How to Open Ports in a Windows XP Firewall

Windows XP firewall helps to keep your computer secure.

Windows XP was designed with networking and use of the Internet in mind. For this reason, it comes with a built-in firewall to help protect your computer from threats that exist online. However, some programs may require a specific port to be open that is not open by default in the Windows XP firewall. In order to use a program that requires a port that is currently closed, you will need to manually open the port in the Windows XP firewall program.

Instructions

1. Press "Start" and click on "My Network Places." Choose "View Network Connections" from underneath the "Network Tasks" heading. Right-click on your Internet connection and pick "Properties" from the menu.

2. Pick the "Advanced" tab and hit the "Settings" button.

3. Press "Add." Enter a description you can use to remember the port that you are opening into the "Description" text box. Input "127.0.0.1" for the "Name or IP address of the computer hosting this service on your network." Type the port number that you are opening in the "External" and "Internal" port text boxes. Select "TCP" or "UDP" depending on the type of port you are opening.

4. Push "OK" and reboot Windows.

Tips & Warnings

• Repeat these steps for each port that you want to open.

• If you are unable to click the "Settings" button on the "Advanced" tab, the firewall is not turned on and all ports are open. Turn on the Windows Firewall as soon as possible to protect your system.

References

• Microsoft Support: How to Manually Open Ports in Internet Connection Firewall in Windows XP

Resources

• Microsoft Support: Windows Firewall May Block Some Programs From Communicating Over the Internet