Why Antivirus Firewall Software Fail

In theory, antivirus firewalls are a great thing. They allow us to block access or grant access in any way that we see fit. They stand up against the danger of worms, malware, and much more, like a mighty Roman wall protecting its citizens from a Viking siege. But, sadly, every now and then a virus sneaks in because the firewall isn’t working properly. Other times the firewall seems to work too well, blocking even its administrators from access. Here, then, are some of the most common reasons for why your antivirus software firewall is causing you grief.

Exaggerated Performance

Sometimes the problem is that the firewall is indeed working properly, but it just isn’t working as good as you were led to believe. Companies all over the world exaggerate the effectiveness of their products and antivirus and firewall software is no exception. While many software manufacturers claim that their firewall can provide maximum protection and outperforms the competition, only a few of these companies are actually telling the truth. After all, how many “best” firewalls can there be? A few programs actually deliver what they promise, and most of these are the more esteemed brands like AVG Internet Security or Norton.

No Updates

Sometimes the fault is yours, though. Often, we are too busy with our day-to-day lives to keep tabs on all of our PC tasks. We may skip a registry cleaning here, or a defragmentation there. The same goes for software updates. But not updating your firewall is much worse than not getting the latest version of Quicktime. A firewall update may be necessary for a new form of virus, to fix a bug, or countless other reasons. If you are ignoring these updates, it may be the reason why your firewall isn’t working properly.

Conflicting Programs

In many cases, especially when your firewall is blocking things that it shouldn’t, the problem is that there may be software already installed on your PC that is conflicting with your new firewall software. Check your computer for any other antivirus programs that may still be active. Your PC might be taking orders from both firewalls or it might even be compromising both. If this is the case, uninstall the earlier antivirus and see if the problem is solved. If the firewall is still acting up, try to restore it to its original settings and start again. Often this is all that is needed to get it working properly again.