How to Configure Zone Alarm on a DNS Server
When your computer is hooked up to an Internet source, it is potentially vulnerable to any number of threats from other computers and servers. One of the best ways to protect your system is to use a firewall program such as Zone Alarm, which blocks attempts to access your computer. Unfortunately these programs are also capable of blocking access attempts from legitimate sources, such as your Internet service provider's DNS server. Configuring Zone Alarm to work with a DNS server only takes a few clicks.
Instructions
Difficulty:
Step 1
Open the Zone Alarm program. Click the "Firewall" tab at the far left of the Zone Alarm window.
Step 2
Click the "Custom" button in the "Internet Zone Security" heading. Select "High Security Settings." Scroll through the list of ports and click the check box next to the "Outgoing DNS (port 53)" entry.
Step 3
Click "Apply" and select "OK" to allow DNS server traffic. Navigate to the "Alerts & Logs" tab at the left side of the Zone Alarm window.
Step 4
Click the "Log Viewer" link at the top-right end of the window. Scroll through the list of logs and check to see if there is an entry for your Internet service provider's DNS server.
Step 5
Note down the IP address listed next to the name of the DNS server. Return to the "Firewall" tab and click the "Zones" link at the top right of the window.
Step 6
Click the "Add" button and choose the "IP Address" option in the drop-down menu. Click the "Trusted Zone" option.
Step 7
Type the DNS server IP address you noted earlier in the "IP Address" text box. Type a description of the address in the "Description" box, such as "DNS Sever IP" or something similar.
Step 8
Click "OK" to allow traffic from your Internet service provider's DNS server through the Zone Alarm firewall.
References
Resources
Tips & Warnings
- The name and IP address of your Internet service provider's DNS server will only appear in the "Alerts & Logs" tab if Zone Alarm has previously blocked the server. If the server is not listed, you don't need to add it to the list of allowed IP addresses, as Zone Alarm is already allowing the traffic through the firewall.
Article Written By Ty Arthur
Ty Arthur has been writing technical and entertainment-related articles for a variety of online sources since 2008. His articles have appeared on Metalunderground.com and many other websites. Arthur attended the Great Falls College of Technology and studied both computer science and creative writing.