Looking for a simple firewall, small footprint, low resources, that will just block everything and ask me if i want to allow it. I haven't run any type of virus or malware protection or firewall in years and years, so im out of the loop! Thanks for any suggestions!

 

Tinywall
https://tinywall.pados.hu/

 

https://github.com/henrypp/simplewall

 

I guess you tried windows own? on advanced settings you can block everything unless you make a rule to make something pass in or out

 

This is exactly what you want, if an app tries to connect to the net for example, you will be asked if you want to allow or not, you only have to click yes or no once and the setting is remembered.
Set it to manual mode not auto if you want full control.

https://www.zonealarm.com/software/free-firewall/

 

This is a nice one that I bought, but is now offered free with Malwarebytes.
What I like about WFC is the ability to look at USER CREATED rules and see ones that are invalid and duplicates (along with various info in columns and popup indicating status) in a nice window & delete or disable / enable ones I want.
It also has an option to add to right-click "Allow" or "Block" files if you want.
I am assuming the "paid" functions (I think popup notification asking to block or allow) are fully functional in the free Malwarebytes setup, but I have not tried that version.

 

Windows built in firewall with a light-weight frontend or even just this: https://www.tweaking.com/content/pa...k)_allowblock_or_remove_windows_firewall.html

 

I used Comodo Firewall a few years back, which had a popular following.
I expect it's evolved quite a lot since then.

 

But... From the ZoneAlarm Free Firewall page - Requirements:

Microsoft® Windows® 7 SP1, 8, 8.1, 10 (All versions)

• 32 or 64-bit, 2 GB RAM
• 2 GHz or faster processor
• 1.5GB of available hard-disk space!!!

What? That's the size of some sample libraries. Zone Alarm was one of the first firewall vendors, before Windows even included a firewall. It seems they have suffered the same bloatware/feature creep as the antivirus vendors. I like the tweaking.com solution referenced by Rudy Manterie above. It's just a 50KB download, and you just right-click on the program you want to block or unblock. It lets Windows firewall do the rest.

 

Exactly what I use. No need for anything else.

 

Binisoft was acquired by Malwarebytes somewhere back in 2018 I think. Windows Firewall Control is now completely free for the moment. It is a standalone program and not part of a bundle.

As the name suggests, it controls the built-in firewall and it has a very small footprint on the CPU and RAM.
I have it installed on all my machines.

 

Last edited: Jan 12, 2019

Thanks for the suggestions! I cant use windows Firewall. Initially I was going to try, but it already had 200+ allowed apps and services - so I deleted all the rules in both incoming and outgoing and chose "Block All traffic and ask me". My thought process was, I will allow what I want as I go. HAH! Jokes on me! Now the firewall wont allow me to connect to the internet at all when it is on, AND it doesnt ask me shit, just blocks everything. I have no idea how to revert the changes, and I also have no idea what services to "allow" to get my connection back, so fuck it. So for now, WFC and Tweaking.com are of no use, but those were interesting! I didnt know they existed and Thank you for pointing those out!

Thanks also to everyone who gave me some 3rd party Firewalls as well. I am testing them.

 

@fleschdnb
If you install WFC then you can manage you Firewall from the rules panel.

Also WFC ALSWAYS asks you when something tries to connect. Just set your profile to Medium Filtering

Is it possible you just blocked your own connection within the Firewall?

You can check the rules panel in WFC.

 

Tinywall as said, simple and lightweight, love the set a rule by window function

 

Yes it certainly has evolved......into a huge pain in the arse that takes over your computer. You have to spend hours, after installing it, just going thru the settings to curtail it

 

Thanks all. Out of the three I tried, Tinywall and WFC and tweaking.com, Only WFC works the way I want. Tinywall and tweaking.com dont have popups when you run an app asking if it can connect, and going to programfiles and finding the .exe and right clicking and selecting block (ie. tweaking.com) is just as much hassle as setting up a manual firewall rule. On top of that, you wouldnt believe how many OTHER things run and connect to your internet when you run an app, so only blocking the app will let other things through. For example, I was testing with Firefox. When you run Firefox.exe, it then takes it upon itself to run "pingsender.exe" as well, without you knowing which sends data to Firefox servers for...whatever.. I am sure somewhere deep in firefox there is a way to turn it off, but 'Aint nobody got time for dat!'

As for Comodo and Zonealarm, they are just too bloated and complicated for what I needed. I just wanted a simple "Block all and ask". WFC works with Windows Firewall of course, but it works very well, and pops up a allow/deny/deny now ask again later popup (which is how I found out about pingsender.exe). Choosing "Shell integration" also gives you the "right click" menu like tweaking.com as well. Best of both worlds in a footprint that is less than 1MB. Perfect! Many many thanks!

edit/ wanted to try Simplewall, but I can never figure out how to install GitHub stuff! lol. I am sure I could figure it out if I tried, but it seems its not compiled? I am sure there is a installer somewhere, but... after 2 minutes I said "Aint nobody got time for dat!"

 

try this

good one...easy control..nothing get through...its really simple and effective

Windows Firewall Control
https://www.binisoft.org/wfc.php

 

Last edited: Jan 12, 2019

same here...

 

wtf....its even freeware now ...must check...
easy simple bla²
https://www.binisoft.org/wfc

EDIT this is to cool its freeware now....this and bulk crap uninstaller till i die

 

Last edited: Jan 12, 2019