Blocking issue with Norton firewall

I just add a Network Attached Storage (NAS) device from QNAP to my home network and I'm having problems accessing it.

 

I have several devices and PC's attached to my home network, but for now let just consider my laptop since everything else is off.

 

Here are a few configuration details:

 

- Laptop is running Windows XP SP2 with the latest patches installed

- Windows Firewall is OFF

- I have a Linksys wireless router Model #WRT-54GX ver2. This has a SPI Firewall which is enabled.

- My new QNAP NAS is Model #TS-459 Pro II

- The laptop and NAS are hard wired to the router via CAT5e cables and obtain an IP Address via DHCP from the router.

- I have configured the Trust Control within Norton to allow access between other devices attached to my network to my laptop, which is running Norton. Everything has been fine. I've been able to share data between devices on my network and my laptop.

 

Ok, here the problem I encountered today. I connected my new NAS to my router and then launched Norton. I noticed that Norton recognized it in Trust Control as a new device an automatically applied the default trust setting of Restricted to it. I modified this setting to Trusted as I have done to other devices that I have added in the past. I tested the new trust by successfully pinging the device. Everything seemed golden, but when I attempted to run the NAS Finder application supplied by QNAP, the utility returns an error stating that it cannot detect the NAS device on my network. I rebooted my laptop and NAS drive, but I received the same results when executing the QNAP Finder utility. I knew that this must be a firewall issue as about 99% of these issues usually are so I turned off the Smart Firewall on Norton for a moment, and sure enough, the QNAP utility found the NAS drive.

 

I made sure that the QNAP Finder utility was not blocked in the Program Control option in Norton. It was set to Auto and I changed it to Allow. I saved the settings and it didn't work. Same issue. I rebooted the laptop and NAS again and same thing. No access. I can still ping the NAS, but the QNAP utility cannot detect the NAS on the network.

 

Right now, I have the Norton Smart Firewall turned off and I turned on the Windows Firewall so I have some additional protection to supplement the SPI firewall on my router.

 

I really don't know what to do at this point. Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks

 

 

 

This is the only thing that shows up at the time I excute the QNAP Finder utility to discover the NAS. It doesn't look to be related to the issue at hand, but you never know. There are several entries for this message throughout the history log at times that do not match when I executed the Finder utility.

 

NortonHistory.JPG

Update...I booted up my desktop that is also running Norton Internet Security 2011...same release version 18.5.0125 and I can connect with the QNAP Finder utility.

 

I did go into Trust Control and configured the new NAS device as Trusted, just as I did on my laptop. Not only can the Finder utility locate the NAS, but I can also connect to its configuration utility via the web browser.

 

I compared the Norton settings between my desktop and laptop for Trust Control, Advanced Settings, Program Control and can't find any differences. What the heck is going on?

 

I even went so far as to define a Custom setting in Program Control for the Finder.Exe utility...fully open and still no luck connecting. The issue goes beyond the Finder.Exe utility as I cannot even connect to the NAS configuration utility via Internet Explorer.

 

Again, I can ping the NAS all day long, but I cannot connect to it unless I turn off the Smart Firewall in Norton. Windows Firewall allows me to ping and connect with now problem.

 

Help!

Hello jjscott

 

Is the laptop updated to sp3? Is the desktop running the same operating system and service pack?

Yes, my laptop is on SP3. My original post was incorrect regarding the SP.

Yes, my desktop has the same OS & SP as my laptop.

 

I just went into Trust Contol on my laptop and selected "Local Area Connection" on the left side of the screen and then selected "Edit". On this screen, the default Trust Levelfor the entire "Local Area Connection" was set to "Restricted". I configured Norton this way when I first set it up so that anybody that happens to plug-in to my network, will be restricted. My desktop is configured the same way. Anyhow, just for giggles, I set this to "Trusted" and now, everything works. The NAS Finder application can find my NAS from my laptop.

 

This is very strange behavior to me because the Trust Level for the NAS device as displayed by Norton on the "Local Area Connection" page has been always been "Full Trust" since I changed it this morning from the default value of "Restricted" after connecting the NAS to my network. The Finder utility failed to located the NAS after I changed the default Trust Level setting back to "Restricted" for the entire "Local Area Connection". The individual Trust Level for the NAS is STILL "FULL TRUST".

