ZoneAlarm BLOCKS flashpanorama.com movie

[Panorado]

(Windows 2000, IE 6.0, Latest Flash Version... think it's 9.04 or something... but latest)

I am just 1 user, and this is happening on this computer only... but, I am sure there are lots of people using ZoneAlarm and this problem should be addressed. I tried many different settings with ZoneAlarm, from the most secure to the least secure with even "Pop-Up" blocking "off". Even still... when surfing to any of the "Showcase" sites in this forum and trying to view their flashpanorama.com VT's... they did NOT play. This is what happens

1.) "Loading Percentages" just stay at 0% but I can see my connection is downloading the whole thing.
2.) After Checking my IE Cache, YES, the pictures have been downloaded but the .swf will not play.
3.) Then after downloading... it just stops, no panorama, just grey screen.

Once again, I can see it downloaded... and the .jpg files are in the IE cache but the actual "panorama" .swf will not play.

It may be when the initial flashpanorama.com VT tried to play the first time I mistakingly "Denied" access for it in ZoneAlarm but I do not know what "Program" or "Component" in ZoneAlarm to grant access too.

NOTE: When I CLOSE ZoneAlarm (actually shut it down) the flashpanorama.com sites play fine... so this IS a ZoneAlarm related issue. HOWEVER, ALL other flash sites, real Macromedia flash sites and SwishZone site movies (.swf) PLAY OK with ZoneAlarm on and EVEN the other PanoVR and PTViewer panorama movies play fine... it's only the flashpanorama.com player that is not playing with ZoneAlarm on.

Can this be fixed? Which "Program" and or "Component" in ZoneAlarm should I grant "ok" status to?

...by the way... is there a TRIAL version of flashpanorama.com? I here good things about it and is very customizable (with flash) and would like to try before buy...

[Panorado]

(Personal opinions and experiences only of this person only, may not be true for other users)

I have tried the "other" two main flash players... but yours plays the "smoothest" (with ZoneAlarm firewall off) and by what I'm reading... very customizable and powerfull (I use SwishMax a lot and an hoping to intigrate... wish there was a trial...).

I'm wondering what the issues are with ZoneAlarm... and... can they be fixed?

Since (In America) ZoneAlarm is one of the top 3 Firewall and AntiVirus programs (therefore a lot of High Speed users have it), I think you should take a look at this issue.

I have learned that in order to view your FlashPanorama movies with ZoneAlarm (by playing around with many variations of the settings of ZoneAlarm) that the "Firewall" is not the problem but rather in order for your FlashPlayer to "Play", cookies MUST be enabled and "Pop-Ups" MUST be allowed. NOTE... the "other" two main panorama flash players played fine with ALL the ZoneAlarm setting set to "High" (Blocking cookies and Pop-ups). I'm suspecting it's the FlashPlayer .xml file that is causing this "problem"?

The .xml, .swf, and .jpg files of all the sites I have viewed with your player all DOWNLOAD OK (into the IE cache), BUT... once downloaded... it DOES NOT PLAY.

ZoneAlarm Settings

Final, COOKIES MUST BE ENABLED (and or set to "Cookie Control > "OFF" position for FlashPlayer to work with ZoneAlarm) AND, All ad-blocking must be OFF.

1.) OK! "Run" ZoneAlarm program but turn everything OFF
Firewall set to - OFF
Cookies set to - OFF
Ad Blocking Set to - OFF
Mobile Code (block javascript, activeX, MimeTypes, ect.) is - OFF

2.) OK!
Firewall set to - Medium
Cookies set to - OFF
Ad Blocking Set to - OFF
Mobile Code (block javascript, activeX, MimeTypes, ect.) is - OFF

3.) OK!
Firewall set to - High
Cookies set to - OFF
Ad Blocking Set to - OFF
Mobile Code (block javascript, activeX, MimeTypes, ect.) is - OFF

4.) does NOT play
Firewall set to - High
Cookies set to - Medium
Ad Blocking Set to - OFF
Mobile Code (block javascript, activeX, MimeTypes, ect.) is - OFF

5.) does NOT play
Firewall set to - High
Cookies set to - OFF
Ad Blocking Set to - Medium
Mobile Code (block javascript, activeX, MimeTypes, ect.) is - OFF

6.) does NOT play
Firewall set to - High
Cookies set to - OFF
Ad Blocking Set to - High
Mobile Code (block javascript, activeX, MimeTypes, ect.) is - OFF

ZoneAlarm in conclusion (on my PC): COOKIES MUST BE ENABLED (and or set to "Cookie Control > "OFF" position for FlashPlayer to work with ZoneAlarm) AND, All ad-blocking must be OFF. However... MOST people I assume would set cookies at Medium and Ad-Blocking (Pop-Ups) at medium too... so, they would NOT be able to view a FlashPanorama movie.

[cheathamlane]

Hey Panorado:

Do I know you from somewhere (ivrpa site)? :-)

Hmm... sounds like ZoneAlarm needs to relax a little bit in its security! I've never heard of ZoneAlarm, but my experience has been that even the best firewall/security software tends to be quirky. Sounds like ZA is having issues with the Flash plugin & the media needing to load in external files.

Cheers

[Panorado]

(Yes, this is me from the ivrpa site. Thank you for always giving usefull and good information... your business is one which I aspire too).

Never heard of ZoneAlarm!? Wow... see... there you have it... Somthing I am pretty sure has a pretty big market share and yet others havn't even heard of it. I think it's right up there with Norton and McAfee... Totally guessing but just on an estimated guess (from people I know) I'd say 33% of High Speed Users use ZoneAlarm.

I don't know... even at "Medium" settings (default after installation)... the FlashPanorama is not playing (and most users don't like to mess around too much tweaking firewall settings).

Personally though... I don't think it's the security settings... I think it has to do more with Cookies and Pop-Up stuff (as the tests above show).

The strange thing is, even with ZoneAlarm settings at there highest... regular Macromedia Flash, SwishMax Flash and the other two panorama Flash Viewers work FINE through the firewall...

I hope the maker of this software takes a look at this issue and can somehow resolve it... I really would like to give it a try...