PC help: Time to move on from Zonealarm?

Q I have been using Zonealarm for some time and recently upgraded my computer to Service Pack 2, which comes with its own internal firewall.

Is it worth me switching to this firewall, or should I continue to use Zonealarm?
Teresa Jones

A Windows Firewall is fine for most users, but third-party products like Zonealarm provide extra functions such as the ability to see and log alerts and block and allow particular computers.

If you use these extra features, you should stay with your current program, otherwise you can safely switch to the basic Windows Firewall (which has always been part of Windows – SP2 simply changed its default setting to on) and then uninstall Zonealarm.

The Windows Firewall provides fewer alerts, as it works more closely with Windows, but if you want more control over the programs you run, and if you have other devices on a home network, such as a printer server, that need to be accessed, Zonealarm may be the better bet.