Firewall Network Settings

 

Firewall is another major component of Antivirus protection offered alongside the Active Protection Shields.

Firewall monitors all network traffic between devices and the outside world to protect you from unauthorized communication and intrusions. The two profiles you can assign to defined networks are:

• Trusted (Private) — Provides a lower level of security (your device will be visible to other devices on that network)
• Untrusted (Public) — Provides a higher level of security (your device will be hidden from other devices on that network)

We recommend you apply the Untrusted profile to all networks that are not your private network, such as when you connect to the Internet in a café or at an airport. Network profiles are one of the rule matching attributes, meaning rules for trusted profiles are not active when connected to a network classified as untrusted and vice versa. Rules can be set to apply to either one profile or both.

Defining Networks

Any networks your device connects to that have specific profiles assigned will be listed in the Networks list in the UI. To assign a profile to a network or change an existing one:

1. From the UI's home screen go to Protection > Firewall > Networks
2. Click the Show Settings button next to the network you want to manage
3. Indicate whether the network should be considered private or public by choosing either I trust this network or I don't trust this network.

Advanced Settings

Navigate to Menu > Settings > Protection > Firewall to access these settings.

Allow Internet Connection Sharing mode — This option will allow a trusted user to connect to the internet through your PC and/or connect to devices connected to the internet via your PC. This opens additional ports, which could be a security concern.

How should Firewall treat new apps? — Choose what Firewall does when new apps connect to the Internet from your device. Click the down arrow next to Smart Mode to choose between the following:

• Smart Mode: Let Avast decide whether to allow or block internet connections for new apps based on their trustworthiness
• Block: Avast will block all internet connections for new apps
• Allow: Avast will allow all internet connections for new apps
• Ask: Avast will ask you whether to allow or block internet connections for new apps as they occur

Other advanced settings can be accessed via the geek:area search. For more information, see Advanced Firewall Features.