ZoneAlarm fix for DNS death released - bit-tech.net Forums

CardJoe · 11th Jul 2008, 09:02

http://www.bit-tech.net/news/2008/07...ath-released/1

A bug in the ZoneAlarm personal firewall package left users without a working 'net connection this Tuesday after a patch was released for DNS resolution by Microsoft.

tribalman · 11th Jul 2008, 09:17

ah, thank you for the information. i have been having this trouble and was just going to try testing the update on a separate computer before i updated the main system again. i figured there was an issue with the update and a firewall somewhere.

Paradigm Shifter · 11th Jul 2008, 10:22

Hm. I've had problems with my net connection whenever I've installed SP3, but I don't use ZoneAlarm...

theevilelephant · 11th Jul 2008, 10:56

i found this out yesterday when my net suddenly stopped working :|. it was fairly obvious what the problem was so i went and downloaded comodo instead.

Darkedge · 11th Jul 2008, 12:05

I'd lay the blame fairly at checkpoint as this patch as been planned for AGES. Mind you ZoneAlarm is one of the most rubbish firewalls out there and I wouldn't trust it on any system I use ever having had loads of issues with it before. Seriously the Windows firewall is better than that rubbish.

Orlix · 11th Jul 2008, 13:27

I have been having issues with my wife's computer for a while now. The latest was on tuesday, but I just lowered the security to med and was running again. I did the update yesterday on mine and had the same problem, of courseI will download the patch for both today. I still think I need to reinstall Windows on my wifes computer... really not looking forward to that.

Darkedge,
Checkpoint has a compatibility issue that does not make it rubbish. On what issues do you base your statement? I am curious as I changed to ZoneAlarm after actually paying for Norton, that is a really annoying piece of software. It took away all the control from me and decided what was best for me, for example what emails were safe regardless of what I told it. I ended uninstallig it.

dom_ · 11th Jul 2008, 13:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by Orlix

Darkedge,
Checkpoint has a compatibility issue that does not make it rubbish. On what issues do you base your statement? I am curious as I changed to ZoneAlarm after actually paying for Norton, that is a really annoying piece of software. It took away all the control from me and decided what was best for me, for example what emails were safe regardless of what I told it. I ended uninstallig it.

Ah, the problem here is that nortons firewall is even worse than zonealarm. Which i did not think was possible.

fargo · 11th Jul 2008, 17:17

the security update was also known as KB951748 and is listed that way in your add/remove programs list. as far
as I'm concerned zonealarm is the best firewall for the money windows firewall is useless in comparisan and zone
alarm was on top of the problem. I downloaded the update to fix my firewall then installed KB951748 and everything worked fine.

BioSniper · 11th Jul 2008, 17:19

We've had no end of issues with this where I work.
I've just been telling everyone to do what the zone alarm site says which is stick the security in ZA to medium. Problem solved

fargo · 11th Jul 2008, 18:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by BioSniper

We've had no end of issues with this where I work.
I've just been telling everyone to do what the zone alarm site says which is stick the security in ZA to medium. Problem solved

moving the za to medium is a workaround not a fix! and it reduces your internet protection. download the update
from za and install it over your present za program no clean install required

leexgx · 11th Jul 2008, 20:00

wunder why ZA was not working, this customer was behind an router so just removed ZA problem soved

LordPyrinc · 12th Jul 2008, 00:04

Thanks for the article... a buddy of mine at work was having this problem with both he and his wife's computers. I had just told him earlier today that I hadn't seen anything on Bit-tech about it, and sure enough, I get home and see the article. You guys rock as always!

Colt 45 J · 12th Jul 2008, 02:10

So this is why my little brother was whining about his internet going out and everybody else could get on it... I had just turned down the security to see if it worked and it did. Guess I will have to download this patch in the near future and then I can turn the firewall back to high.. You have no idea how much hassle this has caused me...

boixter · 12th Jul 2008, 09:04

I experienced the same problem and thought there was a problem with my wireless. .Kept restarting the router till i realized that my other computer could log on to the net. Tried disabling zonealarm and surprisingly it worked! So i uninstalled zonealarm and change to comodo instead. Discovered that comodo is quite a gem actually!

automagsrock · 12th Jul 2008, 09:38

We've had about 300 people call in regarding this Zone Alarm issue since Tuesday. We will disable it, and if it works we reboot the PC so its back on and tell them to call Zone Labs for a fix.

Glad Zone Labs has a fix out already.

