Okay, I admit, my lame excuses as to why I haven't put out a newsletter since December are, uh, lame. One of my English friends uses the line "blame it on the drink," but since I don't drink, I can't swipe that one. So my best option is to use my admitted addiction to college basketball as a crutch. It's all those basketball games on ESPN and CBS and Fox Sports Network and Raycom that are at fault, they just won't stop broadcasting them!

Maybe I'll change my loyalty to curling or Australian rules football or something similar. That would leave me all the time in the world to take care of my responsibilities.

So let's talk about something less sports-oriented, and I'll try not to think about the fact that the Sweet Sixteen games are on this weekend....

Instead, let's talk about firewalls. In particular, let's talk about one firewall, ZoneAlarm from ZoneLabs.

When I was a sprout, a firewall was the hunk of metal that kept the heat from the car engine from getting into the passenger compartment and roasting us all out. I think my first car, a rustbucket AMC Hornet, never had a firewall, as I always felt a little too toasty warm while tooling that bad boy around town. That isn't what we're talking about today. If you plug the term "firewall" into the Webopedia search box on my site, you get...hey, you get an error message! Gotta check that. But once Webopedia is properly propitiated, you get the following definition:

A system designed to prevent unauthorized access to or from a private network. Firewalls can be implemented in both hardware and software, or a combination of both. Firewalls are frequently used to prevent unauthorized Internet users from accessing private networks connected to the Internet, especially intranets. All messages entering or leaving the intranet pass through the firewall, which examines each message and blocks those that do not meet the specified security criteria.

That wasn't so bad. If we down a couple of Excedrin, we might even get some meaning out of it. Okay, in non-geek speak, here's my stab at reinterpreting the above:

A program for your computer that keeps unwanted visitors out of your machine while you're surfing the Internet.

That sounds better. Basically, a firewall keeps hackers, crackers, malicious teenagers, and those with more time and computer knowledge than common decency out of our PCs while we're happily surfing or chatting. A good firewall also monitors the information you send out to the Internet and the programs on your computer that access the Net in your behalf...and believe me, there are more programs on your machine accessing the Net than you might think. A few years ago, common wisdom held that only networks and corporate servers needed firewalls. That probably wasn't true then, and it certainly isn't true now.

Upshot: if you don't have a firewall program of some sort on your computer, you're totally vulnerable to whatever incursions any PC marauders might want to undertake against you. When you fire up your Internet connection and open your browser, you're in the same position as if you were be-bopping down the middle of the street in the "bad" part of town, diamond watch fob glittering in the streetlights, while you openly count your money roll and whistle the "Gilligan's Island" theme. You're vulnerable. You should take precautions. And since you can't use your tae kwan do or your Smith and Wesson on Internet predators, you need something else instead to keep you safe and unmolested in your surfing. Here's where the firewall comes in, and particularly where ZoneAlarm comes in. (Technically, any PC-based firewall program isn't a true firewall, but more of a filter program. Okay, okay.)

I'm not a ZoneAlarm shill. ZoneLabs pays me nothing to talk about their product; heck, I seriously doubt they even know I exist. And I'm no firewall or security expert. But I do know a thing or two. Like everyone else out there, I need a firewall on my computer. Like most everyone, I'd rather not pay for a program when I can find one that suits my needs for free (or at least on the cheap). And I want one that's going to do its job, do it well, and not bother the britches off of me in the process. Hence, ZoneAlarm. (Okay, I know that there are other firewall programs out there. I'm not saying this one's the only one of value. But it's the one I know, and probably the best one for non-techie users who don't want to get into TCP/IP configurations and the like. If you're a budding geek, try one of the programs from Tiny, Conseal, or others that are a little more advanced than ZoneAlarm.)

ZoneAlarm comes in two flavors, the plain-vanilla ZoneAlarm 2.6 that's free for the download ($20 for the corporate users out there) and ZoneAlarm Pro 3.0, for $50. Why buy the more expensive version? Short answer: you probably don't need to. The basic version blocks access to all of your computer's ports (think deadlocks on your home's doors and windows, if you need a metaphor). It also puts your PC in "Stealth Mode," which basically means you're surfing the Net without leaving too many traces of your ramblings on the sundry Web sites you visit. It's compatible with all versions of Windows from 95 through XP, it runs on older computers (from 486s on up), and it is easy on system resources. The Pro version gives you a lot of extra protection for your buck -- it keeps worms and Trojans out of your e-mail, it does more to keep your info from being disseminated across the Internet, blocks Web ads, and manages cookies. But again, if you don't know why you need the extra protection, you probably -- emphasis on probably -- don't need it. (Don't let me talk you out of buying the Pro version, if you've got the fifty smackers lying around unneeded. There's no such thing as too much protection.) The basic version has three different levels of Internet security; your best bet is to take the defaults until you've had a chance to look through the Help documentation and figure out which level suits your needs best. (Stay away from the Low settings, they just let too much stuff go by.)

