Network Uptime

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Protecting Your Data: A Guide to Windows Firewall

The Windows Firewall General Tab

Windows Firewall has three operating states, and all of the states can be selected from the Windows Firewall General tab.

• On - Windows Firewall's "On" operation will block all external computers from connecting to your computer, apart from the list of programs defined in the Exceptions tab. This is the recommended operating state for Windows Firewall in normal operating situations.
  

• On / Don't allow exceptions - This Windows Firewall setting locks down your computer so that no access to your system is available from the outside world. As Windows Firewall states, this is a good option when using public or open networks at hotels or wireless hot-spots. Networks in these locations can be used by anyone, and there's usually little, if any, control over the traffic traversing these links.
  
  Although all incoming network requests are disabled when these exceptions are disabled, all outgoing stateful communication is still allowed. This means that most email, web, and other communication initiated from your computer should operate normally.
  

• Off - In some application troubleshooting situations, it may necessary to completely disable Windows Firewall. This "Off" setting removes all firewall protection from your computer, so this option should only be used as a last-ditch effort for troubleshooting. You should never leave your system without firewall protection for an extended period.