How to block a program's access to the Internet correctly? How to block a program's access to the Internet How to block a file in the Windows 10 firewall.

16.07.2023

Question from one of the users...

Please tell me. I installed one game and it constantly requires updating. Is it possible to deny her access to the Internet so that she does not ask for updates? My OS is Windows 10, the Internet is connected via a Wi-Fi router.

I tried to install the NOD antivirus to block the Internet in it - but when I did this, the computer began to slow down terribly, and access to the Internet was blocked for all programs at once. Is it possible to restrict Internet access to just one specific program?

Good day!

Indeed, in many cases it may be necessary to block access to a particular application to the Internet. For example, in addition to the question asked about the game, those whose Internet traffic is strictly limited may also need to deny access - there is no point in wasting it on unnecessary updates.

In this article I will look at a simple and quick way to deny a program access to the Internet in a standard Windows firewall. (a firewall is a special program that monitors outgoing and incoming traffic, all applications accessing the network) . Those. you don't need to install anything additional!

To help!

Creating a rule to deny access to the Internet

First you need to open the firewall settings. The easiest and fastest way to do this is to call up the menu "Run"(buttons WIN+R) and enter the command firewall.cpl, press Enter(example in the screenshot below).

Note! For a complete list of applications and settings you can perform via WIN+R, see the following article:

Once the firewall settings are open - there is one here important point! Many users have their firewall disabled because they have (or have had) antivirus software installed on their system. (note: many antiviruses now have built-in firewalls) .

So, the point is that the antivirus, when installed, disables the one built into Windows firewall .

If your firewall is turned off, you need to turn it on (or use the firewall that is built into your antivirus software). I will consider, of course, the most standard option when your firewall is enabled (there are green checkmarks on it, as in the screenshot below - see private networks, guest or public networks) .

In the firewall settings need to open the link "Extra options" (located on the left, at the bottom of the window).

Afterwards, in the window that appears, set the slider to position "For the program", click next.

Below I have a large screenshot with a sequence of actions - all actions are configuration steps that will appear as you press the button Further:

first you need to select the specific program that you want to deny access to the Internet (can be found through the button review). See arrow-1. I chose the Firefox browser for the test;
then set the slider to position "Block connection" ;
then check the boxes next to all the items: domain, private, public;
and one last thing: ask name and description(you can write whatever you want, as long as it’s clear to you).

Actually, after this you will see your blocking rule (arrow 1 in the screenshot below). It can be disabled/enabled, deleted, changed, etc.

In general, after launching the browser and trying to enter some page, as expected, an error was shown "The connection attempt failed" . If you disable the created rule, the browser will work normally.

That's all, actually. This is how you can disable and block network access to any application in Windows in a few steps. The firewall in Windows, of course, is far from the best - but it is provided with the entire set of minimal functions! For those who don't have enough features, I recommend trying Outpost Firewall...

Good luck!

On all computers with the Windows operating system, a special defender - a firewall - is installed and enabled by default. Its main task is to limit Internet access to suspicious applications and services. That is, if the firewall considers that any action of a program or service may lead to malware being downloaded to the computer, which will harm the system, it will automatically disable Internet access to the suspected application.

Is it necessary to turn on the firewall?

The firewall is enabled by default, but you can disable it at any time. But you shouldn’t do this just like that, since the computer’s protection will noticeably decrease, and the chance that a virus will get onto the computer will increase. Therefore, it is better not to disable the firewall unless it begins to work incorrectly, and this can be expressed in the following: the firewall will begin to block Internet access to applications that do not deserve it, mistakenly considering them dangerous.

This can happen due to a conflict between the built-in and third-party firewall installed with the antivirus, and also because the blocked program is unofficial, that is, it is a pirated copy. But this problem can also be solved without disabling the firewall, but simply by adding the blocked application to the exclusion list; how to do this will be described below in the article.

Is the built-in Windows application reliable?

The official Microsoft firewall is designed to provide minimal system protection. Of course, since Microsoft specializes in more than just security, third-party firewalls will do the job a little better. But if there are no other firewalls installed on your computer, then you should not disable the official one. Which firewalls are best to use to fully protect the system will be discussed in one of the following paragraphs of the article.

Setting up a firewall in Windows 10

If you decide to use the standard Windows Firewall, then it is worth knowing what settings you can change and how you can do this. But first, let's figure out how to enable and disable the firewall.

Activation and deactivation

How to open a port

If you use a router and connect it to your computer with a LAN cable, you may encounter the problem that the Internet will not be transmitted over the cable. This happens because the port to which the router is connected is blocked by the Windows Firewall. To get rid of this error, you need to unblock the required port:

Using the Windows search bar, open your computer's Control Panel.
Go to the System and Security section.
Open the Windows Firewall tab.
Open advanced firewall management options.
In the list on the left side of the window that opens, select “Rules for incoming connections.”
Let's start creating a new rule.
Select the rule type “For port” and move on.
Select the protocol type. You can find it in the router settings, on its box and the official website.
Select the “All local ports” option to open all ports at once, or select only one and enter its number.
Now you need to select an action for the ports. Check the “Allow connection” option and move on to the next step.
At this step, you need to select the profiles for which this resolution will be performed.
All that remains is to name the rule you created and enter its description, but this is not necessary. This needs to be done so that in the future it is easy to find this rule and change it if necessary.
Now, in the left part of the window, select the “Rules for outgoing connection” item, and then perform the above steps 6–12.

