How to Unblock Websites From a School's Fire Wall

Windows Firewall is a built-in protection program included with the Windows operating system. This program will block incoming connections from the Internet to protect the computer from unwanted traffic from the outside. If a website or connection is blocked on the firewall, this can prevent certain programs from running on your computer. You can change this setting in the firewall to allow the information to reach your computer.

Instructions

1. Click the "Start" button, then click "Control Panel" on your start menu.

2. Click "Windows Firewall" from the "Control Panel" to launch the firewall tool.

3. Click "Advanced Settings" from the left menu to view your firewall's current configuration.

4. Click "Inbound Rules" from the left pane. You will see a list of connection in the middle pane.

5. Click the name of the website or program associated with the website from the list. You will see "Block" listed under the action if it is blocked in your Firewall.

6. Right-click the entry and choose "Properties."

7. Place a mark next to "Allow the Connection," then click the "OK" button to unblock the website or program.

Tips & Warnings

• Do not change firewall settings on a school computer without administrator permission.

• Steps will not unblock access to a website if the website is actively blocked by Internet filtering software on the computer.

References

• Windows: Understanding Windows Firewall Settings