Command your signal. Rule the air.
- Quick specs
- Price: Free to try (See description); $39.95 to buy
- Operating system: Windows 95/98/Me/2000/XP/NT
- Date added: February 08, 2007
- Total Downloads: 3,939,246
- Downloads last week: 919
- Product Ranking: #17 in Encryption Software
- See full specifications
- CNET Community
- This product is on 10 member lists. Add to my list Add to my Watch List
- CNET editors' rating: stars
- Average user rating: stars out of 189 votes
See all user reviews
CNET editors' review
Reviewed by: CNET Staff on February 27, 2009
This easy-to-use firewall presents itself as a quality option for those seeking protection from the Net nasties. We like Sygate Personal Firewall's handy and clear interface, which lets you quickly disable the firewall and access dialog windows via the system-tray icon.
This application is a good bet for beginners because it's not necessary to configure any settings to get started. When the utility detects a program trying to connect to the Web for the first time, it asks you whether to allow or disallow access and remembers the setting. Advanced users can set permissions manually for any group of applications, such as a range of trusted IPs and protocols. Unfortunately, the current version isn't Vista compatible if you're looking for an alternative to the Windows Firewall.
The app didn't slow down our computer and less than 10 MB of RAM. Password protection guards against other users, such as children or employees, changing settings or turning off the firewall. Whether you're new to firewalls or have used them before, this free option should be on your shortlist.
Publisher's description
From Sygate Technologies :Sygate Personal Firewall provides best of breed security in a user friendly interface, protecting your PC from hackers, trojans and DoS attacks. New features include full-ICS support, protocol driver level protection, enhanced logging, and more. Sygate Personal Firewall is a personal firewall to offer protection from malicious code intrusions, keeping the information on your PC safe and private.
What's new in this version:
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User reviews
- All versions: 3.8 starsout of 189 votes
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- 1 stars
- Current version: 4.0 starsout of 42 votes
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- My rating: 0 stars Write review
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2 stars
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful
Version: Sygate Personal Firewall 5.6.2808
"Easy, but slows down LAN access"
Pros: Quick and easy setup. Small footprint. Remembers your answers ("yes allow this, "no don't allow that") without issue.
Cons: Unfortunately, slows down LAN traffic too much. Very noticeable speed drop with the product installed. Too much so to make it viable if you're doing a lot of LAN access. Would have kept it, otherwise.
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1 stars
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful
Version: Sygate Personal Firewall 5.6.2808
"bugs and trojan virus"
Pros: i cant get it to work it crashed my pc=cp
Cons: its only for proff
Summary: lots of trojans and virus
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2 stars
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful
Version: Sygate Personal Firewall 5.6.2808
"Slow my PC right down."
Pros: not much to be honest
Cons: combersome and unwealdy
Summary: Caused me problems on my home pc and at work with internet apps.
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1 stars
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful
Version: Sygate Personal Firewall 5.6.2808
"Pop-ups from their sponsors are a nuisance!"
Cons: Sygate forces pop-up windows that stops other programs, like Word, from responding. Clicking on the ?do not show this message again? button doesn?t stop the **things from re-appearing and you?ve lost time and data trying to get rid of it.
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1 stars
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful
Version: Sygate Personal Firewall 5.6.2808
"Fails leak tests"
Pros: No annoying popups
Cons: Fails leak tests. Had to uninstall.
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4 stars
3 out of 4 people found this review helpful
Version: Sygate Personal Firewall 5.6.2808
"SOLID PROTECTION ."
Pros: It seems to be doing a good job so far. Like other firewalls such as zonelarm it gives several pop-ups letting you know what it's doing or asking permission to open a program .
Cons: Nothing I can really think of other than it's not free .
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5 stars
Version: Sygate Personal Firewall 5.6.2808
"top firewall"
Pros: top firewall eay to install and setup
Has very intuitive interface and gives all the info as to which programs are requesting access to the internet although in a LAN you need to permit the NIC to enable high speed connections between computersCons: None that im aware of
Summary: In the many years ive been using this firewall Sygate personal firewall i have never had any issues that would make me remove this awesome software i use it in both LAN connected with internet and induvidually connected situations with no errors or troubles . this has given me the most secure connections ever, even when tested for leaks on GRC test page. I very highly recommend it .
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4 stars
Version: Sygate Personal Firewall 5.6.2808
"Solid and I get no ads or glitching"
Pros: Very thorough just as any popular firewall should be. Lets you fine tune it for every single application attempting to call in and out of your computer. I was unhappy with Zone Alarm and this is the much more satisfactory replacement.
Cons: The only con I've found started recently. After over a year of use, the pop ups indicating a program has been blocked keep returning after I check the box to never notify me again. This started out of the blue a few weeks ago.
Summary: Overall it's the best free firewall I've used and I've used dozens which includes several years of Zone Alarm. Apart from the recent pop up issue, it's served me extremely well and the list of function modules is huge.
This firewall can do an awful lot.
I must say though, hey Sygate, time for an update! -
3 stars
Version: Sygate Personal Firewall 5.6.2808
"it's okay better than nothing"
Pros: Good at blocking malicious things.
Cons: Doesn't have a program control, so you'll have to keep hitting "allow", and the "allow all"
lets things enter your computer.Summary: It's okay, but there's other firewalls out there.
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4 stars
Version: Sygate Personal Firewall 5.6.2808
"A great all-round firewall."
Pros: It's a two-way firewall of great efficiency. It keeps close tabs on your processes and does a great job of "stealthing" all of your vulnerable "ports."
Cons: there are really no cons that I can think of, it's a good product.
Summary: Sygate carefully guards the entrances where viruses and malware and other outright attacks ocurr.
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