Enabled by default, Windows Firewall blocks unsolicited incoming sessions. In this Ask the Admin, we examine how to open inbound ports to specified apps or features in Windows 8.1.
Under normal circumstances, it’s unlikely you would need to open Windows Firewall access to applications manually. If a program needs access through Windows Firewall, a request to perform the necessary configuration is usually part of the application’s installer. If that request is not made during installation, Windows monitors the system and will notify you if a program requests permission for inbound access.
This doesn’t always work out. There may be some situations in which it’s necessary to open access manually. There are several ways to achieve this. The easiest way uses the Graphic User Interface (GUI).
The easiest and safest way to open a port in Windows Firewall is to only allow inbound traffic to a specific program or app. For more control over specifying ports, protocols, and the source and destination IP addresses, use the command line or the Windows Firewall with Advanced Security management console.
Use the Windows Firewall Control Panel applet to open access to an app or program. To start the applet:
Add a program or feature to the exceptions list in Windows Firewall
The procedure to close access is similar to the enable procedure described above. From the Allowed Apps screen in the Windows Firewall Control Panel applet:
Editor’s Note: If you’d like more information on Windows Firewall management we’ve covered the topic from a number of additional angles at the Petri IT Knowledgebase, with articles on how to enable the Windows Firewall in Windows 8.1, how to remotely manage Windows Firewall on Windows Server Core, and a four-part article series that covers the evolution of the Windows Firewall.