Labs

Norton products seem to divide the chattering online classes precisely in half: they either love them or hate them. In our opinion, there's quite a lot to love about the 2004 update of Norton's firewall.

Installation is thorough, which translates into a lengthy process as your computer is scanned for Internet-enabled applications to add to the default database. Although the default application configurations are adequate at the very least, we still recommend taking the time to scan through them and changing options from 'automatic' to either 'ask' or 'block' according to your knowledge of the applications.

LiveUpdate is on hand to keep everything current by way of new exploit detection or program upgrades, and it works smoothly. The network detector feature searches for an accessible network when you change location and displays a control

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alert that lets you run a Home Networking Wizard, similar to that found in ZoneAlarm Pro, to reconfigure security settings. It intelligently recalls each network, switching settings automatically whenever you reconnect. In fact, this sums Norton up: a wonderful blend of old and new, expert and novice, power and intuitiveness.

We're not fans of product activation, but it worked perfectly in this case and we had no problems with the end result: the default installation successfully stealthed all ports, and our tests were passed without a glitch. If you want to ramp up the levels even more, this is achieved using a simple slider, with customisation options available for each.

A 'web assistant' is new to 2004, bringing quick access to privacy features from within Internet Explorer via a toolbar menu. Then there's banner ad banning, private data filtering for IM clients and cookie blocking.

Overall, Norton 2004 has more in common with ZoneAlarm than it does with McAfee, its traditional competitor, feeling like a more advanced product that should appeal to the experienced user. The Alert Assistant, for example, provides detailed information when any unauthorised communication is detected, and it's this level of detail that appeals to us. This information can also be found in the impressive and informative log reporting and statistics display. The problem for Norton is that ZoneAlarm offers even more for the same price.