McAfee Firewall 4.0

Unlike earlier versions, McAfee Firewall 4.0 supports Internet connection sharing and has also been enhanced for broadband, so people with home networks are fully supported. Also new in this release is an intrusion detection system that blocks port scanners.

McAfee Firewall 4.0 recognizes most legitimate programs and automatically creates rules to allow them to communicate with the Internet. Users can create their own rules, but this can be tricky for the novice. Some of the warning dialog boxes tend toward jargon-filled prose, too.

The status screen tells you exactly what is going on at any given time. The network traffic display lets you see immediately if any unexpected activity is occurring. A useful visual trace system lets you track down the source of any intrusions, and can even help uncover the owner of the source system. McAfee Firewall 4.0 works with all versions of Windows up to and including XP, although anyone who upgrades to XP from an earlier version must reinstall this program to ensure it continues to work correctly.

Of course, the most important aspect is how well the program actually works, and McAfee Firewall 4.0 passes all the usual tests with flying colors. It happily deals with all the common intrusion techniques and several rarer ones. The built-in auto update feature ensures the product is able to cope with any new threats as they appear.

New users may struggle to get the best from McAfee Firewall 4.0, but more experienced users will find a flexible and feature-rich tool that can be used with confidence. There are also enough new features here to make it a worthwhile purchase for current users wanting to upgrade. --Iain Laskey, Amazon.co.uk

Amazon.com Product Description
Protect yourself while online with the advanced security of McAfee Firewall. Easy to use yet highly configurable, McAfee Firewall secures your PC's connection to the Internet whether you connect via DSL, cable modem, or dialup. With intrusion detection, color-coded security alerts, customizable audible alerts, detailed logging, and an application scan for Internet-enabled applications, McAfee Firewall gives you the power you need to control the communications into and out of your PC.