Windows Vista Firewall and Outgoing Vista Security Discuss Windows Vista Firewall and Outgoing in the Windows Vista forums; Hi Friends: As most of you know, I am using TechNet Vista Ultimate. I have become frustrated trying to find a firewall that is Vista ready, will allow me to ...

[Znod]

Hi Friends:

As most of you know, I am using TechNet Vista Ultimate. I have become frustrated trying to find a firewall that is Vista ready, will allow me to deal simply with outgoing, and does not come with a host of other things I don't want.

Some version of the Zone Labs firewall supposedly is next on the Company's list. I hope the stand alone comes out first.

But, to date, the only acceptable Vista-ready firewall that I have found that deals effectively (presumably) with outgong is in OneCare beta. Still, I am not going to buy OneCare for its firewall and don't want to use the beta--when good free ones eventually will be available. Also, you can't turn all the features, other than the firewall, off in OneCare. Actually, if one could turn all the other features off, then I'd probably buy OneCare just to end my firewall search.

In the absence of another alternative, I would like to learn how, if possible, to get the Windows Vista firewall (WVF) to do what I want. And, I don't have much of a clue how to proceed.

Specifically, I would like for WVF to alert me when any program tries to call home unless the program is a known program that has been designated as not being problematic. More specifically, for an unfamiliar, and, thus, possibly problematic program, I would want an alert from WVF. Under such a condition, I would like for WVF to allow me opt to allow the program to call home (a) never, (b) this time only, or (c) always. A program that I have opted to allow to call home always is one way a program could be "designated as not being problematic." But, also, if WVF has a list of programs, MS or otherwise, that are known to be non-problematic, then I would like to be able to opt to always allow the programs on the list to call home without an alert.

Is what I want from WVF possible? If so, then how in the world would a mere mortal like me proceed? I have never seen a home user use the outgoing features of WVF. Technet has some discussions that I don't understand very well. And, thus, I am not willing to proceed not knowing what I am doing.

[jayaustin]

First use the Windows Firewall with Advanced Security MMC insted of the firewall through security center.

The easiest way would to be to set up group policy to the rules you want.

Also: define "phone home". Is your computer E.T.?

[Znod]

Phone home = program trying to make a connection from my computer to its home base online

Well, the problem is that even if what you say is what I want to do, I don't know how to do it for sure.

If you don't want to give specific instructions, then no problem. I will understand.

[jayaustin]

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/d...displaylang=en
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/com...uy/cg0106.mspx

See if that helps any. Pay attention to to the section on rules (p 16) and group policy. You can set a local group policy in the same manor as you would in active directory. Just make sure you are using the MMC snap in. You have advanced settings there that are not available in the windows firewall in the security panel. That is one thing that I wish MS did not do. It should be all in one place.

I will tell you what I am running at home. I am behind a hardware firewall and also running ISA server. That is overkill for the home user but it is how I learned the new ISA server.

[Znod]

Thanks Jay; I'll take a look tomorrow and see if I can make sense of what is said.