Configuring Windows Firewall for DW IP Finder

Configuring Windows Firewall for DW IP Finder™

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Affected Roles:  Administrator, Owner

Related Digital Watchdog VMS Apps:  DW IP Finder™

Complexity:  Low

Last Edit:  October 21, 2022

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Firewall Permissions

DW IP Finder™ can be a helpful tool for configuring the settings of your Digital Watchdog MEGApix® IP cameras.  However, it is a common issue for Windows Firewall to block communication between the surveillance solutions of the DW Spectrum® Server and cameras on the local network.  An example of this might be the DW IP Finder tool encountering difficulty locating certain MEGApix IP cameras or being unable to locate cameras at all.

This article will outline how to change the Windows Firewall security settings to allow the DW IP Finder application, specifically, to have an easier time communicating with your MEGApix IP cameras.

**NOTE:  DW IP Finder is compatible with Windows OS only.  You may acquire this tool from the DW IP Finder product page under the Software tab.

Supported/Affected Devices:

• DW Blackjack® Server Series (Windows OS)
• MEGApix® IP Camera Series

Configuring Firewall Permissions

To allow DW IP Finder to communicate through your server’s Windows Firewall:

1. Before beginning this process, ensure that the DW IP Finder program is not running.  If it is currently running, close the program.

2. Open the Windows Start Menu and search for “Firewall”.

Select “Allow an app through Windows Firewall”.

3. The Allowed Apps window will display.

Click on the Change Settings button to enable the ability to change the security settings.

4. Locate and select “DW IP Finder”, then enable both Private and Public permissions.

If you do not have the “DW IP Finder” program listed, please refer to the Manually Adding DW IP Finder to Windows Defender Firewall section below.

5. After enabling DW IP Finder permissions through the Windows Firewall, DW IP Finder should now be able to locate your MEGApix IP Cameras.

Manually Adding DW IP Finder to Windows Defender Firewall

If you have installed the DW IP Finder application but the program is not listed among the allowed apps for Windows Defender Firewall:

1. Open the Windows Start Menu and search for “Firewall”.

Select “Allow an app through Windows Firewall”.

2. The Allowed Apps window will display.

Click the “Change settings” button, then click the “Allow another app…” button.

3. An Add an app window will display.

Click the “Browse…” button and set the Path to the DW IP Finder program located in:

After setting the Path, click the “Network types…” button.

4. Place a check for Private and Public network types then click the OK button to add the DW IP Finder program to Windows Defender Firewall.