Add to exclusion list

If your firewall mistakenly blocks applications that you know won't harm your computer, you should add them to the exceptions list. Applications on the exclusion list are not affected by the firewall.

Launch Control Panel.
In the general list of settings, select the “Firewall” section.
Click on the “Allow interaction with the application...” button located on the left side of the window.
Click the "Change Settings" button to confirm that you have administrator rights.
Find in the general list an application whose Internet access was mistakenly restricted. Mark it with a checkmark. You can set separate parameters for private and public use of this application.
If the application you need is not in this list, click the “Allow another application” button and specify the path to the program that you want to add to the exceptions.

How to block an application's Internet access

In the previous paragraph, we discussed how to add an application to the exclusion list, but sometimes the opposite situation may arise when you need to block Internet access for a certain application without disconnecting from the network. You can do this as follows:

How to update

To ensure maximum protection for your computer, you must have the latest version of your firewall. But you won’t be able to update it separately from the operating system, since all the necessary innovations are automatically added to the firewall along with Windows updates. That is, you do not need to update the firewall manually.

Windows Firewall Control Overview

Firewall Control is a special third-party program from Microsoft that does not provide any additional features to protect your system, but allows you to make more detailed settings of the already installed Windows firewall.

You can download the program for Windows 10 from this site - https://www.comss.ru/page.php?id=765.
In the main menu of the program, you can choose one of four operating modes: with high filtering, all incoming and outgoing Internet connections will be blocked, even if they do not violate any rules; with medium filtering, which is recommended, only those outgoing connections will be blocked that violate the rules set by the firewall; with low filtering, outgoing connections that fall under one of the blocking conditions are blocked. The most recent "No Filtering" mode disables the firewall completely.
In the lower right corner of the program there are icons that give access to blocking and unlocking applications. For example, if you want to block Internet access for an application, then you can click on the folder icon with a cross and specify the path to the file that is responsible for launching the desired application.
In the “Manage Rules” section, you can view detailed information about all applications and services, find out which of them are blocked, and what type of connection is blocked for them: outgoing or incoming. In the same section, you can change the blocking settings for each application.
In the special block “Create a new rule” you can begin to create a new rule in detail, if necessary. For example, this may be useful for opening a port.
In the Notifications section, you can enable or disable the firewall's ability to send you service messages.

Some applications connect to the Internet and download updates or other additional products for themselves. This does not bother anyone as long as there are not many such programs.

If too many Internet resources are consumed, sites begin to load more slowly. And if traffic is limited, then this can be expensive. Therefore, it doesn’t hurt to find applications that use traffic and disable this feature for them.

In this article I will talk about how to disable Internet access for a program on Windows 10 using a firewall. A firewall is a tool built into the system. I'll also show you how to find out which programs are using the network.

How to find out which programs are connecting to the network

You can find out which programs are using the Internet on Windows 10 using the built-in tool - “Resource Monitor”. To launch it, click on the magnifying glass icon next to the “Start” button and enter your query in the search form.

When Resource Monitor opens, switch to the Network tab. Here you will see a list of all applications that are currently using network traffic.

Rate the list. If among them there are applications that, in your opinion, do not need Internet access, then they can be prohibited from using traffic. And below I will tell you how to disable Internet access for a program using Windows 10 firewall.

How to disable Internet access for a program

So, to solve this problem you will need a firewall. With its help, you can easily deny Internet access to any application. This is the simplest method that does not require installing additional applications.

Open Control Panel.

Open the "System and Security" section. The view must be switched to Categories mode.

Then open Windows Firewall.

If you see green shield icons, then the firewall is enabled. This means that everything is in order and you can move on.

If it is turned off, then you must first turn it on. Click on “Turn Windows Defender Firewall on or off.”

Enable all options and click OK.

When you are sure that the firewall is enabled, click on “Advanced options”.

To disable Internet access for a program on Windows 10 with a firewall, click on “Rules for incoming connections” on the left and “Create a rule” on the right.

Click "Browse" and select the application that you want to block from accessing the network.

Turn on "Block connection".

Write down the name of the created lock and click the “Done” button.

The Windows Firewall (aka firewall) is responsible for the security of the operating system and protects it from external malicious attacks. To effectively protect their computer, every user must know how to work with a firewall and what alternatives can be used.

Do you need a Windows 10 firewall?

