AVG and ZoneAlarm

[Crofter]

I have used AVG Free for many years, with no problem, but it was suggested that I also need a better firewall than that provided with XP, so I installed ZoneAlarm.
However I am now finding that AVG often does not start and I have to reinstall it. Is this a result of using these two programs together?

[bwire]

Yes. Zonealarm is excellent but may conflict. Solution get hardware firewall a.k.a. a router with WPA-2 encryption capabilities, configure once, pay once; Hotbrick or Sonicwall.

[hammer1]

It is most likely the ZoneAlarm Firewall setting that is causing the problem. Open ZA. on the left menu open Firewall> Internet Zone Security should be set at HIGH > Trusted Zone Security should be set At MED.
Reboot...
You may have to reinstall AVG but problems should now be corrected

[Tekmazter]

Originally Posted by bwire

Yes. Zonealarm is excellent but may conflict. Solution get hardware firewall a.k.a. a router with WPA-2 encryption capabilities, configure once, pay once; Hotbrick or Sonicwall.

While this is certainly something you can do, I wouldn't advise you remove a personal firewall in lieu of a hardware ONLY appliance at the gateway. A hardware firewall sitting at the perimeter of a network only firewalls the perimeter of a network. It knows ZERO about what's on your PC and trying play with your IP stack, let alone change system data etc...or circumvent local policies.

Many people have gotten infected with some type of worm or bot network not yet detected by AV scanners. Had a personal firewall been installed, most likely much of this nefarious activity would have been blocked or at least mitigated in a way as not to spread.

One final note --MOST perimeter firewall solutions, unless purposely configured otherwise, do not filter egress connectivity from a trusted network even if they do application inspection.