Firewall-Datenverkehrsregeln

[Mike_01]

Hallo zusammen

Meine eigenen erstellten Datenverkehrsregeln verschwinden aus der Liste der Norton-Firewall.

Wie kann ich diese dauerhaft speichern?

Besten Dank im voraus für die Hilfe

Mike

[bjm]

@Mike_01

My own custom traffic rules disappear from the Norton firewall list.
How can I save these permanently?

Hello @Mike_01

When you say “custom traffic rules,” do you mean rules under Smart Firewall → Traffic Rules, or Program Control rules (Allow/Block)? If it’s Program Control, are you using Smart Mode or Ask?

When you say “custom traffic rules,” do you mean rules under Traffic Rules specifically, or are you also referring to rules under Program Control?

When do the “custom traffic rules” disappear?
Create rule → Save → rule visible → reboot? → LiveUpdate? → Norton update? → rule gone.

If the rule survives reboots but disappears after a particular Norton update, that’s useful evidence. If it disappears simply after restarting Norton/Windows, that’s a different problem.

Norton says Traffic Rules have a priority/order, and the documentation specifically provides Change Rule Order by dragging a rule up or down. So a newly created rule may not necessarily be at the highest priority.

But there’s an important distinction:

• Rule is still in the list, but doesn’t appear to work → priority/order is a strong suspect.
• Rule literally disappears from the list → moving it to the top would not explain that.

Please check whether the new rule is simply being placed lower in the Traffic Rules list. If it is, drag it upward and see whether that changes behavior.

Norton clearly uses application reputation in Automatic Program Control, but the public documentation doesn’t tell us exactly how Norton associates a particular executable with that reputation or with an existing Program Control entry. An application update therefore shouldn’t automatically be assumed to invalidate an existing custom Allow/Block rule.

Smart Firewall does not have a separate permanent-save or Export/Import function for Smart Firewall Traffic Rules. When you create or edit a custom Traffic Rule, click Save; that’s the documented way to retain the rule. Norton does allow you to reorder the rules, and Traffic Rules are processed from top to bottom, with higher rules taking precedence.

User configuration establishes preferences/rules; Smart Firewall retains those settings, but the Norton engine remains the ultimate decision-maker about how traffic is classified and handled.

Norton retains the ability to dynamically classify and manage network connections. User-configured exceptions and rules are persistent settings, but they operate within Smart Firewall’s overall decision-making system.

You can save the rules, but there is no Export/Import mechanism that lets you independently preserve the Smart Firewall configuration outside Norton. And saving a rule doesn’t mean the entire Smart Firewall decision process becomes static.

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fwiw ~ as per AI

The short answer is: You cannot permanently save custom rules within Norton.

Norton 360’s Smart Firewall is built for consumer automation and casual users who want a “set-it-and-forget-it” system. It lacks an “Export/Import” feature for firewall configurations. Because Norton’s daily LiveUpdates bundle threat definitions together with application patches, the software frequently rewrites its core database files in the background. When an update includes a patch to the firewall engine, it treats the old file as disposable, replaces it with a fresh, factory-clean template, and completely flushes your manual entries.

Understanding why Norton’s built-in options fail to preserve your rules explains why a permanent software workaround doesn’t exist inside the app:

• Whether you configured Traffic Rules or Program Rules, both share the same fate: In Norton, Traffic Rules handle specific network ports/IPs, while Program Rules control specific software applications. However, Norton saves both types of custom settings inside the exact same local configuration database file. Because they share the same backend file, a bundled LiveUpdate patch or engine reset will completely flush the entire file, wiping out your custom port maps and your application permissions simultaneously.
• Why “Ask Mode” (Allow/Block prompts) Fails: Changing your setting to “Ask Mode” is only a temporary session handler for unknown traffic. It forces a pop-up alert when a new app pings the network, but writes your decision to that same temporary database file. The moment a unified LiveUpdate runs, that file is replaced, wiping out your custom permissions regardless of the mode and causing massive prompt fatigue for nothing.
• Why Application Auto-Updates Wipe Program Rules: If the rules you are losing are specifically for applications (like Discord, Steam, or Google Chrome), they can also disappear during normal daily use without a Norton update. When a modern application auto-updates itself in the background, its executable path or digital signature changes. Norton’s automated engine views this as a completely brand-new program, drops your custom rules, and reverts the app back to factory defaults.

If you need your traffic or program rules to be permanent, you have two real choices:

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Option 1: The Manual Workaround (High-Maintenance)
If you absolutely must use Norton’s firewall, you have to accept its architectural limitations and manage it manually:

1. Document Your Rules: Manually write down your custom ports, IPs, and protocols in a local Notepad text file on your desktop.
2. Be Ready to Re-create Them: Open that text file and manually type your custom rules back into the Norton menu every time a background update silently deletes them.

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Option 2: The Permanent Power-User Fix
If you require complex network or program rules that absolutely cannot disappear, you must offload the firewall duties to Windows while keeping Norton’s antivirus scanning active. Windows Firewall fully supports rule persistence and never wipes your rules during updates.