Lazarus Dark · 13th Jul 2008, 01:39

I spent hours trying to figure out my problem last night. After realizing the other three comps on the router worked fine, I thought my network stack had been corrupted and tried every diagnostic program I had. I could ping the router, just couldn't access the net at all. So frustrating! Finally, after many things I got it working, but I didn't realize what it was that fixed the problem (I had disabled ZA in the process of trying things but didn't realize that fixed it). So this morning after another reboot, it wouldn't work again! *Pulls out hair*
Finally, I did a search on another comp and found the cause and dl'd the latest ZA.

Thing is, in all my years with XP, or any windows, I've been lucky and never had a patch or update or service pack give me any problem whatsoever; so that was not something that came to mind when trying to diagnose the problem, especially since I had completely forgotten about installing that little patch a couple days ago.

Sparrowhawk · 13th Jul 2008, 04:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lazarus Dark

I spent hours trying to figure out my problem last night. After realizing the other three comps on the router worked fine, I thought my network stack had been corrupted and tried every diagnostic program I had. I could ping the router, just couldn't access the net at all. So frustrating! Finally, after many things I got it working, but I didn't realize what it was that fixed the problem (I had disabled ZA in the process of trying things but didn't realize that fixed it). So this morning after another reboot, it wouldn't work again! *Pulls out hair*
Finally, I did a search on another comp and found the cause and dl'd the latest ZA.

Thing is, in all my years with XP, or any windows, I've been lucky and never had a patch or update or service pack give me any problem whatsoever; so that was not something that came to mind when trying to diagnose the problem, especially since I had completely forgotten about installing that little patch a couple days ago.

Agreed. I was pulling out my hair trying to find out what happened to my parent's computer. Never before have I been able to ping a website (bit-tech, incidentially

) but not be able to load the site in Firefox.

Mostly figured someone had mucked about with the settings of Windows again, but I didn't think about ZA. Makes me glad I couldn't get it to work with XP 64.

ufk · 13th Jul 2008, 10:25

Its not only affecting zonealarm, I run no firewall apart from the windows one and the one built into my router, let windows install the update, no internet on windows but the linux box still works fine, uninstall the update the internet is back. Now for the strange bit, the update doesn't break the internet on the other windows pc in the house which runs sygate personal firewall (/me curses symantec for buying them out and killing sygate)

11th Jul 2008, 09:02	#1
CardJoe Player Character bit-tech Staff Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 7,988	ZoneAlarm fix for DNS death released http://www.bit-tech.net/news/2008/07...ath-released/1 A bug in the ZoneAlarm personal firewall package left users without a working 'net connection this Tuesday after a patch was released for DNS resolution by Microsoft. __________________ this is joe's non-bit-tech blog

11th Jul 2008, 17:19	#9
BioSniper I Mod, Therefore I Own Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Somewhere in the south Posts: 3,460	We've had no end of issues with this where I work. I've just been telling everyone to do what the zone alarm site says which is stick the security in ZA to medium. Problem solved __________________ My Flickr :: Bit-tech Flickr Wii: 1792 1527 2926 7945 :: Xbox Live: BioSnipr :: PSN: Biosnipr

11th Jul 2008, 20:00	#11
leexgx CPC hang out zone (i Fix pcs i do ) Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: uk Posts: 568	wunder why ZA was not working, this customer was behind an router so just removed ZA problem soved __________________ Qx6850 (OC 3.3Ghz) <> 120 extreme<> rampage forumla <> 9800GX2 <> 8gb 4x2gb (2x gell / 2x adata)<> SSD powered Corsair S128 / WD Black 1TB <> Crative X-fi FalTy FPS <> TK 1000w Toughpower <win7 x64> Click me for folding stats greenfrog.biz / 35947

12th Jul 2008, 00:04	#12
LordPyrinc Legomaniac Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: USA Posts: 256	Thanks for the article... a buddy of mine at work was having this problem with both he and his wife's computers. I had just told him earlier today that I hadn't seen anything on Bit-tech about it, and sure enough, I get home and see the article. You guys rock as always! __________________ HP Pavilion Elite m9040n PC - Vista Home Premium Intel Core 2 Quad Processor Q6600 @ 2.40ghz - 3G of RAM - Dual 320G HDs Upgrades/Add-ons: 22" Widescreen LCD, 700W RocketFish PSU, BFG GeForce 9800 GT 160G Ext USB HD, Logitech X-540 5.1 Surround Sound Speakers

12th Jul 2008, 09:38	#15
automagsrock Hypermodder Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Great Falls, Montana, US Posts: 936	We've had about 300 people call in regarding this Zone Alarm issue since Tuesday. We will disable it, and if it works we reboot the PC so its back on and tell them to call Zone Labs for a fix. Glad Zone Labs has a fix out already. __________________ I am bored of my old sig, so here's my WoW character armory link instead PS3 network name: Myrmccheese

11th Jul 2008, 09:17	#2
tribalman What's a Dremel? Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 18	ah, thank you for the information. i have been having this trouble and was just going to try testing the update on a separate computer before i updated the main system again. i figured there was an issue with the update and a firewall somewhere.

