Help: Add a port to the Windows Firewall exceptions list

Article
10/08/2009

Applies To: Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, Windows Server 2003 with SP2

To add a port to the Windows Firewall exceptions list

Open Windows Firewall.
Click the Exceptions tab, and then click Add Port.
In Name, type a name for the port exception. This name will appear in the exceptions list.
In Port number, type the number of the port that you want to add to the exceptions list.
Click either TCP or UDP, depending on the type of traffic the port handles, and then click OK.

Notes

To perform this procedure, you must be a member of the Administrators group on the local computer, or you must have been delegated the appropriate authority. If the computer is joined to a domain, members of the Domain Admins group might be able to perform this procedure.
To start Windows Firewall, click Start, point to Control Panel, and then click Windows Firewall.
You can also use the netsh command with the firewall context to perform this procedure and configure other Windows Firewall settings.
You can also use Group Policy settings to perform this procedure and configure other Windows Firewall settings.
You can configure Windows Firewall settings in the standard profile or the domain profile. The domain profile is used when a computer is connected to a network in which the computer's domain account resides. The standard profile is used when a computer is connected to a network in which the computer's domain account does not reside, such as a public network or the Internet. Make sure Windows Firewall is using the correct profile when you perform this procedure.
If a Windows Firewall setting appears dimmed in the graphical user interface, and on the General tab, you see For your security, some settings are controlled by Group Policy, the setting might be managed by Group Policy. If all Windows Firewall settings appear dimmed, and on the General tab, you see You must be a computer administrator to change these settings, you do not have administrative rights to configure Windows Firewall.
On Windows Server 2003, Windows Firewall is turned off by default and the Windows Firewall/Internet Connection Sharing service is disabled by default. You might have to start the Windows Firewall/Internet Connection Sharing service if you try to perform this procedure and you have never started Windows Firewall.
Windows Firewall is not included in the original release of the Windows Server 2003 operating systems.
Adding a port to the exceptions list can lessen the security of your computer because the port will be open any time the computer is running. You should add ports to the exceptions list only when it is not possible to add a program to the exceptions list.
You should configure scope options for any exceptions that you enable.

Help: Add a port to the Windows Firewall exceptions list

To add a port to the Windows Firewall exceptions list

See Also

Concepts

Additional resources