Is the Windows XP firewall good enough?

I used to use a third-party firewall like ZoneAlarm and some others whose names I forget, but their complexity ended up annoying me. Assuming one runs his computer as a normal user/powersuser, is it fine to just use the Windows XP built-in firewall?

Solution 1:

For inbound protection the answer would be : Yes, it is sufficient.

For outbound protection, the answer would be : No, insufficient.

Even the improved Windows Vista version of the firewall still scores poorly when it comes to outbound protection.

See the articles below for an in-depth analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the Windows Firewall (applies to both XP and Vista):

Analysis: New Windows Vista Firewall Fails on Outbound Security

Windows Firewall Review (XP)

If you computer is virus and malware free to begin with, and you are vigilant about keeping a modern antivirus/malware suite constantly updated, then running the Windows Firewall alone should be sufficient.

Solution 2:

Yes, assuming you are fully patched the default firewall provided by Windows XP should be sufficient.