NoiseWall user guide

NoiseWall is a firewall that lets only the programs you have allowed onto the internet. This guide walks you through everything, from the first launch to advanced rules. No technical knowledge needed.

1. How NoiseWall works

Think of NoiseWall as a doorman with a guest list. Every program that wants to connect to the internet or the network has to get past him:

• The program is on the allowed list → the doorman lets it through.
• The program is not on the list → the doorman does not let it through and asks you whether you want to allow it (a notification in the bottom-right corner).
• The program is on the blocked list → he doesn't let it through and doesn't even ask anymore.

This works in both directions: out (a program connects to the internet) and in (someone from outside connects to your computer).

2. First steps after installation

1. Run the wizard (it opens by itself on first launch, otherwise Settings → Setup wizard). It asks, for example, whether you use network drives or a network printer, and which browsers you have.
2. Open your usual programs – browser, e-mail, Discord, Spotify… A notification pops up for each one that tries to connect.
3. Click Allow for programs you know. For unknown ones, click Block or Later.
4. Done. After a few days you will have allowed everything you really use, and NoiseWall will only ask about new programs.

3. Notifications – what to do when they pop up

When a program that is not on the list yet tries to connect, a notification appears in the bottom-right corner with a red “NoiseWall blocked a connection” banner – so you can tell it apart from ordinary Windows messages at a glance (NoiseWall's informational pop-ups, e.g. about a program update, are grey). In Settings you can also turn on a sound when a notification appears.

While a notification (or a LAN Chat message) is waiting for you, the NoiseWall icon at the clock is a red fist with a raised middle finger; once it is dealt with, it turns blue again. With the Overview open, the big fist briefly shows the same gesture whenever NoiseWall blocks an unknown program.

Temporary permission

If you only need a program for a short while (e.g. a one-off update, an installer), click the small arrow ▾ right next to the Allow permanently button in the notification and choose 5, 15 or 30 minutes, 1 hour, 4 hours, 24 hours or until restart. In the applications list you will see a label like “Temporary · 42 min left”. In the application details you can extend the permission or make it permanent. When the time runs out, NoiseWall blocks the program again, shows a short message, and asks the next time the program tries to connect.

Verified publisher – how to spot a fake

Reputable programs are digitally signed by their maker. NoiseWall checks the signature and shows who published the program:

• ✓ Microsoft Corporation – verified publisher – the signature is valid, the program really comes from this maker. This kind of signature cannot be forged.
• ⚠ Unknown publisher (not signed) – the program has no signature. It isn't necessarily harmful (many small and older programs aren't signed), but be careful. If you see “claims: …” below it, that is just information anyone can write into the file – it is not verified.

NoiseWall also rejects a signature whose certificate Windows already knows to be revoked (for example because it was stolen). It only uses what Windows already has stored – nothing is downloaded for this.

“Windows kernel (System)” and “svchost.exe”

Some notifications don't belong to an ordinary program, but to Windows itself:

• Windows kernel (System) – the heart of Windows (ntoskrnl.exe) and its drivers. Things like network drives (Z:, NAS) go through it.
• svchost.exe – the Windows “service host”: Windows Update, printing, name resolution, device discovery…

These notifications offer two extra shortcuts:

• Allow Windows on the local network – Windows may communicate on your home/office network (drives, printers), never with the internet. This is usually what you want.
• Don't ask about Windows – NoiseWall stops asking about Windows components; they will be blocked silently and you will only see them in the Activity log.

Allow for the Windows kernel never allows the whole kernel – it creates a narrow rule just for that service (port) and just for the local network.

4. Applications

The Applications page is your guest list. For each program you see its icon, name, verified publisher, file path and status Allowed / Blocked.

• Add application – the button at the top right; you pick an .exe file.
• Block / Allow… – changes the status. Allowing a previously blocked application asks for confirmation (and shows the publisher, just to be safe).
• Pencil (Edit) – details: Allow incoming connections (only if the program must accept connections from outside, e.g. hosting a game), Follow updates (same publisher), editing the path.
• Bin (Remove) – the program goes back to being unknown: it is blocked and NoiseWall will ask again the next time it tries to connect.
• The ⚠ User folder label – the program is installed in your user profile (e.g. Discord, Spotify). Files there can be changed without administrator rights, so only allow programs you trust. NoiseWall re-checks the signature after every change.

Application updates (Discord, Teams, Claude…)

Some programs move to a new folder with every update, for example …\Discord\app-1.0.9034\ → …\Discord\app-1.0.9035\. Other firewalls then block them and you have to allow them again.

When you allow a program, NoiseWall remembers its verified publisher. When a new version shows up with the same name, in a folder with a new version number, and signed by the same publisher, the permission is carried over automatically and you just get a notice (“updated — access kept”). A fake file without the correct signature can never get through this way.

5. Rules

Most things are solved by allowing an application. Rules are for cases where you need finer control – for example “Windows may use the local network, but not the internet” or “block this address for all programs”. You turn each rule on/off with the switch on the left.

