How do I add a port exception to my firewall?

This tutorial was written by Tom's Hardware Community member JamieKavanagh. You can find a list of all their tutorials here.

A firewall is an essential aspect of computing and no PC should ever be without one. That’s why Windows has one bundled and active as standard. Windows Firewall occasionally has to be told to let a program communicate with the network, which is where opening ports comes in. If you want to open firewall ports in Windows 10, here’s how you do it.

Firewalls are designed to protect a network from threats. Either threats from the outside trying to get in or threats from the inside trying to get out. It does this by blocking network-enabled ports. Every time a program tries to communicate through this port, the firewall checks its database of rules to see if it is allowed or not. If it doesn’t know, it asks you, which is why you sometimes see prompts asking you if a particular program is permitted to access the internet.

1. Select Port and click Next.
2. Select TCP then Specific local ports, enter 56777 and click Next.
3. Select Allow the connection and click on Next.
4. Leave all profiles checked on the next screen and click Next.
5. Enter VTC TCP as the rule name and click Finish.
6. Repeat steps 4-9 for UDP:

• Port type = UDP
• Specific Local Port = 56778
• Rule name = VTC UDP

Windows 7 & 8

1. Go to the Start menu and choose Control Panel.
2. Click System and Security then Windows Firewall.
3. Click Advanced Settings in the left pane.
4. Click Inbound Rules in the left pane and then New Rule in the right pane.
5. The New Inbound Rule Wizard will appear.
6. Select Port for the type of rule and click Next.
7. Select TCP then Specific local ports and enter 56777 and click Next.
8. Select the Allow the connection and click Next.
9. Leave all profiles checked on the next screen and click Next.
10. Enter “VTC TCP” as the rule name and click Finish
11. Repeat steps 5-10 for UDP:

• Port type = UDP
• Specific Local Port = 56778
• Rule name = VTC UDP

Windows Vista & XP

1. Go to the Start menu and click Control Panel.
2. Double-click Windows Firewall.
3. Vista only: Click Allow a program through Windows Firewall.
4. On the Exceptions tab, click Add Port.
5. Enter “VTC TCP” in the Name box.
6. Enter 56777 in the Port number box.
7. Select TCP for the network protocol and click OK.
8.  Repeat steps 4-7 for the UDP port:

• Port type = UDP
• Specific Local Port = 56778
• Rule name = VTC UDP

Mac Firewall Exceptions
By default, macOS computers allow signed software (like Virtual TimeClock) to receive incoming connections and have a firewall that is turned off by default, so the need for exception rules is less common. You should not experience issues with your firewall unless this option has been disabled or incoming connections have been manually blocked. To ensure your firewall has been properly configured:

1. Select System Preferences from the Apple menu.
2. Click the Security or Security & Privacy icon.
3. Select the Firewall tab. If this window says Firewall: Off do not follow steps 4-9.
4. To make changes, click the lock icon and enter an administrator name and password.
5. Click the Firewall Options button.
6. Ensure that the option to Automatically allow downloaded signed software to receive incoming connections in enabled.

7. Verify that the TimeClock Server has not been manually blocked in the connections list. If the Server has been blocked it will show on the list with a note that incoming connections have been blocked.
8. To unblock the TimeClock Server click on Block incoming connections and changed the setting to Allow incoming connections. Click OK to finish.

Antivirus Exception Rules
If your computer has a third party antivirus program, you may need to create an exception rule in the antivirus software for Virtual TimeClock to operate correctly. Examples of common antivirus programs that you may have are McAfee, Avast, AVG, Norton, Kaspersky and many more. These programs are usually in addition to the built-in Windows or Mac firewalls.

Since every antivirus program is different, you will need to find out how to create exceptions for your specific software. Please consult your antivirus user manual or search the internet to find out how to create exception rules for your specific antivirus program (e.g. “Symantec exception rules”). As a general rule, look under the Settings menu for an option like Program Permissions, Exceptions, Exclusions or Rules.

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