Is there way to temporary close internet connection?

Norton Security | Norton Internet Security
1

For the past several years I have been using Zone Alarm.  This year I'm back to Norton.  Zone Alarm had a feature were you could close off the internet.  Say for example you are going to take a 45 minute break from the computer and don't want to shut the computer off and don't want to necessarily disconnect the network cable.  You could right click the Zone Alarm icon in the task tray and select an option and the internet would be 100% blocked.  Is that an available on NIS 2009?

 

Thank you.

 

Have a Great Day,

JIm

2

Since the latest version, you can right click on the icon in the task bar and the option is available there.  I run as administrator, so I don’t know if the option is hidden for other users.

3

delphinium,

 

I don't see that option, even when logged into my administrator account with NIS 2009 16.5.

4

Oops, sorry!  Note to self:  Must clean glasses!  I was reading internet and thinking firewall.  Duh

5

I am baffled because I don't have the options that the previous two replies have referred to. I do run as administrator on this computer.

 

When I am at the Norton Main Screen and click on Smart Firewall, I get another window that is titled "Security Request"  further down it says protection alert, "Turning off this feature reduces your system protection."  Then it has options for "Select Duration."  That is the only advanced configuration that I can see.

 

Regarding the right click of the Norton icon in the system tray.  Well to reiterate I do run as administrator on this computer.  When I right click on the icon I get the following options: 1) Open Norton Internet Security; 2) Disable Anti Virus Auto Protect; 3) View Recent History; 4) Turn on Silent Mode. 

 

If you have the opportunity and inclination I would appreciate detailed instructions on how to get to locking down the computer so that the internet has no access to the computer at all and vice versa.  

 

Thank you.

 

Have a Great Day,

Jim

6

Yumpin_Yimminie,

 

Sorry. Let me clarify:  In the main Norton window, in the Internet section, click on "Settings."  In the screen that comes up, under the Smart Firewall category you'll see Advanced Settings.  Click on "Configure" and one of the options presented will be to block all traffic.

 

That other button on the main window,as you discovered, turns off the firewall...don't wanna do that.

Message Edited by SendOfJive on 04-11-2009 09:48 PM
7

Sorry Yumpin:

 

In the main screen go to Internet panel>settings.  Under the firewall panel find advanced settings and to the right is "configure".

Click on that.  Towards the top you will find "block all network traffic.

8

SendOfJive Followed your instruction of from the main Norton window, in the Internet section, I clicked on “Settings.”  A new screen came up.  But there is no :Smart Firewall category.  Instead I have the following:

Anti Spam
     Client Integration
     Autoblock
     Allowed List
     Blocked List
     Address Book Exclusions
     My Addresses
     Custom Spam Rules
BrowserProtection
Email Scan
Instant Messenger Scan
Intrusion Prevention
     Intrusion Exclusions
     Intrusion AutoBlock
     Notification Alerts

Maybe there are a couple of different versions of NIS 2009 out there.

I appreciate your attempts at trying to assist.

Have a Great Day,
Jim

9

Yumpin_Yimminie,

 

Almost there.  When you are in the Internet Settings screen, you'll need to scroll down to see the Smart Firewall entry.  There is a scroll bar on the right hand side of the window but it is easy to miss.  

 

10

SendofJive I've got it!!!  Thanks so much for your patience.  You are right it does take some work to get to it.  Maybe Norton will consider a right click option on the icon in the task bar. 

 

Anyhow.  Thank you very much!

 

Have a Great Day,

Jim

11

delphinium thank you.  It was a case of not seeing the Smart Firewall on the Internet Setting screen. 

 

Have a Great Day,

Jim

12

Yumpin_Yimminie,

 

You're welcome.  Glad we were able to finally navigate the GUI successfully.  If nothing else I think we've made a good case for the right click option here.

13

When this has come up before Symantec have argued that it should not be too easy to access since in earlier versions when it was they had an appreciable number of complaints "My computer can't access the internet what have you done to me" when the answer was "you clicked on the block button" ....

14

For the past several years I have been using Zone Alarm.  This year I'm back to Norton.  Zone Alarm had a feature were you could close off the internet.  Say for example you are going to take a 45 minute break from the computer and don't want to shut the computer off and don't want to necessarily disconnect the network cable.  You could right click the Zone Alarm icon in the task tray and select an option and the internet would be 100% blocked.  Is that an available on NIS 2009?

 

Thank you.

 

Have a Great Day,

JIm

15

Hi -

 

I believe that the ability to "Block All Traffic" is going to be more visible in the next release. See LanaK post here:

 

http://community.norton.com/norton/board/message?board.id=nis_feedback&thread.id=38797

 

:smileyhappy:

 

16

Yes ... moving this option to a quick link either on the Main screen or a right click on the ICON in the toobar would be a good upgrade !!!

