There used to be a firewall that would give the users the following control over the way applications connect to servers:
When a new application wanted to connect to the internet, I would get a dialog asking if I want to let it connect to THIS IP on THIS PORT, THIS ONE TIME or ALWAYS. For example I could let Winamp connect to my favorite online radio stations but I could easily prevent it from connecting to Winamp’s servers to report usage statistics.
With my current Comodo settings when I let an application connect to ONE server, it lets it connect to ALL servers after that.
Yep, it doesn’t work. Hence my first post. Just checked again with Winamp. Let it connect to my favorite radio station, didn’t even tick “Remember my answer”. Now when I click on Online Services or Podcast Directory (Winamp functions that use the internet) Winamp connects to the internet and pulls data from their server without asking me, like I have no firewall at all.
Sorry there is new All Application rule in Network Security Policy of CIS 5.5 you need to remove it otherwise all applications are allowed outgoing connections.
The inclusion of the ‘Allow all applications’, rule most recently returned in CIS 5.5. It appears, however, to have been removed in 5.8, hardly surprising really…
So, if you’re using 5.5, I’d suggest either deleting the rule form the firewall, or switching to an alternative security configuration, which doesn’t include this, such as Proactive - More/manage My Configurations. If you’re using 5.8, your problem lies elsewhere.
my firewall stopped working the way it should, i.e. when I open Winamp and it tries to pull artist data from their servers and I block it (without ticking the “remember” box), I cannot connect to any online radio station after that. i don’t even get a dialogue.
Firewall Security Level - Custom
Alert frequency level - very high
I should be getting alerts, no? and yet, i’m not getting them
Network Security Policy:
Application Rules - nothing relevant to Winamp (several other applications plus windows update and windows system applications)
Global rules - nothing relevant to winamp (icmp rules only)
Predefined policies - nothing relevant to winamp (web browser, email client, trusted and blocked application)
The problem is, when you prevent winamp from connecting to a server for album art, you’re actually blocking winamp.exe, which is the same executable needed to connect to whichever online service you wish to listen to. So, even though you’re selecting not to remember, the block will continue to apply until you restart winamp.
It’s very easy to create rules to control outbound connections and there are several ways to do what you wish but temporarily blocking an executable to one location and then expecting it to be able to connect to another without some guidance is not going to work.
If you know the IP addresses of the servers you don’t want winamp connecting to, you can use something along the lines of the following:
Application Name - Winamp.exe
Action - Block
Protocol - Enter the appropriate protocol either TCP or UDP
Direction - Out
Source Address - Any
Destination Address - Enter the address you wish to block here if more than one create a Network Zone
Source Port - Any
Destination Port - Enter whichever port number the server uses
Application Name - Winamp.exe
Action - Allow
Protocol - Enter the appropriate protocol either TCP or UDP
Direction - Out
Source Address - Any
Destination Address - Enter the address you wish to Allow here if more than one create a Network Zone
Source Port - Any
Destination Port - Enter whichever port number the server uses
Change the details to meet your requirements.
The first rule blocks access to the servers you don’t want winamp to contact and the second rule can either allow access to everything else or specific servers, depending on your requirements.
ok, it seems the problem lies in TEMPORARY disallowing Winamp to connect to their server. then it will automatically refuse to connect to ANY server until restart. to me that’s an obvious bug because comodo should ask me before blocking Winamp from connecting to a DIFFERENT server. after all it’s a different server, different connection attempt etc
BUT, if I block Winamp from connecting to their server PERMANENTLY, it WILL ask me before making a connection to my radio station after that. that’s the way it should be!
so why does it work properly in permanent mode and doesn’t in temporary?
I don’t mean to split hairs. i do think i’m talking about basic, elementary stuff a proper firewall should do
ok, it seems the problem lies in TEMPORARY disallowing Winamp to connect to their server. then it will automatically refuse to connect to ANY server until restart. to me that's an obvious bug because comodo should ask me before blocking Winamp from connecting to a DIFFERENT server. after all it's a different server, different connection attempt etc
Rightly or wrongly, with CIS, when you choose to ‘block a request’, even temporarily, it doesn’t appear to look at the specifics of the individual connection, it appears to see it as a whole and consequently stops all further communication, which, arguably, is not what the manual implies:
Block this request - Denies the requested activity or connection attempt.
Personally, I tend to agree with you, individual connections should be treated on their own merit and ‘block a request’ should just block that specific connection attempt. The best you can do is press ‘Cancel’ on the connections you don’t want, or create rules.
BUT, if I block Winamp from connecting to their server PERMANENTLY, it WILL ask me before making a connection to my radio station after that. that's the way it should be!
so why does it work properly in permanent mode and doesn’t in temporary?
Potentially it is a bug, I guess it just depends what the developers had in mind when they wrote it…
Thanks Radaghast, I think we’re on the same page here. there is a very simple solution to these issues. when i get some free time i’ll post more to clarify
