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LOS ANGELES--One of the hardest things about using a firewall is getting it set up correctly.

Zone Labs' latest update to ZoneAlarm is aimed at eliminating that problem. Version 2.6 of the security tool adds a getting-started tutorial as well as more informative color-coded alerts. The highly popular firewall comes in both a free personal version and in a ZoneAlarm Pro version that sells for $39.95.

Zone Labs previewed the new software, expected to be available in a few weeks, here at Internet World. Also new is added security against intruders who try to disable ZoneAlarm.

Easy Installation

A new startup tutorial guides you through the setup process for version 2.6 and features an instructive wizard that explains controls such as the programs panel, where you select which programs are "trusted," or allowed to connect to the Internet.

The new startup tutorial is designed to give a better first-time experience with ZoneAlarm, says Fred Felman, vice president of marketing at Zone Labs. ZoneAlarm also offers clearer color-coded program and firewall alerts, he adds.

Improved online help promises to give better guidance as users tackle the settings and configuration issues that come with firewall protection.

Hardened Protection

"The new ZoneAlarm 2.6 loads earlier in the boot-up process to better protect your system," says Felman. "We also added a new default setting if someone tries to tamper with our software."

To get through ZoneAlarm's blocking technology, some intruders try to disable or uninstall the software. Now, if anyone tries to alter the ZoneAlarm rules file, ZoneAlarm automatically shuts down the Internet connection so the intruder can't get through, Felman says.

Since its release, ZoneAlarm has been praised for its straightforward security and free personal use. ZoneAlarm was one of only a few firewalls that initially passed LeakTest, a hypothetical Trojan horse virus test devised by security guru Steve Gibson.

Networking Made Easy

ZoneAlarm 2.6 has a new auto-detection feature that detects when you connect to a new subnet and asks if you want to add it to your trusted zone.

Auto Network Detection makes it much easier for home users to share printers and files on a network among trusted users, Felman says. It's designed for mobile users who hook their laptop to an office and home network every day, he adds. Now they can easily add the subnets to their trusted list.

Although auto network detection is available for both the free and Pro versions, it's ZoneAlarm Pro users who will benefit the most, Felman says.

ZoneAlarm Pro offers more network support than the free product. "It works on the Network Address Translation gateway," Felman says. NAT is a standard that allows an organization to appear to have one Internet address. NAT converts the address of each LAN node into one IP address and also serves as a firewall by keeping individual IP addresses hidden.

But NAT is difficult to configure, and many people don't understand how it or Internet Connection Sharing (ICS)--Microsoft's version of NAT--works, Felman says. ZoneAlarm's auto network detection makes it much easier to configure your trusted network devices and applications, Felman adds.

Expect to see ZoneAlarm Pro 2.6 in about two weeks. The free ZoneAlarm update will follow a week or two later.

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