Firewall - stopping incoming emails

[Zambo]

I use ZoneAlarm free firewall. I recently upgraded my email app to a new version and immediately noticed that emails were not being received, although I could send them and they were getting to their destination. After a while investigating I found that it was the firewall which was the problem.

Does anyone use ZoneAlarm free? If so, are there any configuration steps as I can't find any, where I could make an exception for my email app? I've switched off for the time being and using Windows Defender, but have no idea how reliable that is. Also can't find out why a new version of the app would cause this, as it was working fine with the previous one.

Cheers.

[Vespa]

Have you tried adding your email domain to your trusted zone/sites?

[Zambo]

Have you tried adding your email domain to your trusted zone/sites?

Problem is on Zone Alarm free, I can't find a section would allow me to do that. Maybe that facility only comes with the pro version.

[Vespa]

It seems to suggest here you can do it under settings?

https://www.zonealarm.com/learning-center/firewall

If you are using windows you could trying turning the zonealarm off and turning on windows defender?

[Zambo]

It seems to suggest here you can do it under settings?

https://www.zonealarm.com/learning-center/firewall

If you are using windows you could trying turning the zonealarm off and turning on windows defender?

Yeah, that's how I'm operating that the moment. If Defender is OK, and looking at views on the internet, it seems it could be sufficient to me, I may just uninstall ZoneAlarm. Just didn't understand why it was fine using one version of my email app but not the upgrade.

It says

Click in the ANTIVIRUS & FIREWALL panel of the ZoneAlarm software client.
Click Settings in the Advanced Firewall section.
Click Advanced Settings. ...
In the Network Settings area, select app or url

Problem is I don't have an advanced firewall section, and that's what made me think it may only be on the pro version.

[The Ghost of Alex Higgins]

For god's sake Zummers stop fiddling around with all this shit and buy a Chromebook

[Vespa]

For god's sake Zummers stop fiddling around with all this shit and buy a Chromebook

Have to say I bought my first Chromebook this year as a personal device and it's been excellent, as you say no fucking around with antivirus, firewalls etc

I still have a Mac for video/audio editing and some applications needed for work but if I could do all that online I'd only need a chromebook.

[Zambo]

Blimey, they are cheap. What's the catch?

[Vespa]

Blimey, they are cheap. What's the catch?

Not sure they are catches but for me the downsides are:

1. You can't load programs, only use websites services. If you don't need things installed on your machine and do most things online i.e. email, browsing etc you're fine. Technically you can load android apps and Linux programs by my experience with them is they are a bit shit on Chromebooks. 95% of what I do it through websites so not really an issue.
2. Lack of biometric login - no fingerprint scanners, face login etc.

Apart from that if you spend all your time using websites and don't need big applications like excel you are good to go.

I've got a Google Pixelbook Go and it's great.

[Zambo]

Bought a new desktop a few months ago, but that's looks really interesting. Thanks for the input.

[LaaLaa]

I'm using the free Zonealarm and I know it doesn't mess with my email because I do get spam occasionally.
I wasn't even aware you couid get it to stop emails altogether. I would have assumed that it'd only step in when you tried to open a dodgy email.

[Zambo]

I'm using the free Zonealarm and I know it doesn't mess with my email because I do get spam occasionally.
I wasn't even aware you couid get it to stop emails altogether. I would have assumed that it'd only step in when you tried to open a dodgy email.

Can you see anything in the settings in your ZoneAlarm, where you might be able to configure and create exceptions? If I can get into that I can set it to accept my email client. As I said, I have no idea why an upgrade of my email app with the same settings would cause a problem, but it's definitely ZoneAlarm firewall which is doing it.

[LaaLaa]

I can't see anything like that. If you go to the settings... firewall - application control - settings - view programs there's a long list of everything it blocks or allows - except if email was blocked there it'd block all of them and you'd get no email at all, not even legitimate ones. As far as I can see it has no option to block *some* email, it's all or nothing. Maybe you have a different version of Zonealarm to me.

[Zambo]

Yeah, all incoming emails are blocked, not getting any, that's why I had to ditch it. I will have a look at the route in ZA, and see if I can work it out. Thanks for the info.

[Zambo]

Tried app control, setting, progs and set my email app as trusted, but still no go. Emails are being sent but not being received. (IMAP) Ran diagnostics on email client and just not connecting to server.

Have had to uninstall and am using Windows Defender firewall. Emails are now being received.