How to Find the Firewall of an IP Address
Most connections to other devices on the Internet occur through a firewall or a traffic-filtering device, and in some cases more than one firewall or traffic-filtering device may be involved with the connection. Using a simple tool and a few steps, you can find the firewall(s) between a computer and the IP address of nearly any device or computer on the Internet.
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Instructions
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Click the "Start" button and then click the "Run" box (if you're using Windows XP) or the "Search" box (if you're using Windows Vista or 7). Type "cmd" and then press the "Enter" key.
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Type "tracert x.x.x.x," replacing the "x.x.x.x" with the IP address for which you are interested in finding the firewall. Then press the "Enter" key.
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View the output displayed by the "tracert" utility. When "tracert" has stopped adding to the output list, note the "* * * *" at the end of the list, as that entry represents the firewall between the computer you are using and the computer, server or device IP address that was entered into the "tracert" command.
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Tips & Warnings
If the "tracert" completes without "* * * *" as the last entry, then the IP address entered into the "tracert" command either is not protected by a firewall or is protected by a firewall that may be misconfigured.
Using a port scanner utility, such as "Nmap," it is possible to extract more information regarding the firewall by attempting to scan the device located at the IP address you provide.
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