Smart Firewall's Network Trust list does not work correctly on WiFi-connected PC

Archive
1

I've had this ongoing problem with two of my PCs, a laptop and a desktop, both of which connect to my router via WiFi. About once a month, other computers on my router's local network are suddenly unable to connect (via network shares or via `ping`) to one of the WiFi-connected PCs. Up until today, I've been able to get sharing working again by following these steps (BIGBYTE is my router/LAN):

1) Settings > Firewall > scroll down to Network Settings > Network Trust, temporarily change the trust level of the BIGBYTE _network_ (at 192.168.0.1) to “Full Trust”, and if all connections are working again, set it back to “Private”! (IF N/G, continue...)

2) If the Network Trust list was inexplicably EMPTY, go back to Device Trust and add BIGBYTE as 192.168.0.1 with "Full Trust". Now it should show up in Network Trust, and I should be able to remove it from Device Trust without impacting my network access (and REBOOT?). (IF N/G, continue...)

3) If the Network Trust list is EMPTY again, but BIGBYTE is still in Device Trust (and obviously not being honored suddenly!), remove it; then it will magically reappear in the Network Trust list! *** MIGHT HAVE TO REBOOT AFTER EITHER OF THE ABOVE! *** (IF N/G, continue...)

Today, suddenly the above steps did NOT fix the problem. I ended up having to do the following to get sharing working again:

4) I added every other computer on my local network (there are FIVE), to the Trusted Devices list!

I think you'll agree with me that I should NOT have to do #4, that having my BIGBYTE network in the Network Trust list as "Private" should be sufficient.

I never have these issues on the computers on my network that are connected via ETHERNET. Why is Norton 360 giving me such a hard time with the ones that are connected via WI-FI?

Norton 360, version 22.23.1.21
Windows 10 Pro, version 22H2

2

I've been dealing with this problem for so long, and until yesterday I'd found a solution each time, only to find that the next time, that solution didn't work. But your comment about Network Trust got me thinking: if the network name appears there automatically, then why did it occasionally disappear (see #2 above)? Must be because the network wasn't visible at the time – maybe the WiFi adapter had been powered down or asleep during the night, and Smart Firewall thinks that is still the case? (in spite of the fact that I do have internet access and can connect to my other PCs, but they just can't connect to me...)

So I removed everything from the Device Trust list, disconnected from WiFi, and confirmed that now there's nothing in Network Trust. I reconnected to WiFi, and confirmed that the network name has reappeared in Network Trust. And now file sharing is working as it should! Apparently this is a WiFi adapter issue (on two different PCs), but it is strange that I still have full internet access and outgoing file sharing, at a time when Smart Firewall doesn't "see" the network – that seems to corroborate my statement that Smart Firewall's Network Trust list does not always work correctly on WiFi-connected PC.

Anyway my new solution, when this happens again, is to disconnect from WiFi and then reconnect. P.S. I set the Network Trust level to "Private", not "Full Trust".

3

P.S. setting the Network Trust level to Full Trust doesn't work either.

4

Okay, I misspoke. BIGBYTE is actually the name of my private network, not my router. So, it appears in Network Trust automatically, and it's set to Private. Why then do I have to add every single other device that needs to connect to this one, to the Device Trust list?

5

Yes, well it usually just appears in Network Trust, and I can't remove it. See attached photo. And with only this setting, my other computers cannot connect to this one.

 

6
twolocs:

the router is in the Trusted Network.

I am not understanding your description, here.  The router as a device should not appear anywhere in Norton. It should not be listed anywhere or manually entered anywhere.

7

Right, that's what I've always done. The problem is, suddenly it stops working, even though the router is in the Trusted Network.

8

I am not quite following...  You shouldn't have to add the router to the trusted devices, since you can always connect to the router.  If you need all devices on the network to be able to communicate with each other, just set the Network Trust Level to Full Trust and leave it at that.