Armor2net Personal Firewall Reviewer's Comments

This program has not been updated since version 3.12 came out. It appears to have been discontinued. We will continue checking for updates and bring a review if a new version does come available.

 

Armor2net allows programs you select exclusive access to the web even if you lock all other incoming and outing traffic. This is ideal for parents who want to block all Internet access for children except for that homework website. The only problem with this feature is that it isn't password protected; curious children can access the block tool and alter it.

Feature Set:  

Armor2net keeps your computer stealth (hidden) online, blocks popup ads and cleans spyware. You can quickly change the way your programs access the Internet; you can allow access rights, block access, or require your computer to ask for permission to access the Internet every time the program tries to transfer data.

Armor2net has limited customization. There is no way to add personal information for protection or to block specific text content (but you are free to manually enter a website to block access). You can also customize your popup stopper to allow sites of your choice to allow popups. If you ever wanted to restore spyware, Armor2net will allow you to choose from a list of the previously deleted spyware for restoration.

Ease of Use:  

Armor2net has a simple control panel that allows you to perform basic firewall jobs conveniently.

Ease of Installation:  

Armor2net has a configuration wizard to help you install; you can opt to have the firewall start with Windows each time. You can also specify automatic firewall and spyware data updates. Armor2net lets you customize some firewall settings (such as the log file max sizes) and popup blocking choices. Armor2net lets you press the finish button during installation if you want to cut out early.

We did have an odd conflict with Outlook Explorer just after setup. All our emails were blocked, both sending and receiving. To get email moving again we had to select the pass lock option then reboot the computer.

Reliability:  

Armor2net passed the entire vulnerability test, except for browser privacy. This means Armor2net allows websites to see where else you have been online. Armon2net firewall allowed a malicious-looking program (used for testing) to communicate with our applications and hijack our computer settings. The firewall also allowed adware and cookies onto our computer.

Help/Support:  

Armor2net provides good help documentation that allows you to search for answers quickly. They also offer email support.

Summary:  

Armor2net does a good job protecting your computer from hackers but the firewall lacks features to block adware and viruses. (Top-ranked programs offered these as standard.) We also experienced problems with Microsoft Outlook 2003 when we changed the setting for the access rights.