Enabling the Mac OS X Firewall

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Last updated: Nov 13, 2024 by Peter Means
1 min read

Introduction

A firewall is a security system that acts as a protective boundary between a network and the outside world. Macintosh OS X includes firewall software, called ipfw, which you can use to restrict what information is communicated between the Internet and your computer.

Enabling the OS 10.5 (LEOPARD) Firewall

To enable or disable the OS X Firewall: 

  • Open System Preferences by clicking on the icon in the dock. 

      

  • Open the Security preference window. 
  • Select the Firewall tab. 
  • To turn off your firewall and allow all acess to your computer, select Allow all incoming connections.
  • To turn your firewall on with user control over which programs have access to the internet, select Set access for specific services and applications.
  • To let Leopard detemine what to give access to, select Allow only essential services.

 Enabling the OS 10.4 (TIGER) Firewall

To enable or disable the OS X Firewall: 

  • Open System Preferences by clicking on the icon in the dock. 

  • Open the Sharing preference window. 
  • Select the Firewall tab. 
  • On the Firewall tab, either:
    • Enable the OS X Firewall by clicking the Start button.
    • Disable the OS X Firewall by clicking the Stop button. This disables the firewall; your computer and network are then vulnerable to intrusions.