Battle Symantec Endpoint Unmanaged Firewall vs Other Firewalls

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Symantec Endpoint Unmanaged Firewall
Other free/paid Firewalls
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cryogent

Level 7
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Well-known
Oct 1, 2016
307
hello everybody
I want to discuss the difference between SEP Firewall and other firewalls (free or paid) in terms of special features/ protection, ease of use, conflicts, etc.
In past i was using WFC (Binisoft) and then MBWFC, the last one give me some conflicts with my system (H_C, EAM, Code integrity) and slow down my system a lot...
Which is better for protection?
I saw that SEP have some kind of IPS, Memory Exploit Mitigation, DoS protection, anti MAC Spoofing, etc. Is something similar with this settings on market, free or paid firewalls?
If SEP Firewall is unmanaged this mean is somehow limited?
 
Last edited:

Brahman

Level 16
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Well-known
Aug 22, 2013
799
hello everybody
I want to discuss the difference between SEP Firewall and other firewalls (free or paid) in terms of special features/ protection, ease of use, conflicts, etc.
In past i was using WFC and then MBWFC, the last one give me some conflicts with my system (H_C, EAM, Code integrity) and slow down my system a lot...
Which is better for protection?
I saw that SEP have some kind of IPS, Memory Exploit Mitigation, DoS protection, anti MAC Spoofing, etc. Is something similar at this settings on market, free or paid firewalls?
If SEP Firewall is unmanaged this mean is somehow limited?
Management software gives you more options for sure, but many of that is not required even for an advanced home user. Sep unmanaged firewall has more options which many paid firewall doesn't have. I don't think there is anything similar in home user segment except may be comodo.
 

Chri.Mi

Level 7
Well-known
Apr 30, 2020
337
Management software gives you more options for sure, but many of that is not required even for an advanced home user. Sep unmanaged firewall has more options which many paid firewall doesn't have. I don't think there is anything similar in home user segment except may be comodo.
And zone alarm too, if i remember correctly. About symantec firewall managed and unmanaged there is no much difference... the only come in mind is u cant submit them for reputation score.

Omg i had forgot huorong (i am using it atm).
 

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Brahman

Level 16
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Aug 22, 2013
799
I have a pocofone f1 and it has a setting to randomize MAC in advanced wifi settings. I have enabled this setting and when ever i controls spottily on my pc using this phone it gets registered in SEP firewall log as a mac spoof attempt. So it works.
mac spoofing (2).jpg
mac spoofing.jpg
 

ichito

Level 11
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Dec 12, 2013
541
As I remeber from 5-6 years back when I've used on my official laptop SEP its firewall still was actualy the same as acquired by Symantec ca 15 years ago Sygate frewall...particulary something like connection monitor from where you could switch to others modules in which you could manage processes/rules. Sygate was one the best firewall in its time and that was cause why was bought and in short time closed to official download.
I think SEP firewall has some Norton firewall modules also but I can't make any opinion about it due to lack of experiance with this app.
 

Brahman

Level 16
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Aug 22, 2013
799
As I remember from 5-6 years back when I've used on my official laptop SEP its firewall still was actualy the same as acquired by Symantec ca 15 years ago Sygate firewall...particularly something like connection monitor from where you could switch to others modules in which you could manage processes/rules. Sygate was one the best firewall in its time and that was cause why was bought and in short time closed to official download.
I think SEP firewall has some Norton firewall modules also but I can't make any opinion about it due to lack of experience with this app.
We are seeing less and less software firewall (standalone) products which are actively developed these days. we may not see any in future apart from those, which are bundled with antivirus softwares.
 

Vitali Ortzi

Level 22
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Top Poster
Well-known
Dec 12, 2016
1,147
hello everybody
I want to discuss the difference between SEP Firewall and other firewalls (free or paid) in terms of special features/ protection, ease of use, conflicts, etc.
In past i was using WFC (Binisoft) and then MBWFC, the last one give me some conflicts with my system (H_C, EAM, Code integrity) and slow down my system a lot...
Which is better for protection?
I saw that SEP have some kind of IPS, Memory Exploit Mitigation, DoS protection, anti MAC Spoofing, etc. Is something similar with this settings on market, free or paid firewalls?
If SEP Firewall is unmanaged this mean is somehow limited?
To summarize there is no better "free" firewall Wich is stronger then Symantec without running as a gateway .
But other windows control firewalls are usually lighter though.
But Symantec as a firewall is very light in my experience I didn't feel any difference in my current use case.
 

ichito

Level 11
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Dec 12, 2013
541
To summarize there is no better "free" firewall Wich is stronger then Symantec without running as a gateway .
But other windows control firewalls are usually lighter though.
But Symantec as a firewall is very light in my experience I didn't feel any difference in my current use case.
You correctly used quotation marks because Symantec firewall is not free...so real free, light, good and still with support firewall is offered by SpyShelter - the latest build 12.2 has Free version also.
 

Vitali Ortzi

Level 22
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Dec 12, 2016
1,147
You correctly used quotation marks because Symantec firewall is not free...so real free, light, good and still with support firewall is offered by SpyShelter - the latest build 12.2 has Free version also.
Haven't used SpyShelter in a very long time.
I remember it having a very strong anti keylogger protection.
One of the best in the market if I remember correctly.
But how is it since?
 

ichito

Level 11
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Dec 12, 2013
541
Current free version has the same features like old-school firewalls with proactive protection - firewall and HIPS. Some info you can find in this thread
 

sepik

Level 11
Verified
Well-known
Aug 21, 2018
505
Hello,
If someone is using SEP and only Firewall and IDS components installed(like me) with Heimdal Thor Foresight. This combo works, but i noticed that everytime i start/restart my computer 175 megabytes of .dat files is written to \windows\Temp folder and they never get deleted. Just wondering, what process/program caused that. Installed procmon and i managed to trace it down that SEP was the cause. Uninstalled Foresight and everything is OK now.

Thor Foresight flagged some legitimate sites as "malware". I reported and they fixed it fast. Nothing wrong with the software, but SEP does not like it. :)

Kind regards,
-sepi
 
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Vitali Ortzi

Level 22
Verified
Top Poster
Well-known
Dec 12, 2016
1,147
Hello,
If someone is using SEP and only Firewall and IDS components installed(like me) with Heimdal Thor Foresight. This combo works, but i noticed that everytime i start/restart my computer 175 megabytes of .dat files is written to \windows\Temp folder and they never get deleted. Just wondering, what process/program caused that. Installed procmon and i managed to trace it down that SEP was the cause. Uninstalled Foresight and everything is OK now.

Thor Foresight flagged some legitimate sites as "malware". I reported and they fixed it fast. Nothing wrong with the software, but SEP does not like it. :)

Kind regards,
-sepi
Yeah probably an incompatible with SEP .
I would investigate more about the issue .

But if it would take too long you might find an answer here :

If you would prefer to just downgrade to 14.2 it might resolve itself .
Tell me if you want me to share a link to 14.2.
Anyway using dual IPS software like in your case Foresight and SEP is overkill anyway but if you insist report the issue to Foresight.
Or better use a gateway IPS / IDS.
You should look at snort/ something like Zeek for more advanced users if you are going gateway route.
I Know I said my SEP firewall / IDS is compatible with most AV software .
But you shouldn't combine it with any firewall / IPS .
And don't think the full installation would work with an AV as I'm referring to a firewall only custom installation config .
 
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