Smart Firewall Program Control - manually create a rule from prompt / block a range
In older versions of Norton, there was always a way to manually configure a rule when firewall popup appeared if browser was trying to access an unknown IP address with no DNS name showing. Now there’s only Allow or Block but no configure.
I tried to set the Block rule but that does a universal Block on all traffic by the browser.
I did try and Block so that a custom block rule was created and then editing that rule with unique address but nowhere to specify a range. Strangely that rule was overwritten at another browser session?!
Hoping someone can explain how it can be done in newer versions of Norton.
Après une recherche sur la page officielle du support Norton (alimenté par l’IA) en anglais, vous trouverez ci-dessous la procédure à suivre :
Norton Smart Firewall allows you to manage network connections by creating specific rules, including blocking IP address ranges. This can be done by configuring traffic rules within the Smart Firewall settings. These rules define parameters such as the action to take (allow or block), the protocol, direction, and the specific IP addresses or ranges to which the rule applies.
Accessing Smart Firewall Settings
To begin, open your Norton device security product. On the left pane, click on “Security.” Then, navigate to “Advanced Security” and select “Network.” From there, choose “Smart Firewall” to access its configuration options. This section allows you to manage various firewall settings, including adding, modifying, or removing rules.
Creating a Traffic Rule to Block an IP Address Range
Within the Smart Firewall settings, you will need to create a new traffic rule. Traffic rules are defined by parameters such as Name, Profile (Public, Private, or All), Action (Allow or Block), Protocol, Direction (In, Out, or In/Out), and Address. For the “Address” parameter, you can specify a single IP address, multiple IP addresses separated by commas, or an IP address range by entering the lowest IP address followed by a dash and then the highest IP address. Ensure the “Action” is set to “Block” to prevent connections to or from the specified IP range.
Prioritizing the New Rule
After creating the new traffic rule to block the IP address range, it’s crucial to adjust its priority. Norton processes rules in the order they appear in the list. To ensure your blocking rule is effective, you must move it to a higher position in the “Program rules list” than any existing rules that might otherwise allow traffic to or from that IP range. This ensures that the blocking rule is processed first, preventing the specified connections.
Vous trouverez en complément également les propositions suivantes :
Norton Smart Firewall automatically manages program access to the internet, but you can manually create or modify rules for specific applications. This allows you to control whether a program can connect to the internet, block a range of connections, or define custom settings. While Norton recommends retaining automatic settings, advanced users can customize rules for more granular control over network access.
Understanding Smart Firewall Program Control
Norton Smart Firewall automatically configures internet access settings for programs the first time they run, creating a rule for each. You can view and modify these rules in the Program Control tab, which lists programs and their network access settings. If a program hasn’t yet attempted a connection, it won’t appear in Program Control, but you can add it manually to define its access.
Manually Creating a Program Rule
To manually create a new program rule, open your Norton product, navigate to Security > Advanced Security > Network > Smart Firewall, and then click the Program Control tab. From there, you can click “Add app rule” to define parameters such as the rule’s name, whether it’s enabled, the action Smart Firewall should take (e.g., Allow, Block, Ask), the protocol, direction (inbound/outbound), and network profile. After defining these parameters, click “Save” to confirm the new rule.
Blocking a Range of Connections
While the sources don’t explicitly detail blocking a “range” of connections in the context of a single program rule, you can achieve similar control by defining specific protocols and directions within a program rule. For example, you can block all outgoing connections for a specific program or block a particular protocol. For more advanced network-wide blocking, Traffic Rules can be used, which are processed before Program Rules and can block specific TCP/IP communications for all applications.
Where do I input the IP range?
To input an IP range for blocking within Norton Smart Firewall, you will need to create or modify a traffic rule. This process involves navigating to the Smart Firewall settings, defining the rule’s parameters, and specifically entering the desired IP range in the “Address” field. This allows you to precisely control network access for a specified set of IP addresses.
