Windows 10: Control Panel → System and Security → Administrative Tools → Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security → Click “Allow an app. . . " in the left pane. [2] X Research source Windows 7 or 8: Control Panel → System and Security → Windows Firewall → Click “Allow a program. . . " in the left pane. [3] X Research source
If you can’t find the app, click Allow another app or Allow another program near the bottom corner of the window. Select the app in the window that pops up, or enter its file path. [5] X Trustworthy Source Microsoft Support Technical support and product information from Microsoft. Go to source
You might run into firewall issues if Windows mistakenly thinks your home network is public. Click the WiFi symbol on the taskbar, selecting Properties next to your WiFi network name, and look under “Network profile”. If “Public” is selected, change this setting to “Private. “[9] X Trustworthy Source Microsoft Support Technical support and product information from Microsoft. Go to source
If you try this and restart your computer, and it still isn’t working, Windows Firewall might be blocking a port the app is trying to use. Read the method below for instructions on how to change the port settings.
If there are no blocked IP rules, but you still get a message about a firewall when you try to access a site, the organization that runs your network (your employer, for instance) probably has an additional firewall set up. These settings cannot be changed from your machine.
ping wikihow. com -t Press Enter to run the command. You should see “Reply from” followed by a string of numbers. This is the IP address. Write it down. If this command doesn’t work, try nslookup wikihow. com instead. [14] X Research source
If you’d like to remove the entire rule instead of editing a single IP address, close the Properties menu, make sure that rule is still selected, and click “Delete” on the right pane.
Click Custom, then Next. Click All Programs, then Next. Leave the Protocol settings alone and click Next. Under “Which remote IP addresses does this apply to?”, select “These IP addresses:” Click “Add” to the right of the lower text field. In the pop-up window, enter the IP address you wrote down into the “This IP address” field. Press OK, then Next. Select “Block the connection”, then Next. Check all three boxes if you’d like to block the website on all networks. (If you’d only like to block it while connected to unsecure public WiFi, check only Public instead. ) Click Next. Type in a name for your rule so you remember what it does. Click Finish.
You won’t need an IT degree or anything, but this method could be tricky if you’re not used to troubleshooting network issues. It gets a lot easier if you already have some idea of the problem. (For instance, you could check the customer support forums for the app you are having trouble with, and look for known firewall issues with specific ports. )
You can check how your network is classified in the network’s Properties window, under “Network profile”. [21] X Trustworthy Source Microsoft Support Technical support and product information from Microsoft. Go to source
With this enabled, your computer keeps a text record of network activity, which you can use to pinpoint the issue you’re having.
You might need to close and reopen the log between tests to see the latest info.
“Action” lists the firewall’s behavior. “ALLOW” means the traffic went through. “DROP” means it was blocked. “Protocol” typically lists either TCP or UDP. (Your firewall needs to know which of these protocols is being used to govern data transmission. Make a note of this. ) “dst-port” stands for “destination port” — most likely what your firewall is looking for “src-port” stands for “source port”; this is not relevant in most cases[25] X Research source Since a mistake in the next step can mess up your network connectivity or security, only continue once you’re confident you’ve found the right log entry. You can also search for info on that port online, since some ports are associated with certain common uses.
Click “Outbound Rules” to alter how your programs are allowed to connect to the network. (“Inbound Rules” affect how other systems connect to you; change these only if you know what you’re doing) Click “New Rule” Select “Port”, then “Next” Select “TCP” or “UDP” and enter the port number you’d like to allow or block. (This is the info you got from your log. ) Choose “Allow”, “Allow if it is secure”, or “Block”, depending on what you’d like your firewall to do. Choose the Profile type(s) of the networks you want the rule to apply to. Name your rule and save it.
If there is no Firewall tab, you’re probably using an old version of MacOS (before 10. 5.
- without a firewall. You might be having firewall issues from a third-party firewall application. You can try disabling that application, changing its settings, or contacting the customer support of the company that sells that software.
To allow or block a new application, click the small + under this field. In the pop-up window, locate the application, select it, and hit Add. Once the application is listed, click “Allow. . . " or “Block. . . " to the right of its name to open a drop-down menu and switch between the two settings. To remove a rule you don’t need, select the application, then click -.