When I am away from my computer for extended lenghts of time I usually  shutoff my DSL modem, having this option quickly available would solve this problem.

 

Tnxs ,  

LEs

17

A previous message from Compumind said:

 

Hi -

 

I believe that the ability to "Block All Traffic" is going to be more visible in the next release. See LanaK post here:

 

http://community.norton.com/norton/board/message?board.id=nis_feedback&thread.id=38797

 

:smileyhappy:

 

 

I went and looked at the link and then followed the profile for Lana K and saw that she hadn't posted since January.  So she may no longer be with Norton/Symantec.  I think (probably along with a bunch of other folks) that this is a fairly substantial feature and a great protective device.  In addition I don't think it is a good idea for Norton to wait until the next release to implement it.  I would hope Norton does updates to the software as an ongoing process.  Since the feature is already available, albeit in a multi-step process to get to, it seems that they could run a short cut from the task tray icon to implement it with a right click .... (although hopefully they would also implement a change in the appearance of the task tray icon similar to what Zone Alarm does when blocking the internet.  Kapersky doesn't change the icon and that find it necessary to repeatedly check.  I'm really disappointed that NIS 2009 doesn't have this feature built in at the task bar level.  

 

Have a Great Day,

Jim

 

Message Edited by Yumpin_Yimminie on 04-12-2009 04:53 PM
18

Hi Yumpin_Yimminie -

 

How do you really know that Lana_K is no longer with Symantec?

 

The thread appears to be open just for taking input.

 

I would like to think that *someone* would be seriously reading these suggestions.

 

You might also wish to post your comment in that thread.

 

In any case, please don't wait around for a reply, let's hope for it in the next release.

 

Keep in mind that "embellishments" come after actual program fixes/patches.

 

:smileyhappy:

 

 

19

Point well taken I did post the following message to the thread started by LanaK.

 

One of the greatest safeguards for a computer is the ability to block internet access.  Norton Internet Security 2009 has this capability but it is a 12 step process as follows:  

 

1) right click Norton Icon in system tray.

2) select "Open Norton Internet Security."

3) click on Internet - "Settings"

4) scroll down to Smart Firewall "Advanced Settings"

5) click on "Configure"

6) click on switch "Block All Network Traffic"

7) click "OK"

8) make decision on "Select the Duration"

9) select the duration

10) Click "OK"

11) Close or minimize the settings screen

12) close or minimize the Norton Internet Security Screen

 

Then to unblock the Internet connection.  It is an eight step process

1)  Right click Norton Icon in system tray

2)  select "Open Norton Internet Security"

3) click on Internet - "Settings"

4) scroll down to Smart Firewall "Advanced Settings"

5) Click on switch "Block All Network Traffic." so that it is now off

6) Click "OK"

7) Click "OK" or minimize Settings screen

8) Minimize or close Norton Internet Security Screen

 

Both Zone Alarm and Kaspersky offer features for blocking all internet traffic.  They are the same process.  I will elaborate their's 

 

1) right click icon in system tray

2) select wording for blocking internet

3) click on selection.

 

Internet is locked

 

For unblocking internet in Zone Alarm and Kaspersky.  Once again same process.  

 

1) right click icon in system tray 

2) select working for unblocking internet

3) click on selection.

 

Zone alarm has one other feature that is very nice.  When the internet connection is blocked the icon in the task tray changes which indicates the internet is blocked.

 

 A couple of additional thoughts.  You have designed into the features of the right click of the icon the ability to disable the Smart Firewall.  In all honesty I think it would be a lot wiser the ability to completely block the internet.  

 

Second of all and Kaspersky does this as well as Norton.  There is the feature to disable the firewall on a right click.  I spend a lot .... a lot of time on the internet over the years.  In all of that time I have probably only disabled the firewall maybe 4 or 5 times in all that time and just for like a minute or two at most.  

 

When I was test driving Kaspersky and saw that feature was so easy to hit on the right click, it proved anxiety provoking.  To easy to click in error. 

 

I hope you will give serious thought to make this not just a new feature of the next release of Norton Internet Security but actually update the current edition.

 

Little bit of a run on here.  The block internet feature is already in the program.  I haven't programmed for a lot of years but it seems like it would be fairly easy to make the feature accesible to the icon in the task bar tray.

 

Have a Great Day,

Jim

 

 

 

20

Hi Yumpin_Yimminie -

 

Please do not misunderstand, I totally agree with what you are saying.

 

However, what may be a priority to you might not be to someone else.

 

I am going to send you a PM regarding this.

 

Kindly look at the top right of this thread.

 

TIA :smileyhappy: