Overview

Simplified helper functions to block and unblock ports and programs Utilizes New-NetFirewallRule and Remove-NetFirewallRule functions and turns them into easier to use versions for basic operations

Documentation

You can find documentation hosted on this project's readthedocs page https://EzFirewallMgmt.readthedocs.io/en/latest/

Installation

Through powershell Gallery (Recommended)

This module is published in the powershellgallery.com. Simply run Install-Module EzFirewallMgmt in powershell to install the latest published version. Then Import-Module EzFirewallMgmt to start using it.

See also https://www.powershellgallery.com/packages/EzFirewallMgmt

Manual Building

• Clone this repo
• Run the build.ps1 -releaseNote "manual building/edits" script in the root of the repo.
  • You should use the cloned repo's root directory as a working directory when running the build script
• Move the built module to the default module install directory
  • Move-Item "$ENV:UserProfile\ModuleBuild\EzFirewallMgmt" "$ENV:PROGRAMFILES\WindowsPowershell\Modules\EZFirewallMgmt"
  • That is the default module install directory for Powershell 5.1. This module should work with powershell 6/7 but those have different module directory paths for user/machine installs. I haven't tested this on 6/7 but I'm pretty sure it would at least work on 7 for windows. Could theoretically one day make this cross platform by making it use iptables for linux machines, but that's a project for another day, or another person.
• Run Import-Module EzFirewallMgmt to start using the module
  • You can also import from the default build directory without moving it to the installed modules directory with Import-Module "$ENV:UserProfile\ModuleBuild\EzFirewallMgmt"

Usage Scenario

i.e. Maybe you set windows firewall to default block all incoming/outgoing connections So you now want to selectively unblock things through the firewall for a more secure and controlled network.

You could set the default controls to block in the windows firewall advanced setting gui/control panel and then use the following ideas to start opening things up.

Port Rules

You could unblock a port on both tcp and udp simply with Unblock-Port -port 1434

Or just unblock a port on tcp Unblock-Port -port 1433 -protocol TCP

Program Rules

There is also Unblock-Program -name "steam" this will find that folders that match that program name in the program files folders and allow all exe's within those folders access to the network.

Or you can specify a path to a specific program(s) with Unblock-Program -path "C:\Path\to\program.exe"

Each Unblock function has an equal Block function that operates the same but creates block action rules.

Removing Rules

You can also remove rules that were created with this module with Remove-PortRule and Remove-ProgramRule.

THe parameters for

Rule Naming

These removals and adds of firewall rules will create names based on the command used. i.e. Unblock-Port -port "1433-1434","135" would create rules named "Unblock Port 1433-1434,135 TCP inbound", "Unblock Port 1433-1434,135 TCP outbound", "Unblock Port 1433-1434,135 UDP inbound", "Unblock Port 1433-1434,135 UDP outbound"

Running Remove-PortUnblock -port "1433-1434","135" Would remove all 4 of those rules by using Get-PortRuleName to get the base string used for creating the rule and appending a wildcard * to it.

The program rules follow a similar pattern of {Unblock|Block} program {programName} - {program.exe} {inbound|outbound} and the Remove-ProgramRule function works in the same wildcard appending manner.