Firewall slows down speed?

richardj · Post by **richardj** » Fri Aug 03, 2007 11:36 pm

Why would, or how would a firewall kill your internet speed?

I installed the firewall from System Mechanic Professional 7 & it dropped my speed from 1.1 MB to 860 KB.

Why should it do this?

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Red Squirrel · Post by **Red Squirrel** » Sat Aug 04, 2007 12:03 am

software or hardware? If its software, it has to process at higher layers. In fact, think they even go up to layer 7. so this adds more latency. A hardware firewall such as a nat router will go up to layer 3/4 and has hardware dedicated to its purpose, so will slow down way less.

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manadren_it · Post by **manadren_it** » Sat Aug 04, 2007 2:18 am

I really depends on how you are trying to download something I suppose. I hardware or software firewall can kill Bit Torrent download speeds easy because if you don't set them right it blocks incoming connections. Aside from instance where you are downloading something via multiple simultaneous connections - some of them being blocked by firewall settings - I can't see how a firewall would affect download speed. You PChardware firewall processes the data much faster than it can come in.

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richardj · Post by **richardj** » Sat Aug 04, 2007 3:42 pm

I even downloaded & installed Outpost Firewall Pro--same thing.

This is a highly rated firewall. But it's a pain to use.

The speed test I'm using is bandwidthplace.com. http://www.bandwidthplace.com/speedtest/

I was using Look 'n stop firewall, which didn't have this big loss,it only looses like 1KB, but after doing firewall testing online, I got the same results using the XP firewall.

So, for now, I'm back to that.

I can't afford to loose half of my bandwidth to a firewall.

I've never heard of this--for Red these are all software solutions--hence this post.

I did read somewhere, that you can use an old PC & make it into a hardware firewall.

Maybe I'll experiment, if I can find the link again.

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syb · Post by **syb** » Sat Aug 04, 2007 4:01 pm

If you do find that link please send it over here. I think I look for it too though.

Found a site: http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-10165_7-5465494-1.html
Follow up site: http://www.smoothwall.org/

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richardj · Post by **richardj** » Sat Aug 04, 2007 5:41 pm

syb wrote: If you do find that link please send it over here. I think I look for it too though.

Found a site: http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-10165_7-5465494-1.html
Follow up site: http://www.smoothwall.org/

Well- I did a little Googling & I found that Smoothwall site, too.

I read another guy who blogged that it took him 20 minutes to set it up.

There's another called IPcop & some others, too.

There are also various Linux based ones that also give you router capabilities, like Freesco http://www.freesco.org/index.php?id=o

Then there's Coyote, that some guy blogged that you don't even need a hard drive, just a CD rom http://www.coyotelinux.com/products.php?Product=coyote

So, it's looking like this could be another whole project by it's self---I can barely keep XP running--LOL

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Red Squirrel · Post by **Red Squirrel** » Sat Aug 04, 2007 6:24 pm

I've always wanted to run one of those. The issue is the lack of physical space, not to mention it takes way more power then a typical router. I wish small factor PCs were more easily available, but they seem to come and go. Like at one point there was this small form factor PC that actually used a CF card as a hard drive, and the whole unit was the size of a router and it had 2 nics too with monitor port and such.

Wish those things were more common.

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richardj · Post by **richardj** » Sat Aug 04, 2007 11:45 pm

http://ai.pricegrabber.com/pi/2/31/65/23165418_640.jpg

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Red Squirrel · Post by **Red Squirrel** » Sun Aug 05, 2007 7:49 pm

Yeah that would rock.

Too bad its US

Those things are probably illegal to have outside of the states as they could be used in bomb control systems.

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richardj · Post by **richardj** » Tue Aug 07, 2007 9:16 pm

I have now installed COMODO Firewall, which was rated best by PC Mag.

FREE

It's cool, is easy to understand & I lose NO speed on the speed test.

