Goal: In this tutorial, my goal is to show you how to keep Windows Firewall enabled, but allow the ports you need to host a Minecraft Server through the firewall.

Introduction:

Depending on who you talk to, some people might just suggest turning off Windows Firewall. While it's not really a huge deal to shut it off, it's always better to keep it enabled. It's always best to have a layered approach when dealing with security, and running a Minecraft Server is no different. While you cannot manage bans through Windows Firewall, you can control some very critical traffic that may come to your network. For Example, you may have some malicious users that join your server and eventually, they may decide to perform a DoS attack on your server. Using Windows Firewall, you can deny any traffic from their IP to your network, while in Minecraft all you can do is ban then from actually signing on. Please note that I am not saying that Windows Firewall will prevent a DoS attack, it is merely another layer in the security.

For this tutorial, I will be using my own computer as a demonstration which is running Windows 7 Enterprise x64. These instructions should be close or similar for any computer running Windows Vista and up, or Windows Server 2008 and up.

Necessary Information:

There are a few things that you will need to get started.

• Administrative Access to your Windows Based Computer
  
• Your desired port for your minecraft server
  
• A list of other services you need to run, and their port numbers (Dynmap, Votifier, Web Server, etc)
  

Step 1: Open Windows Firewall
Once you're signed on to your computer using an administrative account, we will need to open Windows Firewall.

1. Click on the 'Start' Button
2. In the 'Start Search' box, type WF.msc
3. Press the 'Enter' Key - The 'Windows Firewall with Advanced Security' window should appear

Step 2: Add the Minecraft Server Port

1. In the 'Windows Firewall with Advanced Security' window, click on the 'Inbound Rules' button on the left



2. In the 'Actions' Toolbar to the right, Choose 'New Rule...' - The 'New Inbound Rule Wizard' will appear.


3. Choose the 'Port' option from the selection and click 'Next'
4. Make sure that 'TCP' is selected at the top part of the window
5. Select 'Specific local ports:' if it is not already selected
6. Enter the port number for your Minecraft Server - By default, the port is 25565 - Then Click 'Next'



7. Select 'Allow the connection' if it is not already selected and click 'Next'
8. In this window, you can select which connection profile that this rule applies to. You can find out what you've marked your connection as in the Network and Sharing Center, but if you're using a desktop computer that does not leave your house, you can just leave all three boxes checked (I believe two boxes if you're using a Home version of the OS) - Click 'Next'

9. Give this rule a name. I usually use something like 'Minecraft Server - TCP 25565'
10. Click 'Finish'

At this point, you have successfully allowed the Minecraft Server port through your Windows Firewall, while keeping all of the other ports secure. You can follow the same procedure above to add the ports for other services you may need for Minecraft, such as Dynmap (8123), Votifier (8192) or anything else.

I hope you found this guide useful, and if there is anything you think I should add to this post, feel free to let me know and I'll see what I can do!