1. Turn Off Norton’s Firewall: Open Norton 360 > Settings > Firewall. Toggle the Smart Firewall to Off and select the duration as Permanently (this strictly means it won’t automatically turn itself back on).
2. Let Windows Take Over: The built-in Windows Defender Firewall will instantly take over network protection. Your Norton Antivirus, malware scanning, and live protection will stay fully active in the background.
3. Build Your Permanent Rules: Open Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security, click on Inbound Rules or Outbound Rules, and choose New Rule.

• If you are mapping ports, select Port and enter your configurations.
• If you are mapping applications, select Program and browse to the software’s file path.
  These rules will remain locked in indefinitely regardless of future updates.

Note on the Dashboard Warning: Once you turn off the Smart Firewall, Norton will show a yellow “Not fully protected” alert on its dashboard and place a red X on its system tray icon. You cannot clear this warning. Norton is programmed to look only at its own internal toggle switch and is completely blind to Windows Defender Firewall being active. You must accept that the Norton icon will remain red, but you can verify your true network security status directly within the Windows Security app.

AI sourced content may make mistakes
Caveat: I do not run custom program nor traffic rules

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Important:

We recommend you modify your firewall rules only if absolutely necessary. In most cases, Smart Firewall formulates optimal rules without your input.
Do not modify or remove firewall rules unless you are an advanced user. Removing a firewall rule can affect firewall functionality and reduce your computer’s security.

https://support.norton.com/sp/en/us/norton-360-deluxe/current/solutions/v20240108181338560

[bjm]

@Mike_01

My own custom traffic rules disappear from the Norton firewall list.
How can I save these permanently?

Hello @Mike_01
And you’re logged into Windows with an Administrator account when you create the Traffic Rule?

There isn’t a separate option to make a custom Traffic Rule “permanent.” After creating the rule, use Save; that saves it to the Smart Firewall configuration. Norton does not provide an Export/Import function for these rules.

If the rule later disappears from the list, could you tell us when that happens—for example, immediately after saving, after restarting the computer, or after a Norton update?
When you say custom traffic rules, do you mean the rules under Traffic Rules? And when you click Save, do they disappear immediately, or only later?

Click Save when you create the rule. Norton doesn’t provide a separate “permanent” save or Export/Import function for Smart Firewall rules. If the saved rule later disappears, that’s a different issue—I’d want to know when and how it disappears.

Are you referring specifically to Traffic Rules, or Program Control? And does the rule actually disappear from the list, or does it remain but stop working?

There isn’t a separate permanent-save mechanism. A custom Traffic Rule is created with Create new rule and committed with Save. If the rule subsequently disappears from the Traffic Rules list, the interesting question is what event causes it to disappear.

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Saved and persistent within the current Smart Firewall configuration — but not an immutable contract that overrides every other part of Norton’s firewall architecture or survives every configuration change.

That’s a sensible interpretation of Create new rule → Save.

And back to the OP’s question:

“How do I make this rule permanent?”

I’d say there is no additional “make permanent” operation. Save is the operation. What Norton does later with that configuration under updates, resets, migrations, changing network conditions, etc. is a separate question.

So yes: persistent ≠ permanent in stone. That’s probably the cleanest way to reconcile everything we’ve been discussing.

AI sourced content may make mistakes
Caveat: I do not run custom program nor traffic rules

[SoulAsylum]

Just chiming in due to having the same issue myself. And the question remains unanswered. WHY, does every update pushed to our Norton installs, overwrite specific rules we created? Its lazy coding. That shouldn’t happen. So our custom rules just revert back to the standard OOTB settings from the installer? I’d think that shouldn’t be the case. The issue isn’t why we cannot permanently save those settings its that we should have them remain regardless. Not one bit consumer friendly.

SA

[bjm]

@Mike_01

My own custom traffic rules disappear from the Norton firewall list.
How can I save these permanently?

@SoulAsylum

WHY, does every update pushed to our Norton installs, overwrite specific rules we created?

Hello @Mike_01 , @SoulAsylum
fwiw ~ I questioned Norton Chat support:
“I’m trying to determine whether AI is correct”

as per AI:

As far as documented user experiences and historical behavior show, custom-created firewall rules in Norton 360 do not consistently survive major product updates. When Norton pushes a core application or version upgrade via LiveUpdate, the process completely resets the firewall configuration back to the default out-of-the-box state, wiping out any customized settings you manually put in place.

The reality of using Norton 360 is that any custom firewall rules you build are temporary and will eventually be erased by the software’s automated update stream.

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fwiw ~ as per Norton Chat support:

I can completely understand your concern, however, I have confirmed with our team and this is not an expected behavior, so I would like to thank you for sharing this with us, I will make sure to highlight the issue with the dedicated team.

They are supposed to remain the same, however as we mentioned this seems to be an unusual issue, so we need to check for the root cause and if we are not able to get that resolved, I will transfer your session to our level 2 technical support team.

They will be addressing your concern and make sure to get this resolved immediately.

I completely respect your privacy and concern, however we will need to connect over a remote session in order to get you connected with the level 2 technical support team and get this issue addressed quickly.

AI sourced content may make mistakes
Caveat: I do not run custom firewall rules

[bjm]

Hello @Mike_01 , @SoulAsylum
Care to share your progress

[bjm]

Hello @Mike_01 , @SoulAsylum
Care to share your progress