I use a laptop to monitor my solar array and inverter, I made my own PHP, SQL, HTML etc webiste that outputs a HTML5 Canvas so I can view the output of my solar.
When I was running Bullguard before the auto update to Norton I never had issue for years, but on the day that Norton took over I can no longer access my own web server from that laptop. Endless searching and trying all the suggestions and I can not get it working while Norton firewall is enabled. If I disable the firewall it works. It's one of the hardest to understand firewall programs I used and I can not figure out how to allow port 80 to be accessed, or how to allow IIS past the firewall.
I Really need help here as my only solution is no firewall with norton running.
I can not do secure http, I dont know how to make a certificate for https. But opening port 80 has worked, I rebooted that laptop several times and soon as it's back up the webpage is available. Even my ISP that gives me a small 30mb of space for a simple website only uses port 80.
I do have Stealth enabled, and everything else norton has on by default, all I needed to do was make that rule for port 80 and move it to the top of the rule list.
Please keep us posted. One thought of measure as professional feedback. Leaving port 80 not stealthed is an issue. Port 80 is not the preferred secure HTTP method and is often used by port scanners. There isn't a way to force a scanner to receive the "host unreachable" message display when/if your network were to be scanned. Therefore a simple ping or traceroute would provide the scanner with, there is definitely a reachable host there. Using port 443 would be far more secure if possible.
I believe I have it working now. I have been at this for many days and so far (touch wood) what I have done is working, not sure though about the safty aspect of changing the firewall this way, but I can now see my webpage from my local computers and my mobile phone. Maybe some Norton tech/dev and add a comment about the safety side of what I have done to get it working.
These are the steps i done
1. Open Norton in Classic View
2. Click on Settings
3. Click on Firewall
4. Click on Traffic Rules
5. Click on ADD
6. Select ALLOW then next
7. Select Connections TO AND FROM then next
8. Select ANY COMPUTER then next
9. Select TCP from the pulldown menu
9A: Select "The rule will apply only if it matches all of the ports listed below"
9B: Click ADD
9C: select LOCAL
9D: select Port 80
10. I enabled Logging, and for my Router I selected ON for the NAT traversal
11. Then gave it a name
12. Saved it and used the MOVE UP button to push it to the top so it was the First rule.
Leaving the Automatic Program COntrol off for a long period I get a lot of popups what wants to access the internet, everything so far has a suggestion to Allow, I guess it's been about 30 minutes now and no more popus, but still nothing to allow IIS to work. I Stopped and Started the web server, I disabled and re-enabled the "Smart" firewall.
While it is still not allowing access to the webpage from my webserver I have learned a little more how this works.
Sorry, Automatic Program control is under Advance Program Control. So there is three "Program Control" options. I see why this is difficult for a noob like me, it is poorly layed out.
I have turned it off, then back on. I will wait and see how long this takes to work
My firewall page does not have an "Automatic Program Control" it does have "Program Control" but there is no button to turn it off, there is listed many programs, but not IIS or its components.
No it does not help. The IIS Service is not easy to find, I can not find the DLL or the EXE in the file list when attempting to look for it. I just want a simple option to open port 80. Not being difficult but Bullguard was so much easier to control. If Norton firewall was easy I would not be here with the issues I have. I will see if we can work this out before my subscription expires. My other option is some other program to run the firewall.