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I think this is an interesting and useful conversation - there's no right answer. My back-story is that after a decade of dialup, I finally got some kind of broadband (wireless broadband on my desktop.) Also, after years of Outpost, about 2 years ago I went looking to change, mostly because I don't like suite software.
So, first I tried three different software firewalls, settled on one but in the 2 years since, never got happy. Never understood how to set it up, didn't get the interface and the nags never stopped. Big change from my old Outpost, which had its quirks, but was pretty transparent.
Then I finally got broadband, with router, and had to have this very conversation with myself. Decided on keeping the software firewall, but went looking to change again. Found OP free and I'm very happy with it (in the old days, when OP was strictly a FW the free version was a joke, but now that it's a suite, the free is just fine if all you want is the FW.)
But a day doesn't go by that I don't wonder if I'm wasting my time. To get rid of the nags I've got "Host control" disabled but for one element - component control - that means no so-called "anti-leak" control. So, being behind a (SPI) router I'm immune to anything getting in that I didn't invite. But if I accidentally invite something in, I've got the primary defense against it getting out turned mostly off. And the only reason I can give for having it (swfw) at all is, well, it just makes me feel better. Sigh ...
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