Are you using a router with a hardware firewall?  It would be best to use and configure it for your games IMO.

I googled "gaming and reliable firewalls" and got http://www.escanav.com/english/content/products/generic_eScan/eScan_usp.asp

I can't speak for it pro or con and have no experience as I'm not a gamer. Perhaps you should ask a friend about what he or she uses.

I've always used Comodo for Windows and never had a problem....but I don't "game", online or otherwise.

Doesn't windows come with a firewall?  My Xp says the firewall is 'up.'  Am I missing something?

Microsoft Security Essentials includes the Windows Firewall, and the suite itself is pretty good and free.

Built in Windows Firewall is all you need besides what would be on your router.  Don't waste your money on other products.

If you have a firewall on your router why would you need to use windows firewall? I've never used a software firewall at all.

The firewall that comes with ESET's System Security is by far the best I've ever used. Check it out. It's very highly rated.

I currently use Bitdefender, but its meh.

I highly reccomend ESET - by far the best I've tried.

Oh now I'm curious: Why are you here then?

No f'in idea.

But isn't Windows' firewall basic and thus somewhat risky? I've never heard/read someone actually praise Windows Firewall!

I'm using the antivirus. If the whole security suite shabang is what is being recommended, I'd best wait until that subscription ends then.

Well...I'm asking people for recommendations from their experience, rather than Googling things and buying something I have no knowledge of. :/

I still use the free version of Zone Alarm.  I want an outbound firewall, not just inbound.  You'd be amazed at how many programs try to initiate outbound connections, if you haven't used a firewall that monitors them.  Most outbound attempts are innocuous, but some are reporting information that I don't consider necessary for the program to collect/send.

Windows firewall can be set to do this, but it takes some fiddling and ZA is much simpler (basically every outbound attempt is flagged and you can set it to allow/disallow that time or every time.  Maybe there's a program that easily sets windows firewall out now, but when Win7 came out the only free one I found was also a pain to use.

Some don't like ZA but I've been using it since it first came out and I'm used to it and they haven't mucked it up too badly so far.

Wilders Security Forum is a good site for this stuff, they have a section on firewalls (along with just about everything else), and it's frequented by many of the companies that put out this stuff (anti-spyware, anti-malware, firewalls, etc.).

Wilders has some forums for specific firewall vendors, and this one for Other Firewalls.

Because this isn't a gaming site, it's a customization/skinning site.

That's the perception. And prior to the Security Essentials suite, the perception was quite correct. But ever since it was released, Microsoft has caught up quite well with the rest of the AV market. If you google up reviews, you'll see they're pretty much all positive. Of course it's free so it might not offer all the bells and whistles, and keep in mind there have been updates to it since the reviews hit. It's definitely not a bad choice when looking at an integrated security suite (it has firewall, AV, anti-malware).

I've run Zone Alarm. It's by far the best. (I think Yrag would back that up)

However, any additional firewall is going to use more resources and Zone Alarm did not do squat to prevent two major attacks on my PC.

Here is what appears to be an intelligent article on firewalls, anti-virus, and anti-spyware software.

Protecting Myself from Spyware and Adware  

The article is four years old, but interestingly lists a lot of the programs mentioned here, most of which have proved their worth over the years and are still popular and must haves for a lot of folks. 

Lifehacker also has their reader survey of the top five firewalls here

Five Best Windows Firewalls

And they have another article, very recent, touting Microsofts Security Essentials as the best anti-virus around.

Microsoft Security Essentials 2 Released, Still the Best Darn Antivirus Around

I've had Zone Alarm block Windows Update. No matter how I set it, it would not allow me to connect with windows update.

I never had that problem. I had more annoying problems, blocking the oddest programs and trying to configure around it.

After I chucked my last infected PC, I didn't bother with Zone Alarm. I use Spybots TeaTimer to monitor changes and run Spyware Blaster. AT this point, I'm mature enough to know that if my PC gets infected, it's most likely MY fault. A lot of it is just common sense, especially on strange links and emails.

