Comodo Firewall Blocked File and Printer Sharing from Win7 to WinXP

Comodo Internet Security - CIS Firewall Help - CIS
#1

I’m on a Win7 laptop with the latest Comodo. I could not access my WinXP machine on the same network. Other computers could access it fine.

I simply disabled the comodo firewall (left the Windows Firewall running) and it worked.

I also made a workaround by creating a custom Network Policy inspired by https://forums.comodo.com/help-for-v2/how-to-enable-file-and-printer-sharing-t10127.0.html
I believe this should not be necessary (hence I am filling this as a bug), but in case anyone needs it:

  • Try disabling 3rd party firewalls and enabling windows firewall.
    • Disabling Comodo worked for a Win7 problem.
    • If this works, add a security policy to your firewall:
      • allow traffic across my local network for specific ports 137,138,139 and 445.
      • In Comodo:
        • Open Comodo → Firewall → Network Security Policy
        • Add a port set of “Windows File Sharing” with ports 137-139 and 445.
        • Add a Network Zone of “Local Network at Work” with range 192.168.1.1 to 192.168.1.255.
        • In predefined Policies for Web Browser, add “Enable Windows File Sharing in Local Network” 1

and 2:
- 1: All TCP and UDP, In and Out, Both Addresses of “Local …”, Source Port Any, Destination

Port set “Windows File Sharing”.
- 2: All TCP and UDP, In and Out, Both Addresses of “Local …”, Source Port set "Windows

File Sharing", Destination Port Any.

  • Comodo firewall + Windows Firewall is fine.
#2

From the information you have given I am not clear whether this is a bug/issue.

For the moment I will transfer you to help so you can work through this issue with users and mods in this forum and hopefully resolve it. I hope that is OK.

Please ask any mod to move this report back to the bugs forum if it becomes clear that it is a bug/issue.

#3

Hi. It is clear to me that it is a bug:
When I use Comodo Firewall in WinXP, I can still access shared folders on other Win7 and WinXP machines.
When I use Comodo Firewall in Win7, I can access shared folders on other Win7 machines, but NOT on WinXP machines.

So Comodo Firewall is not working consistently across different versions of Windows. In my opinion, not working consistently is a bug.

So please move it back into bugs.

Thanks.

P.S. I do not need help - I found a complex solution. What I hope is that Comodo can be fixed so that others don’t need to do such a complex task in order to simply have file sharing between WinXP and Win7 running Comodo Firewall.

#4

Have you made the new network as a safe network? if you haven’t then please do so (CIS → firewall → Stealth → define new trusted network–> the name of the network)

#5

Thanks Valentin N,

I already did the procedure above that worked. I have now also done the Trusted Network thing you mentioned, which also worked. But I don’t know if/how it improved/changed anything.

Though maybe it would be a simpler workaround for other people that need a fix.

#6

If you don’t set the the Local Area Network as trusted, the firewall will block unsolicited traffic, including the broadcasts required to share files and printers on the network, unless you make advanced/specific rule sets in both application rules and global rules. The Trusted Network Zones simplifies this process, by trusting all IPs within that network range and making the rules for you automatically.

#7

Ok, so it is a simpler workaround for other people that need a fix - good to know.

However, I would still ask that it is moved into the CIS Bugs area - as explained in detail above, the firewall behaves differently in WinXP vs Win7, which is a prime example of a bug.