Advice Request Windows Firewall Control alternative?

[ng4ever]

That or is Windows Firewall Control still ok to use sense it has been acquired by Malwarebytes ?

The question though is those of us that paid for Windows Firewall Control will we will be able to keep it and get updates ?

That is why I am looking for a alternative if possible.

 

[oldschool]

That or is Windows Firewall Control still ok to use sense it has been acquired by Malwarebytes ?

The question though is those of us that paid for Windows Firewall Control will we will be able to keep it and get updates ?

That is why I am looking for a alternative if possible.

I don't use it but I believe it still works fine. I know nothing about MBAM's future plans, e.g. include it as part of a full MBAM suite.

If you were to need an alternative, you could use TinyWall, which I love, on two preconditions:

#1. The dev. has disappeared, has no known contact with usual forums and TW appears to be no longer maintained and developed. This does not pose a problem itself because MS has not changed its firewall in quite a few years and TW works just fine, and should continue unless/until MS actually makes substantive changes to its FW. But then there is #2 - The TW download from the dev's site no longer installs in Windows 10 due to certificate issues, and now a 3rd party known on GitHub has included TW with an updated installer that does work. He has done this as part of here: Windows 10 Privacy Guide - Spring Creators Update and he prefers TW himself. So, you would have to willing to drink the Kool-Aid and download it from there. Or you could change the your clock in Windows to an earlier date and fool your machine into accepting the dev's original version - an option that some at Wilders have made work.

The reasons for this suggestion are that I am a non-technical user and TW is a great app that is intuitive and simple to use, with no popups, and I & others have used the 3rd party version - there are no problems with its functionality. It is a light and easy way to harden WF. But you should be able to continue using WFC until/unless they add it to have a full-featured suite, in which case you will need an alternative. Thus, my extended post. Hope this helps!

 

[Deleted member 178]

That or is Windows Firewall Control still ok to use sense it has been acquired by Malwarebytes ?

The question though is those of us that paid for Windows Firewall Control will we will be able to keep it and get updates ?

That is why I am looking for a alternative if possible.

1- yes
2-you didn't paid for it, you donated to the dev, consider that money lost for future versions. At the moment it is free, but when it will be integrated in MB, you will have to pay.
3- you have the one with same name made by Sphinx

 

[ng4ever]

Thank you both!

 

[Local Host]

I found GlassWire to be the only suitable alternative (can be expensive though), I managed to grab a lifetime license for it with no regrets.
The developer is also not an assole and tends to listen to feedback and is always available to help.
In my opinion TinyWall doesn't add anything in comparison to the Windows Firewall Interface not to mention it has been dropped, doesn't even have notifications that is what most people want when looking for a WFC alternative.

 

[oldschool]

I found GlassWire to be the only suitable alternative (can be expensive though), I managed to grab a lifetime license for it with no regrets.
The developer is also not an assole and tends to listen to feedback and is always available to help.
In my opinion TinyWall doesn't add anything in comparison to the Windows Firewall Interface not to mention it has been dropped, doesn't even have notifications that is what most people want when looking for a WFC alternative.

TW: Default block. Automatically allows necessary Windows processes/default apps. 3 easy ways to allow apps + learning mode, features which WF certainly doesn't have. Adds no weight. Great, unless you want notifications. I've never missed them with TW. Just saying... gosh, I sound like a shill!

 

[Local Host]

TW: Default block. Automatically allows necessary Windows processes/default apps. 3 easy ways to allow apps + learning mode, features which WF certainly doesn't have. Adds no weight. Great, unless you want notifications. I've never missed them with TW. Just saying... gosh, I sound like a shill!

I did mention Interface not background features, and WF has default block and Microsoft Rules set by default (lacking only three essential processes for background tasks).

 

[ng4ever]

Thanks everyone I am going to do a different approach which should be better!

 

[vtqhtr413]

I did mention Interface not background features, and WF has default block and Microsoft Rules set by default (lacking only three essential processes for background tasks).

