Comcast's Mcafee Security Suite

Hello; I hope I'm posing this question in the right forum as I very much value the opinion of this community. As of yesterday, my year long struggle with Earthlink DSL is concluding as I am now on my second day with Comcast Cable HSI. Other than some problems getting my Linksys WRT 54G router set up, installation was a breeze. I generally topped out at 1.2 Mbps on a very good day with Earthlink DSL, though I had signed up and was paying for a 3.0 Mbps account (its a long complicated story with all sorts of mitigating factors). Mainly because I am over 13, 000 feet from AT&T's Central Office and the line quality from there to my house is poor, cable became my last refuge for high speed internet. Several neighbors spoke highly of Comcast, whom I basically loath over their TV cable rates and commercials. I found a deal too good to pass up that includes no contractual obligations beyond 30 days for the rebates to be valid. In any event, I am now getting download speeds as high as 23 Mbps but generally around 15-18 Mbps and the account says its for 12 Mbps. So I am a happy camper. If you want to know more about the specifics of the plan for which I signed up, contact me. But now for the related question. As part of their free included security software package, they include what appears to be a complete version of McAfee's Security Suite. Consumer's Reports gave it a an overall good review. However, I've always been one to pick and choose either the "best" individual freeware or the best software that I could afford for each mode of protection I was looking to cover. I'm just not comfortable yet with the one "size" fits all situations concept. I also find it's interface a bit confusing. I currently have it installed and have noticed a slight slow down in programs loading, though I can't say for sure it's the culprit. Other than that, it seems to be doing its job. Essentially, I'm looking for opinions, especially from those who've used McAfee's Security Suite, mainly to kind of get a consensus as to whether it's worth staying with or going back to my tried and true security programs and methods. I posed this same query at Broadband Reports and the responses have almost been totally thumbs down. As others undoubtedly have more pressing problems, there is no rush on this. Still, I'm sure I'm not the only new Comcast subscriber, or potential purchaser wondering about this. Regards; Gerry

Hi. I'm sure you will get lots of responses to your interesting question, as different folks often have completely opposing views! McAfee is one of the "big players" in anti virus and has a reliable product, and strong reputation. Any "Security Suite" as you may have found will tend to have an effect on performance as they usually run lots of processes that tend to use quite a bit of your machine's resourses. This is very apparent in machines running Win XP with minimal amounts of RAM but once RAM is 1GB or more the performance hit tends to diminish. Your comments about the interface being a bit confusing, raises an alarm in my mind, as if you are not 100% happy with the firewall alerts and whether or not to allow or deny access then it would be relatively easy for some "bad code" to either creep in to your system or once in, call "home" My own personal preference is to use mix and match products to protect as much as possible (without the machine becoming unwieldy) as always its often a case of compromise. I have used (in a non business environment) the free versions of AVG for antivirus and antispyware and Zone Alarm for firewall and are well satisfied….However I am sure others on the forum here may have different views. Having said that, there is a danger, sometimes in becoming too reliant on software for protection, the operator's knowledge, habits, skills and attitude to, and appetite for, risk is just as important. Regards paws

At present I also will be soon on Comcast cable since they took over Time Warner in my area. I have NO plans to install the now bloated McAfee. McAfee is not as bad as Norton but there alot worse then they used to be when I used it extensively. I plan on keeping the AVG 7.5 Free version with the resident Shield and just keep running the SP2 firewall. I have been doing this for two years now with no problems and will continue to do so. I always try my best to run the least resource hogging apps possible. You could just have done a custom install of the McAfee suite if Im not mistaken and just installed the Anti-virus program and left all the other out including even the firewall. If you feel you absolutely have to install a firewall for outbound protection then try the free Comodo firewall which is highly rated and will run alongside most all standalone virus programs. Just go to McAfee`s forums and see all the problems folks have had over the last several years with McAfee and you will see what Im talking about. I seem to have enough of pc problems without adding another like McAfee IMHO. Regards & Good Luck !

After seeing how McAfee Security Suite did and did not work (and even after attending an Oakland "A's" game courtesy of a close friend at McAfee Stadium) I decided to return to my pick and choose method of security programs. First was my, already paid for, SpySweeper (which actively scans and not just block spyware as McAfee supposedly does but didn't); AVG 7.5.484 free version and AVG free Root-kit detector; Comodo Firewall (free version), Spyblaster and a borrowed copy of Trojan Hunter (scan mode only). I think I'm covered pretty well now and things seem to be running a bit faster then they did under McAfee but that just may be my imagination. I'm still sorting out billing issues with Comcast because apparently, the company that puts out the special web offers is a separate entity from "regular" Comcast and somehow, my $19.99 plan didn't get posted or sent to regular billing. It is supposed to be straightened out by Friday, but after the deceptive run-around I got trying to cancel Earthlink DSL(read more fine print and offers not made in good faith), my level of trust with any sales/billing department is a bit on the low side. However, with absolutely no interruptions in service and with download speeds ranging from 8 to 19.50Mbps (apparently depending on if their "speed booster" technology kicks in) I have no complaints in that department, considering I went from getting on average 1.2Mbps download on what was "promised" to be a 3.0 DSL account and that was with 6 or more daily outages of DSL service. My sage advice is: (1) ask questions here about ant packaged security suite that is included with you broadband service as the answers you'll get are generally a better way to go, even if you are a beginner novice type (2) always follow-up with billing after signing up for a "special offer" and ALWAYS read the fine print, regardless of what billing, sales or tech support tell you. Regards to all; Gerry