McAfee Internet Security Suite 2005 Review

Overall Rating

Came free with new computer

Installation problems and ability to block domains as part of "parental contol" is inadequate

1) - It was not completely installed on my brand new system as received - Maybe this is due to the fact that McAfee Internet Security Suite 2005requires personal information - but it failed to finish it's installation.
2) After many attempts to uninstall and reinstall the software I contacted the e-mail chatroom support cntre. The service from Mcafees is/was lousy - treats you with no dignity or courtesy except for silly "I'd be glad to help" standard answers. The same question gets asked time and time again. Each time it take 10 minutes to get a reply. The tactic is obviously to get you fed up so you leave. The advise is inadeqaute and without technical foundation. I was taken through a process to manually clean the registry three times - each time this failed I had to re contact the help line and go through the entire case history again - even though they claim to read it (I think they go for coffee at this pointand just hpoe you go away). This process took 8 hours before I gave up. The next day with advise from friends and reading through FAQ's on the Mcafees website I discover they have a registry cleaner, and a patch for fixing a problem wit IE. This was not picked up by me in the first insatnce because the FAQ's were worded as a different symptom - but obvious same underlying cause.
3) After finally managing to get the software to work it is not worth it's weight in Helium - For instance to block access to a website for an old teenager I experimented with blocking google (alhough this is a bonifide website I use it here JUST as an example of McAfees inadequacy as parental control sofware) . You have to block the entire URL (Ie "Google.co.uk" )name and cannot block the domain. result is that you can still access google.co.in or the google in countless other countries - What a waste of time - how do people with the ability to write programmes overlook something as easy as this. This same setting also blocked my ISP home page through it's general filter - this would mean needing to add almost any page you want to allow to an allowed site - it just isn't practical.
I also had an earlier version on an older computer - many of the useful facilities like password storage have now gone. - the way I was treated by Mcafees was not right .- Mcafee's response to this is that it is the computer manufacturers problem -oh so helpful!!!

Members' Comments onNick J's Review

• Seany on 23rd May 2006

  I am sorry that this person had problems with a McAfee product. Firstly, the only personal information that McAfee require is your E-Mail address. This is so that your computer can be recognised on the McAfee site and nothing more. You would not be able to update the product without this information so this would definitely create difficulties. It would seem also that McAfee customer service had a bad hair day judging from the response. Blocking sections of any domain is really easy and there is no need to block the entire utility. Just follow this guide: 1) Click on Security Centre 2) Click on Firewall 3) Click on Utilities 4) Click on Tools-Trusted and Banned IPs 5) Enter the address. 6) Job done. I do not work for McAfee in any capacity but i have used McAfee products for 5 years with no problems and nothing but superb service. I am an IT student in the UK and have tried and tested almost every security product and McAfee comes out top every single time. I hope that this information is helpful and that people will find it useful.