And then you don't mention them, well never mind, it's taking a different approach now anyway.

 

[509322]

That or is Windows Firewall Control still ok to use sense it has been acquired by Malwarebytes ?

The question though is those of us that paid for Windows Firewall Control will we will be able to keep it and get updates ?

That is why I am looking for a alternative if possible.

Unfortunately there is no decent alternative. And all of them, including WFC have problems and annoyances to various degrees.

 

[oldschool]

Unfortunately … …. all of them, including WFC have problems and annoyances to various degrees.

Agreed. I see the issues in the posts for the well known ones and would never use them, except TW - which has its own potential problems. But trouble-free so far.

 

[509322]

Agreed. I see the issues in the posts for the well known ones and would never use them, except TW - which has its own potential problems. But trouble-free so far.

TW is a frozen project. I cannot confirm yet that it is dead, but it is certainly a frozen one.

 

[oldschool]

TW is a frozen project. I cannot confirm yet that it is dead, but it is certainly a frozen one.

Agreed, as I stated in point #1 in my post above. He's not present on forums and no response to emails. He could be sick, dead, etc. Oh well...
At least the OP got some info to answer his ?.

 

[Eddie Morra]

I know nothing about MBAM's future plans, e.g. include it as part of a full MBAM suite

An official Malwarebytes blog post states the following.

Binisoft Windows Firewall Control will quickly integrate into the Malwarebytes platform

...

For the near term, Binisoft will retain its current name, supplemented by Malwarebytes branding.

Therefore, I suspect we'll be seeing some sort of integration before the end of 2018 or at the start of 2019.

 

[oldschool]

An official Malwarebytes blog post states the following.



Therefore, I suspect we'll be seeing some sort of integration before the end of 2018 or at the start of 2019.

So WFC users who won't want to pay for the whole package should be prepared with an alternative, as most people thought.

 

[ForgottenSeer 69673]

There is a modified version of Tiny Wall that works with the latest win versions. I didn't find that out until I paid the small price for Fort Knox Firewall which I really like. It notifies me of all file changes, system or not.

 

[71Hemi]

Windows Firewall Control

last version made independent of Malwarebytes

Download Windows Firewall Control - MajorGeeks

Changelog

https://www.binisoft.org/changelog.txt

What's new in version 5.4.0.0 (01.08.2018)

-**** New: The notifications system is now available for free and the program does not
require activation anymore.- ****
- New: The installer and the files are now digitally signed.
- Updated: A new EULA is available when installing the software.
- Reverted: Secure Rules feature was reverted to the old implementation from version
5.0.2.0. The implementation from versions 5.1.x.x-5.3.x.x creates too many problems
than it solves.
- Fixed: Under certain circumstances, Connections Log displays nothing in Windows 10.
- Fixed: 'Use proxy configuration' is checked even if the user presses the Cancel
button in the proxy configuration dialog.

 

[imuade]

So WFC users who won't want to pay for the whole package should be prepared with an alternative, as most people thought.

Let's see and wait... MB bought AdwCleaner and kept it free. They integrated MBAE into MBAM, but they also kept a perpetual beta as free standalone SW... I hope they will do the same with WFC, otherwise I'll move to either Sphinx-soft W10FC or Simplewall.

WFC is better because it works with WF (the rules you see in WFC are the same rules you see in WF), so WFC can work as an anti-tampering by blocking or disabling rules added by other SWs.
W10FC and Simplewall work a bit differently: they create their own rules by using WFP, but these rules are disjoined from WF rules.

Sphinx-soft made a very clear statement about rules precedences:

• to block a connection you just need a blocking rule in either WF or WFP
• to allow a connection you need an allow rule on both WF and WFP

So, you need to set WF to allow any outgoing request and use W10FC/Simplewall to block what you wanna block. Even if an app adds an allow rule in WF, you can block that app by W10FC/Simplewall popup (thus creating a block rule)