How to Disable Windows Server Firewall - Turn off firewall

Disabling the Firewall is typically used as a temporary diagnostic step to determine if issues originate from the firewall. Users should not disable the Firewall for extended periods, especially on VPS or servers with public IPs, as this increases the risk of port scanning, brute-force password guessing, and unauthorized access.

In this article, VPTS will guide you how to disable and re-enable the Firewall on Windows Server, Windows 10, Windows 11, Ubuntu, Debian, CentOS, Rocky Linux, and AlmaLinux. The article also provides commands to check status, open required ports, and troubleshoot when the firewall is disabled but you still cannot connect to the VPS.

A firewall is a network security system that acts as a barrier between an internal network (computers, enterprise systems) and the outside environment (such as the Internet). It monitors, controls incoming/outgoing traffic, and blocks malicious connections based on established rules.

Step 1: Open Control Panel on Windows Server

Click the Start button, then search:Control Panel

Step 2: Navigate to Windows Firewall in Control Panel

After opening Control Panel, proceed to:

• Select System and Security to access system security settings.
• Here, click Windows Firewall to open the firewall management interface.

Step 3: Access Firewall toggle settings

After entering the Windows Firewall interface, look to the left side of the window, then click “Turn Windows Firewall on or off” to configure turning the Firewall on/off as desired.

Step 4: Turn off Windows Firewall

• Check the Turn off Windows Defender Firewall box in both Private network settings and Public network settings as shown below.

• Once disabling the firewall is complete, you will see the Windows Defender Firewall interface displayed as follows:

On Linux, the firewall is typically managed by firewalld, UFW, or iptables. Depending on the operating system you are using, follow the instructions below.

1. Disable Firewall with firewalld

Firewalld is commonly used on CentOS, Rocky Linux, and AlmaLinux.

Open Terminal and run:

In which:

• stop: Stop the firewall immediately.
• disable: Prevent firewalld from automatically restarting after VPS reboot.

Check status:

If inactive (dead) is displayed, firewalld has been disabled successfully.

2. Disable Firewall using UFW

UFW is commonly used on Ubuntu and Debian.

First, check the current status:

If the result displays:Status: active ->means the firewall is active.

Disable UFW with the command:

When the notification appears:Firewall stopped and disabled on system startup

UFW has been completely disabled and will not automatically restart upon VPS reboot.

3. Disable Firewall using iptables

Some older Linux distributions may use iptables to manage firewalls.

Check current rules:

Delete active rules:

If the system has the iptables service, you can stop and disable auto-start using:

Step 1: Open Services tool

Click the Start button, then search:Component Services

Step 2:Open Services, find Windows Firewall, right-click, and select Properties.

Step 3: Change Startup type to Automatic, click Apply, then select Start

Firewall service has been re-enabled. Check necessary ports and test connectivity to ensure the system is operating normally.

You should only temporarily disable the Firewall in certain testing or troubleshooting cases, such as:

• Cannot access website, software, or service ports on the VPS.
• Need to determine whether Firewall is the cause of the connection error.
• Installing or testing an application requiring an open network port.
• Need to quickly test network configurations, NAT, or internal services.
• The system is already managed by another Firewall layer, but careful verification is still required before disabling it.

Do not disable Firewall long-term on servers running websites, databases, Remote Desktop, SSH, or storing sensitive data. Once testing is complete, re-enable the firewall and create rules for the exact ports or applications needed.

Disabling the firewall on Windows Server or Linux can help quickly check for blocked ports, Remote Desktop or SSH errors, or software connection issues. However, the firewall should only be disabled temporarily; once the cause is identified, you should turn it back on and create rules for the exact ports in use to keep your VPS operating stably and securely.

If you have turned off the Firewall but still cannot connect, also check service status, listening ports, NAT configuration, Router, or external firewall layers.

VPTS is a provider of VPS, Hosting, and digital infrastructure solutions in Vietnam, accompanying customers throughout deployment, operation, and system troubleshooting.

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VPTS is a digital infrastructure solution provider in Vietnam, serving deployment, operation, and data storage needs for individuals, developers, and enterprises. The service ecosystem includesVietnam VPS, International VPS, VPS Anti DDoS, Hosting cPanel, dedicated server, Rack rental, Proxy IPv4/IPv6, S3 MinIOandCloud Storage.

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