It's easy to install, and for the most part, easy to operate. You can let it install itself and run with very little input or configuration on your part (if you want to play with the menu and interface, go right ahead -- there's lots of useful things buried in there). Once you install it, you'll have to do a little work. Every time you run an application that accesses the Internet, ZoneAlarm asks you if it's OK for this program to do so, and asks if you want the program to always have access. Usually you'll say yes to both, but you'll occasionally be surprised at the programs that ask for access. Don't be afraid to say no. ZoneAlarm remembers your input, so you won't be asked over and over again if it's okay for your ISP software to hit the nets. Another set of related options is the Internet Lock -- you can either set ZoneAlarm to "lock" your computer out of the Net after a preselected interval, or in cases of problems or suspected hack attacks, there's a big STOP button that immediately brings all Net activity to a screeching halt. Useful! On the flip side, one of the potentially annoying features is the option to have ZoneAlarm inform you of every time someone, or something, tries to access your ports. 90%+ of the time, it's "normal" everyday port scans, little intrusions from Web sites or banner ads that aren't particularly welcome, but aren't harmful, either. You can quickly work up an ulcer if you take every attempt to scan your ports as a hacker intrusion. Better to let ZoneAlarm keep a log and periodically view it; if you see the same IP address trying time and again to scan your PC, then and only then should you worry. Even then, it's often your own ISP trying to sniff out your surfing habits. (ZoneAlarm also gives you access to sections of its Web site that explains the nature of these scans, so take a look at these if you're concerned. No, take a look even if you're not concerned. It's good info to know.)

Note on installation: first, run a virus scan with your antivirus program to make sure there are no buggies already onboard, then disable your antivirus program before installing ZoneAlarm. Don't forget to re-enable the program before doing anything else.

If you're running a broadband (DSL, cable, or whatnot) connection that's always "on," you need a firewall program such as ZoneAlarm even more. Failing to have a reliable firewall program on such a computer is like walking off from your car with the keys in it and the engine still running. Don't do it.

And don't make the mistake of thinking that ZoneAlarm does the work of an antivirus program. You'll still need a top-flight virus protection program, such as the offerings from Norton, McAfee, PC-Cillin, Sophos, Panda, or so many more. (My shareware antivirus page lists lots of free and inexpensive programs that address this particular need, though none of the free- or shareware offerings do as comprehensive of a job as the big boys.)

Give it a test run by downloading it from www.zonelabs.com. If you like, give it a test drive by visiting Steve Gibson's excellent Gibson Research Page at grc.com/default.htm, click on ShieldsUp!, and let the site's inbuilt test protocols see how well your PC's shielding functions (do the test twice, once on your system's "shields" and once on your ports). Better yet, try a before-and-after test. You may be surprised at how vulnerable you were. No, ZoneAlarm doesn't completely pass the ShieldsUp! test, but it goes a long way towards sealing your computer off from intruders. And I would be remiss if I gave you the impression that ZoneAlarm, or indeed any single firewall, can keep a determined and knowledgeable hacker out of your system. It can't. But it can keep the amateurs at bay, and that's who comprises the vast majority of the Internet thugs out there. If you're active in the chat rooms or on the message boards, you're doubly at risk from malicious little trolls with a little expertise and a lot of venom. ZoneAlarm, or another firewall, does a great job at keeping those pests out of your system.

As with any program of this nature, a few applications are going to have problems getting along with ZoneAlarm. I've heard more reports about various audio products such as RealPlayer and some Roxio programs having some behavior problems, but I've heard of nothing too worrisome as yet. There was a problem with an earlier version of ZoneAlarm making nice with Windows 2000, but the update for that one can be had at www.zonelabs.com/downloads/tvupd_w2ksp1.EXE. It's also worth your time to visit www.computergripes.com/ZoneAlarm.html to see a compilation of some of the problems people have had with ZoneAlarm -- most of the ones on this site are very minor.

If you try ZoneAlarm, give me a heads-up on how it works for you, good or bad, if you wouldn't mind. I'll include representative responses in the Web (the "forever") version of this newsletter.

Thanks for reading. Till next time (sometime after basketball season)....

I've already gotten a few reader responses on ZoneAlarm. Here's what some of them have to say:

I am a real fan of ZoneAlarm. That being said, I am now running what I would describe as nearly my dream machine. The drawback for me is the OS....XP Home Edition. According to the experts at C/Net, ZA is fine for use with XP. In my experience though, it behaves somewhat erratically. It forgets what programs have been granted access to the internet and has caused lock-ups during my EverQuest sessions (HORRORS!). I, not being a resident of the city of Geekdom, have not been able to figure out what the reasons are for this strange behavior but I am still a big supporter of ZA. At present, I have 3 PC's networked through a Cable/DSL router and one of the three machines is using ZA. As it happens, that particular machine is using ME for an OS. The router has it's own firewall imbedded in the firmware and seems to be very nearly as invulnerable as if it had ZA. So, there is my 2 centavos.

Anyway, you wanted input on the shields and i had to tell you I've been using zone alarm (the free one) for well over a year and i like it a lot. once you get the settings just right, you aren't going to be bothered by all the bells and whistles that some of the firewalls come with. I have a cable connection and security is a big issue with me. However, as you so nicely pointed out, if somebody wants to get in, they'll get in regardless of the software you're using to block them out.

I agree that it appears to work quite well and as mine came on a PC Magazine FREE cover disk, it is a doddle to install. I do get regular e-mails from ZoneAlarm inviting me to upgrade, but as we say this side of the pond, "You don't get nowt fer nowt."