Windows Firewall with Advanced Security, a Microsoft Management Console (MMC) snap-in, in Windows 7 & Vista is a stateful, host-based firewall that filters incoming and outgoing connections based on its configuration.

Windows Firewall with Advanced Security also supports an RFC-compliant implementation of Internet Protocol security (IPsec), IPsec and firewall configuration can now be done together in this snap-in.

This document from Microsoft describes how Windows Firewall with Advanced Security works, what the common troubleshooting situations are, and which tools you can use for troubleshooting.

Its is a very exhaustive document and its contents, inter alia, include:

- Tools and Procedures Used to Troubleshoot Windows Firewall
- Troubleshooting considerations for firewall rules
- Viewing Firewall and IPsec Events in Event Viewer
- Configuring Firewall Log Files
- Verifying that Key Firewall and IPsec Services are Working
- Capturing Firewall and IPsec Events with Netsh WFP
- Windows Firewall Is Blocking a Program
- Verify that Windows Firewall is enabled for your network location
- Group Policy does not allow local rules to be applied
- Rules that require connection security might be blocking traffic
- Windows Firewall Is Turned off Every Time I Start My Computer
- Cannot Configure Windows Firewall with Advanced Security
- Nobody Can Ping My Computer
- Nobody Can Access My Local File and Printer Shares
- Cannot Remotely Administer Windows Firewall
- IPsec Troubleshooting Situations.

Download Page : Microsoft.

Applies to: Windows 7; Windows Vista; Windows Server 2008.