Accessing Smart Firewall Traffic Rules
First, open your Norton device security product. On the left-hand side, click on “Security.” Next, navigate to “Advanced Security” and then select “Network.” Within the Smart Firewall window, you will find options to manage traffic rules. This is where you can create new rules or modify existing ones to define how your firewall handles network traffic.
Specifying the IP Range in the “Address” Field
When creating or editing a traffic rule, you will encounter a parameter labeled “Address.” This is where you input the IP address range you wish to block. You can specify a single IP address, multiple IP addresses separated by commas, or an IP address range. To define a range, enter the lowest IP address, followed by a dash, and then the highest IP address in the range. For example, to block all IP addresses from 192.168.1.10 to 192.168.1.20, you would enter “192.168.1.10-192.168.1.20” in the “Address” field. If this field is left blank, the rule will apply to all IP addresses.
Configuring Other Rule Parameters and Prioritization
Beyond the IP range, ensure you set the “Action” parameter to “Block” for the rule to effectively prevent connections. You should also define other parameters such as “Name,” “Profile” (Public, Private, or All), “Protocol,” and “Direction” (In, Out, or In/Out) as needed for your specific blocking requirement. After creating the rule, it is crucial to adjust its priority by moving it before any existing rules that might otherwise allow the traffic you intend to block. This ensures that your blocking rule is processed first and takes precedence.
Thank you! Just noticed sadly that following an update to Norton the rules I had setup have disappeared so having to set the rules up again. Seems to be a bug if rules will be lost after every UI update…
@SevenOfNine What is the version of Norton you have installed and using? The latest is 26.6.11050 (build 26.6.11050.0) just announced this morning in the announcements area.
@SoulAsylum I just installed the new update 26.6.11050 (build 26.6.11050.0) on my HP Omen desktop and my wife’s HP laptop and noticed that after I restarted my computer I got a red dot on my Norton Icon. I looked in both computer settings and it said some of the core protections were not running. I opened my Norton but it said I was protected on the Home Page. I then did a repair on on both installations and restarted both computers and the red dot went away so I am figuring that what ever caused those cores not to function was solved doing trouble shooting and restarting the computers again. I saw that when I did the troubleshooting it reinstalled the update again. Do you have any ideas?
@Don54 I believe you may have gotten the latest version 26.6.11050 (build 26.6.11050.0). Installing it this morning there were red X’s on both the Norton and Defender system tray icons. They were related to the Crypto Wallet Protection setting being disabled by default. I just enabled it and the issue disappeard. Is this the issue you were seeing?
That’s exactly what happened in my case. However, I enabled the protection, and that ‘x’ disappeared.
Norton really ought to enable that by default, because users who aren’t very tech-savvy might think the product is buggy.
Indeed. Having never had a crypto wallet myself others may. Adding this function, for me personally, isn’t an issue.
Norton should ask for its setup via the setup process for NEW customers, those who are reinstalling their products. The issue has been brought to the attention of Norton in an earlier discussion this morning.
Thank you for your reply SoulAsylum. I did not see that as I started my troubleshooting routine by running Repair then Restarting the computers and the Red X’s went away and did not pursue it further as I figured what I did had fixed it. Upon reading your reply I went to Advanced Security and saw that the Crypto Wallet Protection is showing enabled and green so I guess what I did with Troubleshooting and Norton reinstalling 26.6.11050 (build 26.6.11050.0) and the restarting the computers re-enabled the Crypto Wallet Protection. I have to agree with @New_Style_xd that it should be enabled by default as this problem is the first time I have seen this happen. Thank you again for your help as always.
Je suis sincèrement désolée que vous soyez obligé de recréer vos règles après les mises à jour de version de Norton. J’espère que ce problème va être retenu par les équipes en charge du développement, afin de l’intégrer dans une future mise à jour.
Je vous prie de m’excuser pour ma réponse tardive : j’ai été retenu pour des raisons médicales.
The Red X issue in the Systray icon has been resolved with latest release of 26.6.11052 . Please run LiveUpdate and Restart the machine to check if it is resolved.
