Windows servers differ significantly from Linux servers, particularly in terms of network and software restrictions. While Linux servers typically don’t block connections and rarely require manual port opening or permission settings, Windows servers tend to block most connections by default. This means you need to create "Allow" or "Block" rules to manage inbound and outbound connections. Unlike Linux, Windows doesn’t always handle this automatically when new software is installed, which can sometimes be inconvenient.
In this article, we’ll go over the basics of using Windows Firewall, the tool that helps you manage connection and software permissions.
Accessing Windows Firewall
To open Windows Firewall, start by clicking the "Start" button and navigating to the "Control Panel." Once in the Control Panel, locate and click on "Windows Firewall."
Overview of Windows Firewall Menu
You’ll now see the main Windows Firewall menu, which includes options like turning the firewall on or off, adjusting notification settings, restoring defaults, and accessing advanced settings.
While you can adjust the firewall to meet your needs, we’ll focus on the "Advanced Settings" option, which is commonly used to create or manage rules. Click on "Advanced Settings" to proceed.
Inbound and Outbound Rules
In the advanced settings, you’ll see several options, but we’ll concentrate on two key ones: "Inbound Rules" and "Outbound Rules." These are critical when troubleshooting software connectivity issues after installation.
- Inbound Rules manage incoming connections via specific ports or software.
- Outbound Rules manage outgoing connections through specific ports or software.
A common issue occurs when you install new software on a Windows Server, but it doesn’t work due to blocked connections. To fix this, you can create new rules for that software by following these steps:
- Click on "New Rule..."
- Select "Program" and click "Next."
- Choose "This program path:" and browse to locate the program’s main file (.exe), then click "Next."
- Decide whether to "Allow" or "Block" the connection and click "Next."
- Choose when the rule should apply (Domain, Private, or Public network) and click "Next."
- Name the rule and add a brief description if needed, then click "Finish."
Note: In step 5, "Private" and "Public" refer to Private and Public Networks.
This process shows how to create a rule for a specific program. You can follow similar steps for other options, such as creating rules for specific ports. There’s also an option to create custom rules, but we won’t cover that here as it's typically used in more advanced scenarios.
