PacketHound 1.2.0 Released as Free Outbound Firewall for Windows 10 and 11

PacketHound 1.2.0 is a free outbound firewall for Windows 10 and 11. It changes Windows Firewall's outgoing default to block, then asks whether to allow or block the first time an app tries to connect to the internet. The program is 68.2 MB and is available as a free download for Windows 10 and Windows 11.

How it works

PacketHound builds on the firewall already included in Windows and does not install a kernel driver or a background service of its own. Windows components are allowed automatically, while installed apps trigger a prompt showing the app, its publisher, the destination and the port. A program counts as Windows only if it is in a Windows folder, is owned by the system and has a valid Microsoft Windows signature, so copied malware does not get automatic access.

Even Windows tools often used by malware, including PowerShell, curl, certutil, mshta and rundll32, still prompt before they connect. Every decision becomes an ordinary Windows Firewall rule visible in wf.msc, and the rules keep working when PacketHound is closed. Prompts appear on top without taking keyboard focus.

Rules and activity

The first connection attempt is blocked before the user can answer, so an app may need to retry after Allow is clicked. Rules apply to the whole app by default, but can be limited to an IP address, host or domain. Rules marked until an app quits remain until every process has ended, which matters for browsers and tray apps that keep running in the background.

The Rules tab allows flipping an app between Allow and Block with one switch, searching and sorting entries, and clearing rules for uninstalled programs. The activity log records blocked attempts with hostname, port and outcome. Apps can also be set to Decide later and remain blocked until reviewed.

Availability and support

PacketHound is free, with no trial, account or adverts, and its full source code is on GitHub under the GNU General Public License v3. It does not collect data or analytics; it performs DNS lookups to show server names and checks weekly for newer versions unless that is turned off. It requires administrator rights to change Windows Firewall settings and read the Security event log, and it may not work if a third-party security suite has replaced Windows Firewall.

When PacketHound is not running, existing rules continue to work as ordinary Windows Firewall rules. Uninstalling through Windows Settings restores Windows Firewall settings to their previous state. Bugs and feature requests can be reported through GitHub issues.

Sources: packethound.app