With the passing of the years and the versions of Windows, the security of the most used PC operating system has not stopped improving. That is something that Microsoft itself takes care of by introducing new functions related to all this. But of course, everything can be improved, as we have seen so many times, hence the third-party solutions that we can use. For example this is the case of WFN or Windows Firewall Notifier .
Much is said about the antivirus that Windows 10 itself integrates from the start and that does not stop improving and growing. We refer to Windows Defender, but in addition to this, the operating system has, to work together, with a powerful Firewall that is activated by default. This is responsible for protecting the operating system and the data it houses, against potential dangerous external connections.
This level of protection is something that the user can configure and personalize, as surely many of you already know. But with everything and with it, to this that we tell you we can add additional solutions that support the operation of the security set. In fact that is the case that we will talk about in these lines, Windows Firewall Notifier, also known as WFN .
What is Windows Firewall Notifier and what is it for?
To give us an idea of what we are talking about here, specifically we refer to a security application that has been with us for 10 years. Over time it has been improving based on updates. Say that it is an open source project that you can find on the Github development platform. Well, here in particular we refer to a complement to the integrated Windows firewall that we referred to earlier. Thus, with this program, once we start it, we will have real-time monitoring of the equipment’s connections.
At the same time and in a single interface the program also presents us with a connection map, control of bandwidth usage, etc. Therefore, it could be said that we are facing a complete solution that shows us more clearly how the Windows firewall works, all in real time. As its name suggests, it is able to send us notifications about outgoing connection attempts. This, as it is easy to imagine, will instantly allow or block them, even if it is permanent or temporary .
Of course, something that we must be very clear from the beginning is that WFN is not a Firewall as such, but an interface that allows us to control and manage Windows. That is why for this application to work and be effective, we must first have the Firewall that implements the Redmond’s system active and working.
An interface to control Windows Firewall
Of course, once we have this clear, if something has to characterize this software solution that we are talking about, that is its simplicity when it comes to presenting the data, as it is. As soon as the application is started, we find a window that has a central panel in which we can see all the connections that the PC is currently using. Each of them shows very useful information such as the process that uses them, the local address, the remote address, their status, or the moment in which it was created.
View connections in real time with maps or charts
One of the functions of Windows Firewall Notifier is perhaps most striking to us, is the one found in the Map section. Here we will be able to visualize, also in real time, the place to which the current connections of the equipment are directed. For this, an attractive world map is used in which we will quickly see the active connections at that moment.
Of course, in the event that what really interests you is knowing the bandwidth that each of the connections is consuming at that time, we recommend you access the Bandwidth section. Here we are going to find a graphic visual that allows us to clearly see this important information. Also keep in mind that by default the graph refreshes every ten seconds.
Manage the rules established in Windows Firewall
And how could it be otherwise, from the interface that WFN proposes, we will also have the possibility of managing the rules of the Windows Firewall itself. At the same time, the program gives us the opportunity to configure and personalize some sections of this security function of the operating system. Thus, to say that for all this we will only have to access the Firewall settings and Firewall rules tabs that are located to the left of the main interface.
Other alternatives to Windows Firewall Notifier
At this point, we will tell you that another proposal of this type, or at least similar, is TinyWall . This is a program that will also allow us to take control of the Windows Firewall itself to manage it more effectively. It also has some other additional functions that try to facilitate these tasks.
All this is carried out from a simple user interface , as it could not be otherwise, although it is not as attractive as the one we have just reviewed in WFN. However, when it comes to their functionality, they are similar. To download this other proposal that we are talking about, we can do it from this link .
How to Download Windows Firewall Notifier, Free
As we have previously mentioned, this is a program that allows us to control and receive data from the open source Windows Firewall . That is why in order to benefit from the functions it presents, it is something that we can do from its own space on the GitHub development platform.
Well, to achieve this you will only have to access this link from your browser.