topic Re: Plusnet Protect - worth installing? in Tech Help - Software/Hardware etc

Plusnet Protect - worth installing?

wilf21 — Sun, 13 May 2012 11:17:05 GMT

Hi,
I currently use Kaspersky Internet Security 2012 on my main laptop PC, and the free products Microsoft Security Essentials on another laptop and Panda Cloud Antivirus on a netbook. I've never used McAfee before but am thinking of installing Plusnet Protect across the machines instead of what I've currently got. Any views on whether I should install Plusnet Protect - have people found it to be good/bad/indifferent?
Your views would be very welcome. TIA.
Wilf

Re: Plusnet Protect - worth installing?

w23 — Sun, 13 May 2012 11:41:15 GMT

I personally found it very 'mixed'. Works great on a decent desktop system (W7 64 bit 1st Generation Core i7), really slows down my netbook (Win XP, Intel Atom) and on my main laptop (W7 32bit, Core 2duo) I had to reinstall several times as it would stop updating or keep switching off 'Autoprotect' - of course this could be due to other issues.
I find MSE absolutely fine on the netbook.
If you have 'Extra' and the PN Protect is therefore free then I'd say give it a go (but probably not on a netbook).

Re: Plusnet Protect - worth installing?

wilf21 — Sun, 13 May 2012 14:42:20 GMT

THanks. Just tried to download (via Firefox 12.0. I get this message:
"Browser Requirements
Please note that Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 (or higher) or Firefox 1.5 (or higher) or Chrome is required to purchase and install McAfee products.
To continue, please return to the previous page using Internet Explorer or Firefox or Chrome.
"
If it can't tell I'm using a version of FF rather higher than 1.5 it doesn't give me a great deal of confidence. This is the browser I normally use. What does it want me to do????

Re: Plusnet Protect - worth installing?

wilf21 — Mon, 14 May 2012 15:53:04 GMT

Sorry for replying to my own post.
Have installed PN Protect by downloading it using Chrome. It installed fine and the Firefox add-ons installed ok.
So far no problems and does not seem to be using any more machine resources than other solutions I have used (Kaspersky IS, MMSE, Panda Cloud AV). Of course, I have no idea how McAfee stacks up against the other Internet Security/AV solutions I have been using. Any views on that, I wonder?

Re: Plusnet Protect - worth installing?

Roberto0151 — Fri, 18 May 2012 15:53:31 GMT

This may not apply to PN Protect but I was very unhappy with McAfee. It came with my first (and so far only) computer about six years ago and I kept it for about three years.
Updating was a pain in the wotsit, it was constantly telling me there was a problem and I had to press this, that or the other to clear it up and , worst of all, it often instructed me to go into "my account" and confirm that my subscription was up to date. A lot of hassle for a computer newbie.
Eventually I went for one of the free AV's and am now happily using MSE.
Of course my earlier problems might not be applicable with later versions of McAfee and going via Plusnet might well make life easier, so don't let me put you off if you like the look of it.

Re: Plusnet Protect - worth installing?

Oldjim — Fri, 18 May 2012 15:58:51 GMT

This is why I won't touch it http://www.av-comparatives.org/en/comparativesreviews/dynamic-tests
As a point of interest KIS 3 user one year is £15.78 from Amazon - a small price to pay for one of the leading products

Re: Plusnet Protect - worth installing?

wilf21 — Fri, 18 May 2012 16:24:13 GMT

Thank you Roberto, Oldjim and walker. I have looked at recent reviews of McAfee compared with other AV offerings and it just doesn't seem to measure up to those. I, too, have purchased KIS from Amazon in the past couple of years at low prices and have decided I will continue to do so. PN Protect also did at some points seem to be hogging resources to some extent. I have now removed it and restored KIS on this PC and MSSE on the other. I would run KIS on the other machine but my wife tends to use that one and doesn't particularly like the occasional alert she gets from it! KIS on the netbook was previously a cause of slowdown and I run Panda cloud AV on that one ... it seems to have very little impact on that machine.

Re: Plusnet Protect - worth installing?

dundialin — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 19:34:22 GMT

I have been using PlusNet Protect/McAfee Security Centre v11 since last year and not had any major trouble with the software & no virus or malware attacks ... that I know of.
But I got the same message when I tried downloading a new version with Firefox 11 & reported it to PlusNet in March/April 2012. Now I'm doing another installation with Firefox 13 and got the same message. So PlusNet have failed to get McAfee to do anything about updating their software to recognise a legitimate browser. I hope they're little better at identifying illegitimate software - it's not exactly confidence inspiring & I wonder how much PN is paying them.
Thanks for the recommendation, I'll have a look at KIS for the new system.