You should see all the idiot's trying to get in--even from Amsterdam!

http://www.personalfirewall.comodo.com/

Also, I installed a FREE spyware-virus monitor called Prevx.

It's free untill it cures an infection, then it gives you 30 more days, but even after that, it'll pin point the infection, so that you can manually remove it.

I opened a file from a firewall test site to test for leaks & Prevx jumped open immediately.

It will run along side your other virus package--It's cool

http://www.prevx.com/

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Red Squirrel · Post by **Red Squirrel** » Wed Aug 08, 2007 5:23 pm

You should not be seeing anyone trying to get in, if you do, that means your network is unsecure. Stuff should be blocked before the PCs.

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richardj · Post by **richardj** » Wed Aug 08, 2007 11:09 pm

No, I mean I see it in the logs of blocked events in the firewall.

I still don't understand that anyway--I mean--do people, like ---send out 'bots' to find unsecured PCs on the internet?

And when they do, if they get into your PC, what are they looking for?

As far as the speed goes, it actually INCREASED using this firewall (I don't understand)

It went from 1.1 MB/sec to 1.2 with the firewall on

LOL

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richardj · Post by **richardj** » Wed Aug 08, 2007 11:27 pm

Here's just a few------

COMODO Firewall Pro Logs
Date Created: 22:13:34 08-08-2007
Log Scope:: Today

Date/Time :2007-08-08 22:13:32Severity :MediumReporter :Network MonitorDescription: Inbound Policy Violation (Access Denied, IP = 81.214.75.19, Port = 4899)Protocol: TCP IncomingSource: 81.214.75.19:3051 TCP Flags: SYN Reason: Network Control Rule ID = 5In the attackers' world, this port is usually used by Trojan.W32.RaHack

(4899)Date/Time :2007-08-08 22:13:27Severity :MediumReporter :Network MonitorDescription: Inbound Policy Violation (Access Denied, IP = 81.214.75.19, Port = 4899)Protocol: TCP IncomingSource: 81.214.75.19:3051 TCP Flags: SYN Reason: Network Control Rule ID = 5In the attackers' world, this port is usually used by Trojan.W32.RaHack(4899

)Date/Time :2007-08-08 22:13:22Severity :MediumReporter :Network MonitorDescription: Inbound Policy Violation (Access Denied, IP = 81.214.75.19, Port = 4899)Protocol: TCP IncomingSource: 81.214.75.19:3051TCP Flags: SYN Reason: Network Control Rule ID = 5In the attackers' world, this port is usually used by Trojan.W32.RaHack(4899)

Date/Time :2007-08-08 22:10:11Severity :MediumReporter :Network MonitorDescription: Inbound Policy Violation (Access Denied, IP = 221.33.154.186, Port = 36433)Protocol: UDP IncomingSource: 221.33.154.186:5820 Reason: Network Control Rule ID = 5

The first IP is Amsterdam, the last one is Asia.

There's about a gazzilion more!

WTF???

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richardj · Post by **richardj** » Tue Aug 14, 2007 12:50 am

NOW that Comodo firewall had me screwed up---FOR DAYS.

At certain times--especially after midnight--my mail was ALL screwed up from Live Mail or Outlook Express.

It wouldn't send--I'd get a 'server timed out' message.

Even on line, it wouldn't send the mail, nor could I upload photos to forums--here too.

I totally shut the firewall off & the same thing happened.

It made no sense, as I had authorized the firewall for these programs & was getting no prompts.

So, after a reinstall of my mail programs, Windows & much cursing,

I talked to my IP tech & he mentioned a firewall problem, so on a hunch I completely uninstalled it.

Everything immediately went back to normal & much faster, too.

So, as fate would have it, I was invited by Microsoft to install Windows OneCare, so I did.

I wonder how long this will work--it has built in firewall, PC tuneup, antivirus & anti spy programs & backup .

http://onecare.live.com/standard/en-us/default.htm

So far, so good-----

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