Predefined rules – what to turn on

The easiest way: in Settings, turn on Allow Windows on the local network – it turns on both “local network” rules at once.

Rule fields – what they mean

You create a new rule with the Add rule button. An empty field means “anything”.

Commonly used ports

Recipes – ready-made setups

6. Activity log

Here you'll find all blocked connection attempts (the last 2000): time, program, direction (arrow up = out, down = in), address, port and reason.

• Reason “Not on the allowed list” – you haven't allowed the program yet. You can allow it right here.
• “Application blocked” – you blocked it yourself.
• “Rule: …” (with a small red fist with a raised middle finger) – one of your blocking rules blocked it.
• Search also works with port numbers and addresses – handy when you're trying to find out why something doesn't work.

7. Settings

Recording allowed connections

In Settings → Privacy and logging you can turn on Record allowed connections. Then, in the Activity log, the Allowed switch shows you where the programs you have allowed connect to: address, port and its purpose (e.g. “Web (HTTPS)”), the number of connections and when it last happened. The application details include a “Where it connects” overview. This is handy for checking that an allowed program isn't doing anything unexpected.

• It is off by default. The record is kept only in this computer's memory and is cleared on restart. However, it can show which servers you visit.
• With the Selected… option you can track only some programs, for example everything except your browser.
• For Windows services, the whole svchost.exe process the service runs in is recorded.

Dangerous addresses (blocklists)

In Settings → Dangerous addresses you turn on lists of addresses that NoiseWall blocks for every program – including the ones you allowed:

Connections blocked by a list appear in the Activity log with the reason “Dangerous address: …”.

NoiseWall updates

NoiseWall tells you when a new version is out and installs it only when you click.

• What is downloaded and from where: once a day (the first time about 10 minutes after the computer starts), the NoiseWall service downloads a small list of versions from wall.noiseartillery.sk (the file update/latest.json and its signature). The installer of a new version (about 7 MB) is downloaded only when you click Install. NoiseWall uses no other place for updates.
• What is sent: nothing about you. It is an ordinary request for a file – no identifier, no version number and nothing about your computer. The website only sees your IP address, as with any visit.
• Where you see it: a new version is announced by a notification at the clock (the same as for connections) and by a card on the Overview with the buttons Install and Later. Settings → Updates shows the state, the time of the last check, the Check now button and the Check for updates automatically switch.
• Network: while checks are on, NoiseWall allows connections to port 443 (HTTPS) only for its own NoiseWall service – for no other program.

After you click Install, the window closes for a moment, the service installs the new version and the window opens again with the result. Your settings and rules stay. The computer stays protected during the update – the NoiseWall filters stay in Windows while the files are replaced. Every step (check, download, verification, installation) is written to activity.log, and the installation log also goes into the diagnostic file.

Turn checks off with the switch in Settings → Updates. You then download new versions yourself from wall.noiseartillery.sk.

Backing up and transferring settings

• Export… saves all applications, rules and options to a file. Useful as a backup or for moving to another computer; paths from your user profile are adjusted on the other computer.
• Import… loads the file and shows what will change before applying it, including a list of programs that will get network access. Merge adds only what you don't have yet and never loosens anything. Replace replaces everything. Protection always stays on during this.
• Choose a backup… – NoiseWall keeps the previous version every time something changes (the last 10). If you don't like a change, you can go back to the previous state.

8. Modules

Modules add features to NoiseWall. You find them in the left menu below the line: at the top the Module marketplace, below it the modules you installed and turned on (for example LAN Chat). Clicking a module opens it right in the NoiseWall window. A module that is turned off disappears from the menu; turn it on again in the marketplace.

• Each module is a separate program of NOISE ARTILLERY s. r. o. It runs with the rights of the signed-in user, never as administrator and never inside the firewall. If a module crashes, protection keeps running.
• It does nothing until you install it. When you install it, you see what the module may do and what NoiseWall adds for it. Without your consent it gets nothing.
• It cannot change rules or settings, turn protection off or allow another program.
• It may use the network only as you approved – for example only the local network and only one port. NoiseWall creates rules “Module: …” for it that apply only to the module's file.
• Only a verified file runs: the one shipped with your NoiseWall version and digitally signed by NOISE ARTILLERY s. r. o. If someone replaced it or its signature were not valid, the module would not start.
• A new version of a module that asks for other permissions stays off until you approve them again (the switch on the module's card).
• The switch on the card turns a module on or off; in the module's details you can uninstall it. Turning it off or uninstalling it ends the module and removes its rules and its exception in Windows Defender Firewall.

LAN Chat

Short text messages between computers in the same local network (at home, in the office – by cable or Wi-Fi) right in the NoiseWall window – no server, no account, no internet.

