Safe adapters and networks

In AVG Firewall, it is possible to set some networks (IP ranges) and adapters (network interfaces) as Safe. At the same time, rules for applications or system services can be allowed only for Safe networks. The combination of the two allows you to configure your Firewall to protect your computer from unwanted network connections, while allowing all required communication from and to known sources.

Note:
The configuration of Safe networks and adapters can be combined with Automatic Profile Switch functionality.

Safe adapters
configurable in AVG User Interface - menu Tools - Firewall settings - Profiles - your profile - Defined adapters

When you mark some adapter as Safe, rules that are set as "Allow for all" will be applied to all adapters (including those marked as Safe), and "Allow for safe" will be applied only to the safe adapters. This can be used for example in small home networks, where one computer with two network adapters acts as a gateway to the Internet:

• set the adapter that is used for connection to the local network as Safe
• set Microsoft File Sharing and Printing under System Services as Allow for safe
• all computers connecting through the Safe adapter will be able to browse the shared files or use shared printers and other resources on the gateway
• the shared files and resources will not be accessible from Internet

The same scenario can be used in case any other service should be allowed only for one network adapter, e.g. on a notebook with Wi-Fi and LAN adapter. For example the RPC service can be allowed only for a safe LAN adapter (used at work), and blocked for a Wi-Fi adapter (used in public hot spots).

Safe networks
configurable in AVG User Interface - menu Tools - Firewall settings - Profiles - your profile - Defined networks

To be able to set some network as Safe, it is necessary to create it first using the button "Add network". Once you create the network (in other words custom list of IP addresses), you can specify that this network will be safe, and the same behavior as with safe adapters is applied to it - "Allow for all" rules are applied to all networks including the safe ones, and "Allow for safe" is applied only to the safe network. The example is again similar to the one with Safe adapter:

• create some new network (e.g. 192.168.0.1 - 192.168.0.100) and mark it as Safe
  
• set Microsoft File Sharing and Printing as Allow for safe
• if the other computer is in the IP range specified when creating the network, it will be able to connect and browse your shared files
• connections from different IP addresses will be blocked

This way, you can allow sharing of your files or network resources (or allow any other communication) only to strictly specified list of IP addresses/computers.

It is possible to combine the safe adapters and safe networks without any restrictions, and the configuration of safe network, safe adapters, and "Allow for safe" rules is stored individually for each profile. This allows you to create fully customized sets of configuration for any network you are connecting to.

If you have the profile "Small home or office network" in your AVG, some rules which are typically required in this scenario (MS File Sharing and Printing, Replies to ICMP diagnostics) are already marked as Allow for safe. It is therefore only necessary to set some adapter or network as safe to gain full advantage of this profile.

In case of any questions related to the safe networks/adapters, AVG Firewall or AVG in general, please feel free to contact AVG Customer Services.

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