However, I was a member at Lifehacker. After they got hacked, I spent two days changing passwords, etc. I installed LastPass on all of my computers. And I get a little anxious everytime I check my email or log on somewhere. I would love to see someone like Yrag do an article on the best ways to protect your computer and your personal information. I have considered reinstalling ZoneAlarm, but honestly don't know that I need it or if it's worth it or not. I do some gaming with STOL and DCU, but that's all for gaming. The majority of my downloads are either skins (here and DA) or updating my current programs.

Speaking of..., need some viagra? I got mail.....

Well,in my opinion  the best thing to do for you is to uninstall your antivirus and/or firewall(unless are purchased ones,in that case you can wait for the licence expiring)and install last version of Kaspersky Internet Security 11.0.2.556.It has the best firewall around at the moment and,besides,a Gaming Profile option that allows you for an accurate and specific configuration.

If you think it's too expensive (but in this period there should be some interesting offers in market) another excellent firewall is Comodo(freeware)but I don't use it,so I don't know what kind of settings options it offers. Windows default firewall was nearly useless before Microsoft Security Essentials,but I don't know about it as well having installed Kaspersky.

What I know for sure is that Kaspersky Internet Security firewall is excellent and,above all,has got a Gaming Profile specific settings option.Hope it can help.

Why wouldn't the game's developers help with that info?

The best firewall is one that is not installed on your computer!

Why?

I assume that you use a privileged user (admin rights) to do your gaming and browsing, right? (Installing apps is a hassle in Win otherwise). So after clicking on something nasty on the web, a malicious code can be executed, gaining your (admin) rights, and it can proceed to install a rootkit, switch off your firewall, open a backdoor, whatever it pleases.

But if your firewall is installed on, say, a router all traffic must past through (most ADSL modems have some form of an IP filtering), you can still retain control over to what passes in and out of your network. If you are really paranoid, you can run a little audit from time to time and look at the packets your computer sends out - if you see suspicious outgoing TCP to webservers on strange adresses, IRC channels or high port on some ADSL users or unnamed IP blocks, or loads of spam, well, your computer is probably already compromised. Reinstall and try again!

Yeah, ZA was very decent. I'd give the free one another go, as long as it doesn't go ape-shit again. However, like the other guy said, it can feel like it's doing diddly about attacks. I'm sure I've been infected with ZA, and I'm not a link-clicking fool. So that's off-putting.

Thanks for the links, mang. That's the website I was on looking for LnS/Steam help and got elitist replies. Time to ask a different question...

W...what?? This is the forum/website for Sins of a Solar Empire! :/

Even if this was just a skinning, modding etc. site, what does it offer customisation and skinning of?

Are you telling me you only bought this game just to be an artist/programmer, not to actually play it, or are on this site just to be a designer?

I'm not sure when my licence runs out, don't think it's for a bit yet. Kaspersky have priced themselves out though. If I can get NOD32 for cheaper (and last I checked, NOD32 and Kaspersky were the big 2), there doesn't seem much point. Why buy a PS3 when I can buy an Xbox 360 for much cheaper, eh?

Steam and their games' developers have contacted them, and I imagine they have been contacted quite a lot by developers and users, but they get nothing in reply. So Steam's general reply to a user's query is "don't have a fuckin' clue" and "please badger LnS for an answer". Been like that for a long time, it seems.

*stares into space*

I see.

Srsly, thanks for the replies.

Keep it up.

I play online games and I have configured hardware firewall for my computer so that it doesn’t affect while playing games. I will recommend you to opt for hardware firewall. You can try XTM 2 series firewall appliance from WatchGuard which is currently configured with my computer.

Too bad you didn't know that going into it...a good thing for folks to check before buying, turns out.

Why other gamers wouldn't help with that info is really unclear.

Take a look here.

and here.

"W...what?? This is the forum/website for Sins of a Solar Empire! :/

Even if this was just a skinning, modding etc. site, what does it offer customisation and skinning of?

Are you telling me you only bought this game just to be an artist/programmer, not to actually play it, or are on this site just to be a designer"

Stardock is more than Games...it's also about GUI customizing software 'for' Microsoft's OSes.

There are several sites sharing these Forums...where some topics such as this one appear on ALL the sites as "Personal Computing" [for example] applies to all of Stardock's users/customers and is thus accessible from/on all the sites...;)

A software firewall will allow you to accept/reject outbound requests from software on your computer.  Most (all?) routers with a hardware firewall are just stopping incoming requests.