AVG 8.0 Free- Released

http://www.grisoft.com/ww.download-update

Discuss.

So far, i like the following things:

1. It has an adjustable speed for scanning process.
2. I believe it has a better database for viruses, I did find some minor ones
after i did a new 8.0 scan.

And i despise:
1. How "Vista"-ish it appears.
2. It just doesnt seem as fast/clean as 7.5.
3. I hate the fact that if you dont have all the options on, a big RED WARNING CIRCLE comes up.

Anyways, hopefully they clean it up a bit, i might change AV after a while..

I like it - mind you, I have the paid-for version.

The only worry I have is that, when I booted my PC this morning, I had a warning that the firewall was switched off.

Worrying.

TBH, if you have a router with a hardware firewall a software one isn't even absolutely necessary.

So I hear. The thing is, with a software firewall, I can see what it's doing. I like the comfort of alerts.

I don't understand hardware firewalls at all. What is it blocking? How do I know? Is it blocking anything I don't want blocked?

Beats the hell out of me ^^

AVG slows down my GW when it scans. I usually don't let it continue scanning unless I know I have a virus threat.

Haven't gotten the new free version, so I couldn't compare.

The firewall in routers block all incoming attempts to connect. Unless you set a DMZ (an ip where all traffic is allowed to connect to the device using that ip) or use port triggering or port forwarding, usually only for hosting web sites, ftps, irc servers, game servers etc. Some routers will let you keep logs of what ips are trying to connect.

It blocks what you want it to block. You tell it what to block.

I have mine blocking Anonymous Internet Requests, filtering Multicasts, filtering net NAT redirects, and filtering IDENT (aka port 113 being stealthed against TCP SYN packet requests)

Try and open this: http://4.79.142.206/

If you can't, your Port 113 is properly stealthed. If you can, it can probe the port, meaning it isn't properly stealthed.

I have all my unique ports closed off and ghosted. Check it out:

GRC Port Authority Report created on UTC: 2008-05-14 at 01:48:21

Results from scan of ports: 0-1055

0 Ports Open
0 Ports Closed
1056 Ports Stealth
---------------------
1056 Ports Tested

ALL PORTS tested were found to be: STEALTH.

TruStealth: PASSED - ALL tested ports were STEALTH,
- NO unsolicited packets were received,
- NO Ping reply (ICMP Echo) was received.


Port
Service
Status Security Implications

0
<nil>
Stealth There is NO EVIDENCE WHATSOEVER that a port (or even any computer) exists at this IP address!

21
FTP
Stealth There is NO EVIDENCE WHATSOEVER that a port (or even any computer) exists at this IP address!

22
SSH
Stealth There is NO EVIDENCE WHATSOEVER that a port (or even any computer) exists at this IP address!

23
Telnet
Stealth There is NO EVIDENCE WHATSOEVER that a port (or even any computer) exists at this IP address!

25
SMTP
Stealth There is NO EVIDENCE WHATSOEVER that a port (or even any computer) exists at this IP address!

79
Finger
Stealth There is NO EVIDENCE WHATSOEVER that a port (or even any computer) exists at this IP address!

80
HTTP
Stealth There is NO EVIDENCE WHATSOEVER that a port (or even any computer) exists at this IP address!

110
POP3
Stealth There is NO EVIDENCE WHATSOEVER that a port (or even any computer) exists at this IP address!

113
IDENT
Stealth There is NO EVIDENCE WHATSOEVER that a port (or even any computer) exists at this IP address!

119
NNTP
Stealth There is NO EVIDENCE WHATSOEVER that a port (or even any computer) exists at this IP address!

135
RPC
Stealth There is NO EVIDENCE WHATSOEVER that a port (or even any computer) exists at this IP address!

139
Net
BIOS
Stealth There is NO EVIDENCE WHATSOEVER that a port (or even any computer) exists at this IP address!

143
IMAP
Stealth There is NO EVIDENCE WHATSOEVER that a port (or even any computer) exists at this IP address!

389
LDAP
Stealth There is NO EVIDENCE WHATSOEVER that a port (or even any computer) exists at this IP address!

443
HTTPS
Stealth There is NO EVIDENCE WHATSOEVER that a port (or even any computer) exists at this IP address!

445
MSFT
DS
Stealth There is NO EVIDENCE WHATSOEVER that a port (or even any computer) exists at this IP address!

1002
ms-ils
Stealth There is NO EVIDENCE WHATSOEVER that a port (or even any computer) exists at this IP address!

1024
DCOM
Stealth There is NO EVIDENCE WHATSOEVER that a port (or even any computer) exists at this IP address!

1025
Host
Stealth There is NO EVIDENCE WHATSOEVER that a port (or even any computer) exists at this IP address!

1026
Host
Stealth There is NO EVIDENCE WHATSOEVER that a port (or even any computer) exists at this IP address!

1027
Host
Stealth There is NO EVIDENCE WHATSOEVER that a port (or even any computer) exists at this IP address!

1028
Host
Stealth There is NO EVIDENCE WHATSOEVER that a port (or even any computer) exists at this IP address!

1029
Host
Stealth There is NO EVIDENCE WHATSOEVER that a port (or even any computer) exists at this IP address!

1030
Host
Stealth There is NO EVIDENCE WHATSOEVER that a port (or even any computer) exists at this IP address!

1720
H.323
Stealth There is NO EVIDENCE WHATSOEVER that a port (or even any computer) exists at this IP address!

5000
UPnP
Stealth There is NO EVIDENCE WHATSOEVER that a port (or even any computer) exists at this IP address!

Thanks, you two

Rajah, what generated that report?

How's AVG compared to NOD32?

Less effective, and far more loosely programmed. AVG fails to compare, but alas, it is free.


Oh, those reports were generated using a webtool.

I will link you.

http://www.grc.com/x/ne.dll?rh1dkyd2

The common port and service port scans are the best things to run. The other tests are more litmus like.

Oh, Gibbo's Shields Up! - I've heard good things about that.

Incidentally, I couldn't go straight in via that link - had to go via the main page and "Proceed" to that very same address

LOL Steve Gibson!!

Back from work, ran shields up - I'm fully stealthed

That's comforting.

Snograt, that's Gibson for you. He says things like that to scare people. He's a joke to every tech in the tech world.

I may grab this update simply to stop the pop-up spam i keep getting while still running 7.5...

A lot of people switched to avast because of what AVG has been doing with their 7.5 Free and how they've gotten so bloated.

I was quite suprised at how large the download was for 8.

Plus it screwed up uninstalling 7.5 and I had to poke around in my registry and all that to get 7.5 to uninstall cleanly, which, given I'm a jaded professional techie, I don't enjoy doing when I'm not being paid to.

And it installed its link scanning gubbins when I told it not to, so that had to be manually removed to get the big alerts to go away.

Meh.

So basicly, nobody likes it (free). I might actually pay for something.

No opinion-haven't used 8.0. However I used to use AVG 7.5 Free Edition before I had to get my computer fixed, the hard drive failed. It was ok-but after i did research on it, after i got my computer back, it turned out it was not the best anti-virus program out there. (Ok for a free version but not the best)

Anyhow-once your hard drive fails you lose everyone including yes, anti virus.

After I got my computer back i got NOD 32-I really like it a lot, it is fast, doesn't use a lot of memory, runs well, and has quick virus scans.

Try avast, I've only heard complaints about the skins, and you can get around them with a minimal install.