PC Tools Firewall Plus Free Edition 2.0

This freeware firewall won't replace user vigilance, but intermediate users will appreciate its configurability. From the primary interface to the packet content logs, simplicity is the key to PC Tools Firewall Plus Free Edition.

You don't "set and forget" any good firewall. This application makes it easy to set filtering rules, provided you know what you're doing. That's why we don't recommend PC Tools Firewall Plus Free Edition for novice users. This program expects you know the uses of UDP, ICMP, ARP, TCP, and a few other computer protocols. However, adding a new filter is as easy as answering a few questions in a wizard.

There are numerous filters preset to block many known problems. You'll only find a brief explanation for each, so you'll need to research elsewhere anything you don't understand. This application's Help file is a simple quick-start guide. Novice users will be overwhelmed and advanced users underwhelmed, but intermediate users wanting basic filtering would do well to install this firewall.