Of course it is needed. Here's a simple example: in the latest versions of Windows (starting from 7), joint management of devices on the same local network has become available. It is thanks to this that in offices several computers can have access to the same printer or any other device. When you disconnect your PC from the network, you don’t even think about the dangers of an “unsafe disconnection.” The fact is that attackers can easily connect to a computer in order to realize their dirty intentions. It is worth mentioning that they cannot, but they could. They could if the firewall was not built into the system. The firewall does not allow “dangerous” incoming and outgoing traffic to pass through and blocks suspicious activity, which helps keep you and your device safe.

Why does it block apps?

The firewall blocks programs because it already has a built-in “moral code” - a set of rules, the violation of which prevents a data packet from being downloaded to the computer. These rules can be changed at your discretion. If you want, block all connections to your device; if you want, block access to the Internet for a specific program if it causes mistrust. Blocking various resources helps make your online experience safer.

How secure is the Windows 10 firewall?

The built-in firewall performs the same functions as downloadable antiviruses. Unlike them, it sends notifications much less frequently, has no advertising and does not require paid activation. The firewall runs continuously in the background and cannot be disabled without your command. Therefore, you can rely on it without the need for additional software. If an application needs access to certain parameters of your computer, a request will come from the firewall, which you will have to confirm.

The firewall requests user confirmation to continue running the program

How to set up a firewall

The firewall can be configured in several ways.

How to open a port in Windows 10 Firewall

Go to the Start menu, there we will need the Control Panel.
Open the Control Panel
Click on “System and Security” and click on “Firewall”.
Open Windows Firewall
In the firewall menu we find Advanced options.
Select Additional options
Select Rule for incoming connection and add the necessary ports.
Create a new rule for incoming connections
Click “Next” and enter SQL Server in the “Type” line.
Selecting the rule type
We indicate the TCP port and the ports we need.
We indicate the necessary information. In our case it will be port 433
Select the desired action. For us it will be “Allow connection”.
Select “Allow connection”
In the “Name” line, enter our port number.
To complete the setup, call our port by its number

Video: How to open ports in Windows 10 Firewall

How to add to firewall exceptions

Video: setting up and disabling the firewall in Windows 10

How to block an application/game in a firewall

To block an application in the Windows Firewall, or in other words, prevent it from accessing the Internet, you must follow these steps:

Select the “Advanced Settings” section in the firewall menu.
Click on “Outgoing Connection Rules” and click “Create Rule”
Create a new rule for the application
Next, select the rule type “For program”.
Since we need to exclude the program, we select the appropriate rule type
Next, the system prompts you to select the program path. Click the “Browse” button and find the desired program file.
Leave all the boxes in place
And at the end, we designate the name of the blocked program in a convenient way and click “Finish”. From this moment on, Internet access for the application will be blocked.

Video: blocking Internet access for individual programs

Firewall Update

Updating a firewall is a controversial and rather negative thing. The fact is that it does not carry any important functions, but it often takes a considerable amount of time. Therefore, some people prefer to disable firewall auto-update.

The Firewall control application is one of the auxiliary programs and is responsible for data security and protects against leakage of this data to the network. The program controls the operation of ports and allows you to choose under what conditions applications will connect to the network.

The program interface is simple and concise

Many software products require an Internet connection to operate. You don’t pay attention to this fact until the connection deteriorates - sites open slowly, everything slows down. And the applications themselves begin to update, download ads, etc. This can seriously complicate working on the computer. Therefore, it’s a good idea to know how to block a program from accessing the Internet.

The ability to deny access will remove many problems. Even if the software is not running, it may be listed in startup. Then you don’t know about its operation at all, but you are surprised at some sluggishness of your PC.

How to find out who is accessing the Internet

Let’s use the Windows system tool – “Resource Monitor”. The easiest way to find it is through search. Click on the magnifying glass and enter a name.

Click on the found application and a window will open in which you can monitor all the activity of your PC. Go to the “Network” tab.

Look carefully. Are you currently using Skype? No? Then it can be closed. This will save resources. You will also see other services that access the network without your knowledge.
Naturally, Skype should not be blocked from accessing the Internet. But it is quite possible to prohibit other programs. For example, unlicensed. This will prevent unnecessary downloads of updates.

How to block Internet access to a program

To do this, you need an application called a firewall or firewall. If you use such applications, configure them. If you have an antivirus that allows you to block it, you can specify it in its parameters. But the easiest way to deny access is to use the built-in Windows firewall. We'll tell you how to block a program's access to the Internet using Windows 10 as an example.

To launch the settings, you can use the search or the main context menu (right mouse button on the “Start” button). We need a control panel.

Switch to Categories view and select System and Security.

Here you will find what you are looking for. Open it up.

The green color of the shield means the firewall is enabled.

If you see red, turn on the service. To do this, click on the “Turn Windows Firewall on or off” option on the left and select “Enable.”

Attention! If you use another firewall, then it is better not to enable the built-in one, but to make all settings in a third-party one. Otherwise, conflicts may arise.

Here we need to set up rules.

To block a specific program from accessing the Internet in Windows 10 Firewall, you must set inbound and outbound rules.
Let's start with inbox. Click on “Rules for incoming connections”. On the right side of the window you will see “Create Rule”. Press.