 

It is my understanding that the Trust setting for the individual devices override the Trust setting for the entire Local Area Network. Is this not correct?

 

Any idea what's going on here?

 

Hi jjscott,

 

Yes the device specific setting should override the default trust level of the LAN so this is quite interesting.

 

If you'd be willing to try something, let's do the following.

 

Remove the NAS from the security map, and then set the LAN to FULL TRUST. Close the security map window and bring it back up. I've found sometimes the refresh option does not refresh the devices. You may need to remove and reconnect the NAS to the network.

 

This time when the NAS goes back into the security map it should have inherited Full Trust. First verify the NAS finder utility works. Then edit the NAS device and set to FULL TRUST (not the inherited Network Full Trust which it got from the LAN device). Again verify your utility works.

 

Then modify the LAN back to Restricted. All other devices not explicitly set to Full Trust will revert to Restricted but the NAS device should remain at Full Trust. Verify if the utility works again.

 

You can then configure the remaining devices back to their appropriate trust level.

 

I'm curious if this might work around the problem you are having.

 

Please let us know how it goes.

 

Best wishes.

Allen

While it is true that the device trust level should override the network trust level, I have seen similar cases here where this does not quite happen.  I'm not sure that an explanation has been found.


SendOfJive wrote:

While it is true that the device trust level should override the network trust level, I have seen similar cases here where this does not quite happen.  I'm not sure that an explanation has been found.


I have as well but it should not happen and in my opinion if it does happen, it is a bug.

 

The premise of my last suggestion is a suspicion that the initial inherited trust of the network device might be getting in the way even when the device is subsequently changed to Full Trust.

 

If this is true then I'm hoping that the procedure I outlined might work around the issue. :smileywink:

 

Best wishes.

Allen

 


AllenM wrote:
The premise of my last suggestion is a suspicion that the initial inherited trust of the network device might be getting in the way even when the device is subsequently changed to Full Trust.

I agree.  Sort of like toggling an on/off button and restarting.

 

Check the Windows sharing settings as well.  If Norton does not prevent access on one machine, it could be a security setting causing issues in the other machine.  Norton obeys the Windows settings.

I just add a Network Attached Storage (NAS) device from QNAP to my home network and I'm having problems accessing it.

 

I have several devices and PC's attached to my home network, but for now let just consider my laptop since everything else is off.

 

Here are a few configuration details:

 

- Laptop is running Windows XP SP2 with the latest patches installed

- Windows Firewall is OFF

- I have a Linksys wireless router Model #WRT-54GX ver2. This has a SPI Firewall which is enabled.

- My new QNAP NAS is Model #TS-459 Pro II

- The laptop and NAS are hard wired to the router via CAT5e cables and obtain an IP Address via DHCP from the router.

- I have configured the Trust Control within Norton to allow access between other devices attached to my network to my laptop, which is running Norton. Everything has been fine. I've been able to share data between devices on my network and my laptop.

 

Ok, here the problem I encountered today. I connected my new NAS to my router and then launched Norton. I noticed that Norton recognized it in Trust Control as a new device an automatically applied the default trust setting of Restricted to it. I modified this setting to Trusted as I have done to other devices that I have added in the past. I tested the new trust by successfully pinging the device. Everything seemed golden, but when I attempted to run the NAS Finder application supplied by QNAP, the utility returns an error stating that it cannot detect the NAS device on my network. I rebooted my laptop and NAS drive, but I received the same results when executing the QNAP Finder utility. I knew that this must be a firewall issue as about 99% of these issues usually are so I turned off the Smart Firewall on Norton for a moment, and sure enough, the QNAP utility found the NAS drive.

 

I made sure that the QNAP Finder utility was not blocked in the Program Control option in Norton. It was set to Auto and I changed it to Allow. I saved the settings and it didn't work. Same issue. I rebooted the laptop and NAS again and same thing. No access. I can still ping the NAS, but the QNAP utility cannot detect the NAS on the network.

 

Right now, I have the Norton Smart Firewall turned off and I turned on the Windows Firewall so I have some additional protection to supplement the SPI firewall on my router.

 

I really don't know what to do at this point. Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks