Definitely for advanced users.
Simple tool to configure Windows Filtering Platform (WFP) which can configure network activity on your computer.
The lightweight application is less than a megabyte, and it is compatible with Windows 8.1 and higher operating systems. You can download either the installer or portable version. For correct working you are require administrator rights.
- Windows 8.1 and above operating system.
- Visual C++ 2022 Redistributable package
- Bitcoin (BTC)
- Ethereum (ETC)
- Paypal (USD)
- Yandex Money (RUB)
Binaries have GPG signature simplewall.exe.sig in application folder.
- Public key: pubkey.asc (pgpkeys.eu)
- Key ID: 0x5635B5FD
- Fingerprint: D985 2361 1524 AB29 BE73 30AC 2881 20A7 5635 B5FD
Keep in mind, simplewall is not a control UI over Windows Firewall, and does not interact in any level with Windows Firewall. It works over Windows Filtering Platform (WFP) which is a set of internal API and system services that provide a platform for creating network filtering applications. Windows Filtering Platform is a development technology and not a firewall itself, but simplewall is the tool that uses this technology.
- Simple interface without annoying pop ups
- Rules editor (create your own rules)
- Internal blocklist (block Windows spy / telemetry)
- Dropped packets information with notification and logging to a file feature (win7+)
- Allowed packets information with logging to a file feature (win8+)
- Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) support
- Windows services support
- Windows Store support
- Free and open source
- Localization support
- IPv6 support
To activate portable mode, create "simplewall.ini" in application folder, or move it from "%APPDATA%\Henry++\simplewall".
When install rules, you can choose two modes:
- Permanent rules - rules are working until you disable it manually.
- Temporary rules - rules are reset after the next reboot.
When you uninstall simplewall, all previously configured filters stay alive in system. To remove all filters created by simplewall, start simplewall and press "Disable filters" button.
-install - enable filtering.
-install -temp - enable filtering until next reboot.
-install -silent - enable filtering without prompt.
-uninstall - remove all installed filters.
simplewall have two types of custom user rules rules:
- Global rules: rule applied for all applications.
- Special rules: rule applied only for specified applications.
To set rule applications, open rule and then navigate to "Apps" tab.
Rule syntax format:
- IP addresses
192.168.0.1; 192.168.0.1; [fc00::] - IP addresses with port
192.168.0.1:80; 192.168.0.1:443; [fc00::]:443; - IP ranges
192.168.0.1-192.168.0.255; 192.168.0.1-192.168.0.255; - IP ranges (with port)
192.168.0.1-192.168.0.255:80; 192.168.0.1-192.168.0.255:443;(v2.0.20+) - IP with prefix lengths (CIDR)
192.168.0.0/16; 192.168.0.0/24; fe80::/10 - Ports
21; 80; 443; - Ports ranges
20-21; 49152-65534;
IPv4 CIDR blocks:
| Address format | Mask |
|---|---|
| a.b.c.d/32 | 255.255.255.255 |
| a.b.c.d/31 | 255.255.255.254 |
| a.b.c.d/30 | 255.255.255.252 |
| a.b.c.d/29 | 255.255.255.248 |
| a.b.c.d/28 | 255.255.255.240 |
| a.b.c.d/27 | 255.255.255.224 |
| a.b.c.d/26 | 255.255.255.192 |
| a.b.c.d/25 | 255.255.255.128 |
| a.b.c.0/24 | 255.255.255.0 |
| a.b.c.0/23 | 255.255.254.0 |
| a.b.c.0/22 | 255.255.252.0 |
| a.b.c.0/21 | 255.255.248.0 |
| a.b.c.0/20 | 255.255.240.0 |
| a.b.c.0/19 | 255.255.224.0 |
| a.b.c.0/18 | 255.255.192.0 |
| a.b.c.0/17 | 255.255.128.0 |
| a.b.0.0/16 | 255.255.0.0 |
| a.b.0.0/15 | 255.254.0.0 |
| a.b.0.0/14 | 255.252.0.0 |
| a.b.0.0/13 | 255.248.0.0 |
| a.b.0.0/12 | 255.240.0.0 |
| a.b.0.0/11 | 255.224.0.0 |
| a.b.0.0/10 | 255.192.0.0 |
| a.b.0.0/9 | 255.128.0.0 |
| a.0.0.0/8 | 255.0.0.0 |
| a.0.0.0/7 | 254.0.0.0 |
| a.0.0.0/6 | 252.0.0.0 |
| a.0.0.0/5 | 248.0.0.0 |
| a.0.0.0/4 | 240.0.0.0 |
| a.0.0.0/3 | 224.0.0.0 |
| a.0.0.0/2 | 192.0.0.0 |
| a.0.0.0/1 | 128.0.0.0 |
| 0.0.0.0/0 | 0.0.0.0 |
IPv6 CIDR blocks:
2001:0db8:0123:4567:89ab:cdef:1234:5678
|||| |||| |||| |||| |||| |||| |||| ||||
|||| |||| |||| |||| |||| |||| |||| |||128 Single end-points and loopback
|||| |||| |||| |||| |||| |||| |||| |||127 Point-to-point links (inter-router)
|||| |||| |||| |||| |||| |||| |||| ||124
|||| |||| |||| |||| |||| |||| |||| |120
|||| |||| |||| |||| |||| |||| |||| 116
|||| |||| |||| |||| |||| |||| |||112
|||| |||| |||| |||| |||| |||| ||108
|||| |||| |||| |||| |||| |||| |104
|||| |||| |||| |||| |||| |||| 100
|||| |||| |||| |||| |||| |||96
|||| |||| |||| |||| |||| ||92
|||| |||| |||| |||| |||| |88
|||| |||| |||| |||| |||| 84
|||| |||| |||| |||| |||80
|||| |||| |||| |||| ||76
|||| |||| |||| |||| |72
|||| |||| |||| |||| 68
|||| |||| |||| |||64 Single LAN (default prefix size for SLAAC)
|||| |||| |||| ||60 Some (very limited) 6rd deployments (/60 = 16 /64)
|||| |||| |||| |56 Minimal end sites assignment[12] (e.g. Home network) (/56 = 256 /64)
|||| |||| |||| 52 (/52 = 4096 /64)
|||| |||| |||48 Typical assignment for larger sites (/48 = 65536 /64) - Many ISP also do for residential
|||| |||| ||44
|||| |||| |40
|||| |||| 36 possible future Local Internet registry extra-small allocations
|||| |||32 Local Internet registry minimum allocations
|||| ||28 Local Internet registry medium allocations
|||| |24 Local Internet registry large allocations
|||| 20 Local Internet registry extra large allocations
|||16
||12 Regional Internet Registry allocations from IANA[15]
|8
4
A: Yes. Installed filters are working even if simplewall is terminated.
A: By default, simplewall blocks all applications. You do not need to create custom rules to block specific applications.
A: Yes. You do not need to disable Windows Firewall. These two firewalls work independently.
A: Open Settings -> Blocklist and then click the radio buttons labeled Disable.
A: Blacklist was removed many days ago for uselessness. But if you need it, you can still configure it.
Solution: Configure blacklist mode in simplewall:
- Open
Settings->Rules - Uncheck
Block outbound for allandBlock inbound for alloptions. - Create user rule (green cross on toolbar) with block action, any direction,
Block connectionname and empty remote and local rule. - You can assign this rule for apps whatever you want to block network access.
A: When you are connected to a network, Windows checks for internet connectivity using Active Probing. This feature is named as NCSI (Network Connectivity Status Indicator). You can resolve this problem in one of the following ways:
Solution 1: Enable NCSI through internal system rule:
- Open
System rulestab. - Allow
NCSIrule (enabled by default).
Solution 2: Disable NCSI through system registry:
Create Disable NCSI.reg and import it into registry.
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\NetworkConnectivityStatusIndicator]
"NoActiveProbe"=dword:00000001
"DisablePassivePolling"=dword:00000001Solution 3: Disable NCSI through group policy:
- Launch the group policy editor (
gpedit.msc). - Go to
Computer Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> System -> Internet Communication Management -> Internet Communication Settings. - Double-click
Turn off Windows Network Connectivity Status Indicator active testsand then select Enabled. Click Ok. - Open the Command Prompt (Admin) and enter
gpupdate /forceto enforce the changes made to the Group Policies.
Start the command line as an administrator, and enter the commands below.
Disable Windows Firewall profiles:
netsh advfirewall set allprofiles state offEnable Windows Firewall profiles:
netsh advfirewall set allprofiles state onStart the command line as an administrator, and enter the commands below.
Dump filters information saved into a `filters.xml` file:
cd /d %USERPROFILE%\Desktop
netsh wfp show filtersDump providers, callouts and layers information into a `wfpstate.xml` file:
cd /d %USERPROFILE%\Desktop
netsh wfp show stateOpen it in any text editor and study.
Windows 10 and above:
Open main window menu Settings -> Rules -> Allow Windows Update.
This is working by method described here.
Windows 8.1:
Open main window, Navigate into System rules tab and then enable Windows Update service rule.
- Website: github.com/henrypp
- Support: [email protected]
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