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How to use McAfee Personal Firewall

Overview

A firewall is hardware or software that detects and blocks viruses and hackers before they reach your computer or home network. McAfee® Personal Firewall software sets rules to control communications from other computers, websites and applications. If the firewall detects network communication that does not have a rule defined for handling it, an alert prompts you to allow or block that communication.

The software offers five security levels.

Security levels

Description
Full access No action is required for connections to be allowed.
Outgoing access (Default level) Little or no action is required for connections to be allowed. Only inbound events prompt user permission.
Monitored access Alerts allow you to grant access for applications once. Any future changes must be made manually.
Stealth Blocks all connections you haven’t configured a rule for. Hides your computer's presence on the Internet.
Lockdown Blocks all connections. This is similar to unplugging the network cable.

 

McAfee and the McAfee logo are registered trademarks or trademarks of McAfee, Inc. in the United States and other countries.

Configuring Personal Firewall

  1. Double-click the McAfee® icon on your desktop.
  2. Open the Web and Email Protection drawer.
  3. Click the Firewall link.
  4. Open the Security Levels drawer and select a security level. If you are unsure what to choose, we recommend using the default settings.
  5. Click Apply.

 

McAfee and the McAfee logo are registered trademarks or trademarks of McAfee, Inc. in the United States and other countries.

Lockdown setting

You can use the Lockdown Firewall feature to instantly block all network communication between your computer and any network, including the Internet.

  1. Double-click the McAfee® icon on your desktop.
  2. Open the Web and Email Protection drawer.
  3. Click the Firewall link.
  4. Open the Security Levels drawer and select Lockdown.
  5. Click Apply.

 

McAfee and the McAfee logo are registered trademarks or trademarks of McAfee, Inc. in the United States and other countries.

Restoring default settings

You can quickly restore Personal Firewall to its original protection settings.

  1. Double-click the McAfee® icon on your desktop.
  2. Open the Web and Email Protection drawer.
  3. Click the Firewall link.
  4. Click the Restore Defaults button.

 

McAfee and the McAfee logo are registered trademarks or trademarks of McAfee, Inc. in the United States and other countries.

Disabling Personal Firewall

While McAfee® does not recommend disabling the Personal Firewall, there may be occasions when you want to do so temporarily.

  1. Double-click the McAfee icon on your desktop.
  2. Open the Web and Email Protection drawer.
  3. Click the Firewall link.
  4. Click Turn Off.

Select when you would like Personal Firewall to turn back on (15, 30, 45, 60 minutes, When I restart, or Never) and then click Turn Off.

 

McAfee and the McAfee logo are registered trademarks or trademarks of McAfee, Inc. in the United States and other countries.

Allowing remote connections

You can configure Personal Firewall to allow specific incoming connections.

  1. Double-click the McAfee® icon on your desktop.
  2. Open the Web and Email Protection drawer.
  3. Click Firewall.
  4. Open the Ports and System Services drawer.
  5. Click Add.
  6. In the System Service Name field enter the name of the application or service you want to allow access to your computer.
  7. Enter a description of the application or service to help identify the new rule.
  8. Enter the TCP or UDP ports required by the application.
  9. In the Open ports to: menu, select All PCs.
  10. Click Save.
  11. Verify that the application you have given access to functions correctly.

NOTES:

  • Your router might also limit the number of incoming connections it allows. If so, you may have to reconfigure or reset it.
  • If your router has a built-in firewall, you must configure it to open the same port(s) as McAfee Personal Firewall. Consult your router user guide for more information.
  • Opening ports on both your router and computer can allow undesired connections. You should take extra care to ensure that your system is secure.

 

McAfee and the McAfee logo are registered trademarks or trademarks of McAfee, Inc. in the United States and other countries.