Learning mode

The Learning mode feature in ESET Smart Security's Personal firewall creates and saves a rule for each communication that has been established in the system, with no user interaction required. You can also define which parameters should be saved for new rules.
This mode is not safe, and is recommended only for initial configuration of the Personal firewall.

Activate the Learning mode to display Learning mode options in the Advanced Personal firewall setup. This section includes the following items:

Warning: While in Learning mode, the Personal firewall does not filter communication. All outgoing and incoming communications are allowed. In this mode, your computer is not fully protected by the Personal firewall.

Communication type
Select individual principles of rule creation for each type of communication. There are four types of communication:

- Inbound traffic from the Trusted zone
- Outbound traffic to the Trusted zone
- Inbound Internet traffic
- Outbound Internet traffic

Rule creation policy
This section allows you to define parameters to be added for newly created rules.

Local

Add local port
Enter the local port number of the network communication. For outgoing communications, usually random ports are used. For this reason, we recommend enabling this option only for incoming communications.

Add application

Enter the name of the local application. This option is suitable for future application-level rules (rules which define communication for an entire application). For example, you can enable communication only for a web browser or email client.

Remote

Add remote port

Enter the remote port of the network communication to deny a specific service associated with a standard port number (HTTP - 80, POP3 - 110, etc.)

Add remote IP address / Trusted zone

A remote IP address or zone can be used as a parameter for new rules defining all network connections between the local system and these remote addresses / zones. This option is suitable if you want to define actions for a certain computer or a group of networked computers.

Maximum number of rules for an application

If an application communicates through different ports, to various IP addresses, etc., the firewall in Learning mode creates appropriate count of rules for this application. This option allows you to limit the count of rules which can be created for one application.

Date of learning mode expiration

Specifies the date which Learning mode will deactivate. This option is intended to prevent the user from operating the Personal firewall in Learning mode for an extended period of time. We recommend switching the Personal firewall to Learning mode only for a short time, while the user initiates typical connections. Network communications which are saved during the Learning mode period can be used as the foundation for a permanent set of rules.