TP link smart connect feature or air time fairness. When you use smart connect, you should use air time fairness and choose the AV with highest throughput (assuming MD + H_C is as good as F-secure). When you use separate channels than you can disable airtime fairness when you have a 350 mbps connection and a single device only maxes out to 250 mbps. Using 5/7th (250/350) of the maximum capacity could be faster in practice than enabling airtime fairness with 3 clients (350/3 = for longer througput only 1/3 of the 350 mbps per device).

MD is fast, I just switched to Avast Free (also tested Bitdefender and Ziggo's F-Secure) and all were slower than MD when making image backup's.(Avast 15% slower, Bitdefender and F-secure 20% slower). So your feel might reflect actual performance. As said I don't know with how many devices you are usually online, but 250 mbps might be faster in practise than 350 mbps depending on how you have setup your TP-link router and the number of devices usually online.

 

[franz]

Surprised ,as I'm sensitive to performance / speed and I was running my win10_vm with F-Secure 19.0 last night & thru vpn, and it was fast+, subjectively as fast as Bitdefender free and both are faster than MS Defender + H_C. Both Bitdefender & F-Secure on VM seems as fast win10 hardware host running ESET. And even MS Defender on VM is only slightly behind, but I am lucky enough to have download bandwidth of 500 mbps / and round 250 thru vpn.

If there is something I test often, it is speed both at Speedtest and others. I use cable, use win10, now have 250mb download and 250mb upload. I regularly test Norton VPN together with Norton 360 delux, PIA together with f-secure, PIA together with Norton, PIA together with Bitdefender and Kaspersky.

With VPV, fastest speed f-secure and PIA, approx. 246 down - 247 mb up, without VPN 252-252. With Norton and PIA 222 up 232 down. Norton and Norton VPN, 230 down, and 226 up. With Kaspersky, about the same as with Norton, and slightly better with Bitdefender, but the best solution for me is f-secure and PIA. I test both day and night.

When I had the 750mb line, the results were exactly the same between the programs just at a higher speed, the same with the 500mb line. Personally, I'm almost never online without a VPN connected, and I then use WireGuard with kill switch and PIA Mace and PIA DNS.

 

[Gandalf_The_Grey]

Did an upgrade to my Wifi with a TP-Link Deco XE75 AXE5400 Tri-band Mesh Wifi 6E-systeem.

AXE5400 Tri-Band Mesh Wi-Fi 6E System

The AXE5400 WiFi 6E Mesh WiFi System boosts your WiFi range and delivers ultra-fast WiFi speeds of up to 5400 Mbps.

www.tp-link.com

Thanks to the new SWH ver. 2.1.1.1 beta from @Andy Ful (added support for Windows 11 ver. 22H2) I'm back with Simple Windows hardening

New Update - Simple Windows Hardening

SWH vs. Magniber JavaScript variant https://malwaretips.com/threads/mag...ers-via-javascript-files.117780/#post-1007487 https://threatresearch.ext.hp.com/m...geting-home-users-with-fake-software-updates/ Previously Magniber was primarily spread through MSI and EXE files, but in September 2022...

malwaretips.com

 

[Andy Ful]

I'm back with Simple Windows hardening

Be safe.

 

[ForgottenSeer 97327]

Did an upgrade to my Wifi with a TP-Link Deco XE75 AXE5400 Tri-band Mesh Wifi 6E-systeem.

AXE5400 Tri-Band Mesh Wi-Fi 6E System

The AXE5400 WiFi 6E Mesh WiFi System boosts your WiFi range and delivers ultra-fast WiFi speeds of up to 5400 Mbps.

www.tp-link.com

Impressive 6Ghz tri-band mesh

 

[Gandalf_The_Grey]

Impressive 6Ghz tri-band mesh

Thanks, I'm very happy with it.
Should have done this sooner... wifi is great now all over the house.

 

[Gandalf_The_Grey]

Up to date with the May 2023 Update of this form:

By Staff - Get started with Your PC Security Configuration (2023)

Future Updates & History ↓

malwaretips.com

 

[Gandalf_The_Grey]

Up to date with the latest tools from @Andy Ful
Back to FS Protection by F-Secure, because I couldn't acces my Enphase solar system with Microsoft Defender Antivirus.
And for the reasons listed here:

Advanced Plus Security - Gandalf_The_Grey's Laptop Config 2023

New config for the new year with the new tools released by @danb https://malwaretips.com/threads/voodooshield-7-0.111005/page-6#post-970076

malwaretips.com

 

[ForgottenSeer 97327]

Do you also have smart monitors for energy? I have declined aĺl those free smart monitor options. The only hassle it gave me that once every few years they measure and calibrate your analog monitors (but they also do other safety and qyality checks as a bonus, e.g pressure drop for natural gas etc).

 

[Gandalf_The_Grey]

Do you also have smart monitors for energy? I have declined aĺl those free smart monitor options. The only hassle it gave me that once every few years they measure and calibrate your analog monitors (but they also do other safety and qyality checks as a bonus, e.g pressure drop for natural gas etc).

Yes, I have smart monitors. I also have a P1 and a Water monitor from HomeWizard.

 

[Gandalf_The_Grey]

As illustration some HomeWizard graphs:

 

[Gandalf_The_Grey]

And Enphase for that same day:

 

[Gandalf_The_Grey]

Now running (and testing) Windows Hybrid Hardening by @Andy Ful

New Update - Testing Windows Hybrid Hardening (new hardening application).

Windows Hybrid Hardening. (updated in October 2023) https://github.com/AndyFul/Hard_Configurator/blob/master/WindowsHybridHardening/WHHLight_Package_1004.exe The link to the WHHLight website: https://github.com/AndyFul/Hard_Configurator/tree/master/WindowsHybridHardening...

malwaretips.com

 

[oldschool]

Now running (and testing) Windows Hybrid Hardening by @Andy Ful

New Update - Testing Windows Hybrid Hardening (new hardening application).

Windows Hybrid Hardening. (updated in October 2023) https://github.com/AndyFul/Hard_Configurator/blob/master/WindowsHybridHardening/WHHLight_Package_1004.exe The link to the WHHLight website: https://github.com/AndyFul/Hard_Configurator/tree/master/WindowsHybridHardening...

malwaretips.com

You are a brave man, and a hero!

 

[blackice]

You are a brave man, and a hero!

I thought he was more of an Edge man…?

 

[Gandalf_The_Grey]

I thought he was more of an Edge man…?

Living on the Edge

 

[ForgottenSeer 97327]

Living on the Edge

Sometimes their predictions are quite accurate (I like the 1996 version better)

Spoiler: Aerosmith epic prediction of 1996

Spoiler: Reality in 2023