Profiles, Area Detection and Automatic Profile Switch

The Profiles, Area Detection and Automatic Profile Switch are closely related features of AVG Firewall. This FAQ topic describes what they are and how they work, allowing you to configure AVG Firewall exactly according to your needs.

1. What is the Profile?

Profile in AVG Firewall is a complete set of Firewall configuration. If you have multiple profiles in your AVG Firewall, then each profile contains its own configuration of:

• adapters
• networks
• safe networks/adapters
  
• application rules
• system rules
• services
• logging options

The result of this is the possibility to set up multiple different AVG Firewall configurations and use them in the networks you are connecting to, based on your security requirements.

2. What is the Area Detection?

Area Detection is an ability of AVG Firewall to distinguish to which network is the computer currently connected. The detection is independent on the used adapter, network configuration and network type. If you connect a laptop with installed AVG Firewall to one Wi-Fi network, you will receive an Area Detection dialogue where you can assign which profile you wish to use. Upon connection to another Wi-Fi network, the Area Detection dialogue will be displayed again, even if the network configuration is exactly the same and the only difference is in the Wi-Fi router/hotspot.

This function allows you to achieve custom configuration for every single network you are connecting to.

3. What is the Automatic Profile Switch?

By combining the Profiles with the Area Detection, we are able to automatically assign any profile to any network. Each profile contains its own configuration, each network is recognized as a new area.

Example:

When you connect your computer/laptop to company network, the Area Detection dialogue is displayed. You decide to use profile "Computer in domain", since the network is protected by gateway and other internal security measures. Then you decide to connect to the company network using Wi-Fi. Again, Area Detection is displayed and "Computer in domain" is the best choice.

Then you take your laptop and go to a coffee place with public Wi-Fi hotspot. New area is detected again, and you select profile "Computer on the move" to block all unwanted traffic (e.g. file sharing). This area is recognized, even though you are using the same Wi-Fi adapter, and the network configuration (IP, Gateway, etc.) is identical to that at work.

Finally, you connect at home using cable. Once again is the area detected, and you select profile "Standalone computer".

Once you connect to these networks for the second time, the desired profile will be selected automatically based on your previous choice.

Each of the profiles used in this example has different settings for applications (e.g. Skype, FTP Server, ICQ, Internet browser), system rules (file sharing, RDP, RPC, etc.) and all other options, so for every single network you connect to, required security level is always maintained.