Thanks for all the tips.
I'll be leaving Zonealarm on, since I paid for the Pro version until the update period ends. Then I'll rethink my strategy. I can put up with the extra time it takes that to load for now.
My wallet speaks louder then my patience for waiting on a PC to boot up. I don't want to waste the money I paid on the Pro version to get the program updates and the additional port filtering.
Sean