blocking

NetSecWall for Android: what it does and how it works (beta) A free beta DNS firewall for Android 7.0 and newer. It blocks ad, tracker and malware domains on the phone itself, with no root and no account. It isn't on Google Play yet. 4 min read Blocklists, overrides and DNS settings on Android Turn lists on in the Blocklist tab and tap Update enabled to download them. Add overrides to always allow or block a domain, and set the resolver, DNS-over-HTTPS and block response in Settings. 3 min read Keep NetSecWall running 24/7: the background service and the tray The NetSecWall background service starts with Windows and keeps monitoring and enforcing blocks even when the window is closed or nobody is signed in. Without it, NetSecWall works while the app runs. 3 min read How to block a specific domain or website Add the domain to a content category that is set to Block: Protection ▸ Content categories…, select the category, type the domain and click Add. Its subdomains are blocked too. 3 min read Cut all internet access instantly with Block all outbound Choose Protection ▸ Filtering mode ▸ Block all outbound (panic). Every program on the PC loses internet access until you switch the filtering mode back to Monitor only or Learning. 3 min read How to block an app from accessing the internet Right-click the app in the Live tab and choose Block this app, then permanent, 10 minutes or 1 hour. NetSecWall adds a block rule and closes the app's open connections. 3 min read How to block a country's IP ranges on Windows In the Live tab, switch View to By Country, right-click the country and choose Block all IP ranges. NetSecWall adds outbound Windows Firewall rules for that country's addresses. 3 min read Block website categories: ads, adult, gambling, social media and more Open Protection ▸ Content categories… and tick Block for any of the 13 categories, or pick a Profile preset. NetSecWall then blocks the addresses those sites resolve to, in every app. 3 min read See what was blocked in the Windows firewall log Open Protection ▸ Blocked connections (firewall log)… to see up to 300 recent blocked connections. Windows only records them after you turn on one audit setting with auditpol. 2 min read Which plan do I need? Monitor, Plus, Family or Pro Monitor ($50/yr) shows what connects. Plus ($100/yr) adds threat intelligence and detection. Family ($150/yr) adds blocking and parental controls. Pro ($200/yr) adds the WFP engine and alerts. 3 min read Create a custom firewall rule for a port, address or inbound traffic In the Rules tab, click New rule… and set the direction, action, protocol, program, ports and addresses. The result is an ordinary Windows Firewall rule that stays whether NetSecWall runs or not. 3 min read Windows Firewall rules or the WFP packet filter: which engine to use NetSecWall enforces blocks with Windows Firewall rules (the default), its own WFP packet filter, or both. Keep Windows Firewall unless another tool keeps overriding NetSecWall's rules. 3 min read Learning mode: approve each new app before it connects Turn on Protection ▸ Filtering mode ▸ Learning. A program new to NetSecWall is held back the moment it connects, and a pop-up asks you to Allow, Allow once or Block it. 3 min read No internet after blocking something? How to get it back Look at the status bar first. If it ends in "Block-all ON", everything is cut on purpose, so turn it off. If not, one rule is usually to blame, and the Rules tab will show it. 4 min read Manage every Windows Firewall rule from the Rules tab The Rules tab lists NetSecWall's blocks and, on request, every rule in Windows Defender Firewall. Turn the firewall on or off, filter, create, edit, disable, delete and export rules. 4 min read Unblock an app or remove a rule Open the Rules tab, select the app's block rule and delete it. NetSecWall removes the rule and forgets the block, so it doesn't come back the next time NetSecWall starts. 3 min read Using NetSecWall alongside another firewall manager When another tool manages Windows Firewall, NetSecWall shows an amber banner. Take over lets NetSecWall manage the rules; Companion mode leaves blocking to the other tool. 3 min read Filtering modes, profiles and the panic switch Filtering mode decides how NetSecWall treats new apps: Monitor only, Learning, or Block all outbound. Profiles are one-click presets for which website categories are blocked. 4 min read Blocking in NetSecWall: rules and what they actually do A blocked app isn't killed or changed; it just loses network access. NetSecWall can block an app, a country, a website category or everything, and lists every rule it makes in the Rules tab. 3 min read Your first week with NetSecWall: a day-by-day plan Spend the first week learning what normal looks like: start in Monitor only or Learning, put names to the busy rows, answer the new-app pop-ups, then review the Events and Rules tabs. 3 min read How NetSecWall works: monitoring, blocking and the two engines NetSecWall watches every connection on your PC by reading Windows' own network events, and blocks only when you ask, through Windows Firewall rules, its own WFP packet filter, or both. 3 min read Performance and side effects of running NetSecWall Monitoring is light because NetSecWall reads Windows' own network events instead of sitting in your traffic. Side effects come from blocks you make, and they're quick to trace. 3 min read Troubleshooting NetSecWall: fixes for common problems Most NetSecWall problems are one of a handful: no internet after a block, an empty Live tab, a firewall conflict banner, a license error or lists that won't update. Start here to find the fix. 3 min read