1. In the Module marketplace, click Install at the LAN Chat module, read what the module may do and confirm with Turn on. LAN Chat appears in the menu on the left.
2. At the top, click Your name: … and enter the name the others will see (the computer name by default). The name applies to all groups.
3. Click New group and give the group a name – the group code appears (25 characters, e.g. 7KQ4M-2XD9P-…).
4. Give the code to the people who should be in the group – in person or by a channel you trust. They choose Join a group, enter the code and name the group as they like.
5. Write a message and press Send (or Enter). Below the message you see who received it; “Sent – nobody has confirmed it yet” means no other computer of the group has confirmed it so far.

• Notifications: a new message appears at the clock and stays there until you close it or open the group it came to; clicking it opens the group. Until then the NoiseWall icon at the clock is red with a raised middle finger. While the group is open in front of you, no notification appears. The number of unread messages is shown next to LAN Chat in the menu and next to the group.
• Who can read: only those who have the group code. Messages are encrypted (AES-256-GCM) with a key derived from the code; without the code nobody can read or forge a message. So keep the code private.
• Where messages go: only to the local network (UDP port 47652, broadcast to the computers of the network), never to the internet. The computers of the group that are switched on and in the same network receive them.
• What is stored: on your computer your groups (name and code) and your name, and the last 500 messages of each group – text only, in the file %LOCALAPPDATA%\NoiseWall\LanChat\history.dat, encrypted for your Windows account (no other user or computer can read it). The history stays when the module or the computer is turned off and on. Messages cannot be edited or deleted one by one. When you Leave a group, its history is deleted too; uninstalling NoiseWall deletes the history of the user who runs the uninstall.
• What the others see: your name in the group and the address of your computer in the local network.
• How it works inside: a separate program of the module sends and receives the messages with your rights; the NoiseWall window only shows them and checks before connecting that it talks to the genuine module file.
• Users signed in to the same computer cannot message each other – LAN Chat is meant for different computers.

9. Exiting the app vs. turning off protection

Right-click the NoiseWall icon next to the clock and you have two options:

Closing the window with the X button only hides it to the icon next to the clock.

10. Troubleshooting

Nothing works at all – no internet, no network.

In Rules, check that DHCP and DNS are turned on. Without DHCP the computer doesn't get an address; without DNS it can't translate names.

I allowed my browser, but pages don't load.

Turn on the DNS rule. Some browsers translate names through Windows. If the problem only affects secure websites, also turn on NTP (accurate time).

A network drive (Z:) or NAS doesn't work.

See the Network drive recipe. The most common cause: DNS or Allow Windows on the local network is turned off.

Printing doesn't work.

See the Printer recipe.

A program doesn't work, but no notification appeared.

Maybe it is already on the blocked list (Applications page), or you clicked Later (it asks again in 10 minutes), or the NoiseWall app is not running. Check the Activity log – search for the program's name.

Notifications about “System” or “svchost.exe” annoy me.

Turn on Allow Windows on the local network and turn off Ask about Windows system components.

An application stopped working after an update.

For a signed application NoiseWall usually carries the permission over by itself (see Updates). If it has the Changed badge on the Applications page (typically an unsigned application after an update) and you updated it yourself, open its details and click Allow this version. If you didn't update it, leave it blocked and scan your computer with an antivirus.

A Store app, language pack or optional Windows feature won't install.

Temporarily turn on Microsoft Store and Windows add-ons in Settings → Windows and turn it off again after the installation. Why it isn't on all the time is explained under predefined rules.

The VPN won't connect.

Allow a VPN program (OpenVPN, WireGuard…) like an ordinary application. The VPN built into Windows needs the VPN built into Windows switch. See the VPN recipe.

The Windows clock is wrong.

Turn on the NTP rule.

A game / program needs to accept incoming connections (hosting, P2P).

On the Applications page → pencil → turn on Allow incoming connections.

Diagnostic file

If something does not work and you want someone to investigate it, open Settings → Diagnostic file → Create…. One text file NoiseWall-diagnostics-…txt is saved on the desktop with the NoiseWall settings (allowed and blocked programs, rules), the activity log (blocked connections including addresses), the service log, NoiseWall errors from the Windows event logs, the Windows version and the names of other filtering software (antivirus, VPN). It contains no passwords, files or browsing history. NoiseWall does not send it anywhere – you can open it in Notepad and decide whom to give it to.

Once an hour the service also writes a “Health” line into its log (%ProgramData%\NoiseWall\service.log) with its memory use and event counts, and it keeps blocked connections in the file %ProgramData%\NoiseWall\activity.log as well (time, program, address, port; at most 2 × 4 MB, older entries are overwritten). All of it stays on this computer – so that problems that show up only after days, or after a restart, can be found. These files are part of the diagnostic file.

11. Emergency network recovery

"C:\Program Files\NoiseWall\NoiseWallSvc.exe" --remove-filters

Uninstalling (Windows Settings → Apps → NoiseWall → Uninstall) removes the service and all filters – the network will work just as before.

12. Glossary

NoiseWall 1.0 · This guide is included with the installation and works without an internet connection. A Slovak version is available in navod.html.