How to set up ZoneAlarm Free Firewall

[digmen1]

Hi Guys

I have Zonealarm Free as my firewall.

I have a small home network with 3 pcs on it.

Can you please advise me how to set up the IP addresses of my home network so that all 3 PC's can talk to each other. (I often have to shut down Zonealarm)

Do I enter the IP address of my network adaptor or my ISP address ?

Kind Regards

Digby

[Appzalien]

You shouldn't have to do anything at all besides accept each automatically assigned address (automatically assigned by the router, you do have a router right?) into the trusted zone and each will automatically be allowed. Disconnect all your pc's from the net and uninstall zonealarm completely including your settings from all computers. Starting with the one you will sit at the most when surfing install ZoneAlarm and select manual configure (you decide what connects) not auto (zonealarm decides to let cracked apps call home). When done you should see a window (could be after a restart) where it says NEW NETWORK FOUND and you have to select allow it into the trusted zone. Then install ZA on each of the other pc's and also allow them into the trusted zone on themselves as well as the other pc's. After all three are running and ZA is installed completely on each (that includes restarting) then you should have seen an address for each computer and allowed it into the trusted zone and all PC's will be able to share files if file sharing is turned on. Now you can reconnect to the internet without having to worry about allowing the wrong thing into the trusted zone.

With ZA set to manual you will get popups right away for a few system services (svchost.exe and/or spoolsv.exe), select always allow and you will not be bothered by those popups again until you reinstall or upgrade to a new version. Then open and "always allow" your browsers and any apps that need to update themselves like anti-virus and spyware scanners. From that point on you will only see popups if something is trying to connect. You can say no to anything cause you can always change it in program control by finding that programs name and changing all to blue ? (ask) so it will ask again next time or red X (deny access) or "green check mark" for allow.

Its pretty much self explanitory, if you install a game and run it it will try to connect to the net and you deny or allow (I always deny games, I don't play online). If your unsure about something don't check the always box and it will ask again next time so you have time to search whats trying to connect. For instance if your installing something legit and you see a popup that Windows Explorer is trying to connect to the net you can bet it really the app your installing, not Explorer. You can uncheck always and select allow and if it trys to connect again later the firewall will warn you. There are only a few appz that I allow full access to the net, the Firewall, Anti-Virus and Peerguardian to name a few. All others are not allowed, photoshop has no business connecting to the net, it doesn't update itself or need to download anything. Neither does Nero, I can search for updates on my own, I don't need a bunch of apps constantly pinging home.

[digmen1]

Thanks Appzalien

A Very detailed reply, which will be a great help. Just a pain that I have to uninstall it as I have a list of Programs allowed by it.

Kind Regards

Digby

[Appzalien]

There are also other reasons why computers will not see each other besides the firewall. If network sharing is not activated no matter how your firewall is setup they will not communicate. Then there is the problem that occurs when Windows Firewall gets turned back on when your running ZA, it screws everything up so look there too and make sure its off.

I have no programs that I have to manually enter into ZA, even my torrent app (utorrent) automatically sets it self up with plug and play enabled. Because I use the manual setup configuration, if a program wants to connect or I trigger a connect attempt, ZA warns its trying and I select always do this and say OK to connect. From that point on, that program has the proper check marks on the program page for what it needs to do. There are not too many things that you need to go into the Expert section of the firewall and set ports for so I'm not sure what it is you will loose by reinstalling.

[digmen1]

Hi Appzalien

I have just done as you suggest and uninstalled my Zone Alarm.

And re-installed it.

But it does not work as you suggest. I have version 70-408xxxxx

It did not give me the chance to select manual configure.

And it has not said New Network found.

It has found my Nvidea network controller.

I have read Zone Alarms help files and it says the New Network Wizard will guide you through setting up the firewall for your network.

Well I have not seen the wizard and can't find how to start the wizard.

Although Zone Alarm works OK i have always hatred its non-windows standard interface and this latest episode only confirms my dislike of the program. If there was another good free one I would look at it.

I just thought I'd let you know this in case you advise anyone else.

regards

Digby

[Appzalien]

It would appear that for some reason when you uninstalled it kept your settings and just used them when you reinstalled thereby bypassing the choices I mentioned. The only other think I could think of to help you would be a registry cleaning after the uninstall to remove any settings left behind. Here is a basic setup and how it goes when I install.

1. install ZA when finished it asks do you want to start ZA now I say yes and it goes thru an explanation of its uses, a video if you choose to watch otherwise it just puts the icon in the taskbar and asks to restart the PC.

2. After the restart another window pops up and asks for your name and serial, whether you want manual, auto configuration, and a few other settings and when done and closed thats when I see the new network found window.

Somehing else I just thought of that could mean the difference is I started with a store bought ZA and after it ran out started using the free version but it keeps installing as a full version when I put in my name and select "I want to register so I get updates" for some reason when it connects to the net I end up with a full version with the spyware scanner and the whole bit. It also shows a registration good til date but it keeps advancing each time I install a newer version so I am never actually a free version. Maybe thats why I have selections you don't.

[digmen1]

Thanks for that Appzalien.

Yes, when I un-installed it, I was looking for an option to delete my settings, but did not see any. So perhaps when I re-installed it, it used my old settings.

I never got your Option 2 !

Regards

Digby

[Kebert]

In case you never get Zone Alarm to work , check out this thread
https://filesharingtalk.com/vb3/showp...9&postcount=29