If you take ZoneAlarm, be careful to take the last beta version, not version 2.1.10. offered on the main ZoneAlarm page. Only the last beta update (2.1.18, available at http:www.zonelabs.combeta_download.htm) corrects a bug allowing someone to use port 67 to perform a TCP or UDP scan on your computer... This excepted, ZoneAlarm has more features than BlackIce Defender. BlackIce only monitors incoming data. ZoneAlarm also monitors outgoing data. Ok, BlackIce has a traceroute tool, but you can find a lot of freeware trace utilities