Flaws in Application Layer Gateway Service (alg.exe)

[Plater]

PSA:
The service "Application Layer Gateway Service" (alg.exe) is a big sham.
It was configured to auto-start by default.
The internet says "don't stop this or your internet won't work" well I never saw a problem in everyday use.
BUT after many months of being confused I discovered that it DOES affect my FTP.
If ALG starts with the PC and then is stopped, even if you start it again, FTPing will NOT work.
HOWEVER, if you disable the service and re-boot. You will have no troubles with using FTP.
(Note: if you actually use internet connection sharing or something that relies on it, it will probably stop working. But I've never seen anything that uses it)

[epots9]

have you noticed any change in speed since you turned it off?

[Plater]

Nope, hasn't made a bit of difference.
For years I've just killed it off in taskmanager. (back in the day the internet said it wasn't a usefull process)

[bartonc]

Nope, hasn't made a bit of difference.
For years I've just killed it off in taskmanager. (back in the day the internet said it wasn't a usefull process)

It's the first one on this guy's list of services to disable. I've used this list extensively with no troubles. AGL is used by many third-part firewalls, but none of them is worth the time it takes to respond to every supposed "threat".

[epots9]

It's the first one on this guy's list of services to disable. I've used this list extensively with no troubles. AGL is used by many third-part firewalls, but none of them is worth the time it takes to respond to every supposed "threat".

wow theres alot of stuff i could/should turn off then

[Plater]

Hmm my windows firewall still works fine* without alg. But from what I understand from that link, alg is ALSO for windows firewall.






*fine being as good as it ever was

[bartonc]

Hmm my windows firewall still works fine* without alg. But from what I understand from that link, alg is ALSO for windows firewall.

From what I understand, it's a hook into Windows Firewall (gateway) features for use by firewall, etc vendors.

[epots9]

From what I understand, it's a hook into Windows Firewall (gateway) features for use by firewall, etc vendors.

I use norton internet security, so would disabling alg be a problem?

[Plater]

Try it and find out? (could be risky if you don't have at least a NAT firewall)
If you disable it and reboot and norton still works correctly "yay"
if not, re-enable ALG and reboot again and you should be fine?