11th Jul 2008, 10:22	#3
Paradigm Shifter Lethargic Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 1,213	Hm. I've had problems with my net connection whenever I've installed SP3, but I don't use ZoneAlarm...

11th Jul 2008, 10:56	#4
theevilelephant Bit-tech's Heffalump Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Aberystwyth Posts: 797	i found this out yesterday when my net suddenly stopped working :\|. it was fairly obvious what the problem was so i went and downloaded comodo instead.

11th Jul 2008, 12:05	#5
Darkedge Supermodder Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: UK Posts: 334	I'd lay the blame fairly at checkpoint as this patch as been planned for AGES. Mind you ZoneAlarm is one of the most rubbish firewalls out there and I wouldn't trust it on any system I use ever having had loads of issues with it before. Seriously the Windows firewall is better than that rubbish.

11th Jul 2008, 13:27	#6
Orlix Multimodder Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Cologne Posts: 70	I have been having issues with my wife's computer for a while now. The latest was on tuesday, but I just lowered the security to med and was running again. I did the update yesterday on mine and had the same problem, of courseI will download the patch for both today. I still think I need to reinstall Windows on my wifes computer... really not looking forward to that. Darkedge, Checkpoint has a compatibility issue that does not make it rubbish. On what issues do you base your statement? I am curious as I changed to ZoneAlarm after actually paying for Norton, that is a really annoying piece of software. It took away all the control from me and decided what was best for me, for example what emails were safe regardless of what I told it. I ended uninstallig it.

11th Jul 2008, 17:17	#8
fargo Multimodder Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: new york,usa Posts: 152	the security update was also known as KB951748 and is listed that way in your add/remove programs list. as far as I'm concerned zonealarm is the best firewall for the money windows firewall is useless in comparisan and zone alarm was on top of the problem. I downloaded the update to fix my firewall then installed KB951748 and everything worked fine.

12th Jul 2008, 02:10	#13
Colt 45 J Aye Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: SD, USA Posts: 60	So this is why my little brother was whining about his internet going out and everybody else could get on it... I had just turned down the security to see if it worked and it did. Guess I will have to download this patch in the near future and then I can turn the firewall back to high.. You have no idea how much hassle this has caused me...

12th Jul 2008, 09:04	#14
boixter What's a Dremel? Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 1	I experienced the same problem and thought there was a problem with my wireless. .Kept restarting the router till i realized that my other computer could log on to the net. Tried disabling zonealarm and surprisingly it worked! So i uninstalled zonealarm and change to comodo instead. Discovered that comodo is quite a gem actually!

13th Jul 2008, 01:39	#16
Lazarus Dark Supermodder Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: US Memphis, TN Posts: 292	I spent hours trying to figure out my problem last night. After realizing the other three comps on the router worked fine, I thought my network stack had been corrupted and tried every diagnostic program I had. I could ping the router, just couldn't access the net at all. So frustrating! Finally, after many things I got it working, but I didn't realize what it was that fixed the problem (I had disabled ZA in the process of trying things but didn't realize that fixed it). So this morning after another reboot, it wouldn't work again! Pulls out hair Finally, I did a search on another comp and found the cause and dl'd the latest ZA. Thing is, in all my years with XP, or any windows, I've been lucky and never had a patch or update or service pack give me any problem whatsoever; so that was not something that came to mind when trying to diagnose the problem, especially since I had completely forgotten about installing that little patch a couple days ago. __________________ My gun kata is greater than your kung fu.

13th Jul 2008, 10:25	#18
ufk Licenced Fool Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: nowhere, rural england Posts: 671	Its not only affecting zonealarm, I run no firewall apart from the windows one and the one built into my router, let windows install the update, no internet on windows but the linux box still works fine, uninstall the update the internet is back. Now for the strange bit, the update doesn't break the internet on the other windows pc in the house which runs sygate personal firewall (/me curses symantec for buying them out and killing sygate)