How To Resolve “Allow Chrome To Access The Network In Your Firewall Or Antivirus Settings” Error

Antivirus and Firewalls are crucial for your PC or laptop. They are designed to monitor the online activities on your system and safeguard it from threats. However, they can cause interference and lead to various issues while you are using the Internet browser. You must have come across an error in Chrome saying ‘Allow Chrome to access the network in your firewall or antivirus settings’. This is not exactly an error. It is basically a suggestion that you receive when your Chrome browser is affected by any issues. 

Thankfully, there are simple troubleshooting hacks using which you can promptly get rid of this problem. To help you resolve the issue in question, we have provided a list of easy hacks in this blog. 

What Leads to ‘Allow Chrome to Access the Network in your Firewall or Antivirus Settings’ Issue?

Your system can be a victim of a virus or malware attack, scams, frauds, and cyberattacks. To protect your system and your data, the system comes with a Defender or a firewall. Moreover, you might have also installed an anti-virus application for additional security.

Sometimes these programs and applications can stop Chrome from connecting to the Internet. This happens mostly when these applications and software detect a potential threat in your online activities. 

Alternatively, you can also face this error when there’s an issue with the DNS settings of your system. 

Methods to Eliminate ‘Allow Chrome to Access The Network in Your Firewall or Antivirus Settings’ Error:

If you are a Windows user, you will come across this error in question quite frequently. This issue can be very frustrating and can also potentially hamper your work. Thankfully, you don’t need professional help to resolve this error. You can go through the following methods to promptly troubleshoot this issue. 

Method 1: Add Exclusion to Windows Firewall

The first thing that you must do is to add an exception to the Windows Firewall. A firewall is basically a network security structure that is designed for the surveillance of incoming as well as outgoing traffic. Sometimes, the Windows Firewall can block Chrome from accessing the Internet or any other associated services and features. 

To prevent this from happening, you need to add Chrome to the exception list of the Windows Firewall. Here’s what you need to do: 

Step 1

At first, press the ‘Windows’ key and the ‘R’ key together. This will prompt a New Search section to open. Thereafter, type ‘firewall’ in the search section and choose the ‘Firewall and Network Protection’ option. 

Step 2

Once you click on this option, the ‘Window Security’ dialog box will appear on the screen. In this dialog box, choose the ‘Allow an app through the Windows Defender Firewall’. After this, a long list containing all the applications on your computer will appear. You will also get to see whether each of these applications is blocked or allowed. 

Step 3

Now, from the list, look for the Google Chrome option and make sure to check the box located next to it. However, if you face any problem while adding Chrome on this exception list, you can try disabling the Firewall temporarily. 

To disable the Windows Firewall, you need to go back to the main page. There select the ‘Turn Windows Defender Firewall on or off’. Through this option, you can enable or disable the firewall for both public and private networks. 

Method 2: Add Exception to Windows Defender

Microsoft developed a dedicated anti-malware application to protect Windows devices from cyberattacks, spyware, and malware. They introduced this feature in Windows XP initially. Later on, they rolled out the Defender on other versions as well. If you wish to exclude Google Chrome from the surveillance of Windows Defender, you can go through these instructions: 

Step 1

Begin the process by pressing the ‘Windows’ button. Now, type ‘Windows Defender’ in the search bar. From the list of applications mentioned, locate the ‘Windows Defender Security Center’ application and click on it. 

Step 2

Once you click on it, you will find a long list of options. Choose the ‘Virus and Threat Protection’ option from the list. Now, look for the ‘Virus and Threat Protection Settings’ option. However, the OS can ask you to provide Administrator access in order to complete this action. Allow administrator access if required. 

Step 3

After this, locate and click on the ‘Add or Remove Exclusions’ option. Through this option, you will be able to add or remove exceptions to the Windows Defender. Here, you need to choose Chrome and add it to the exclusion list. 

Step 4

Select the ‘Exclude a folder’ option and then move to the Chrome directory. Now, choose the folder containing Chrome and then save the changes that you just made. 

[Note: The Chrome folder is usually located at “C:\Program Files (x86)\Google”]

Method 3: Add Exception to an Antivirus Application

Most users also have antivirus software installed on their system for additional security. This can also stop Chrome from connecting to the Internet. To include Chrome in the exception list of the antivirus software, you can go through the following instructions: 

Step 1

First of all, launch the antivirus software by double-clicking on the icon. Thereafter, click on the ‘Menu’ option and then from the list of options, choose the ‘Settings’ option. 

Step 2

Thereafter, you will be directed to the ‘Settings’ page. Look for the ‘General’ options and click on it. After this, under the General section, click on the General tab. On this page, find the ‘Add Exception’ button and click on it. 

Step 3

Now, within the ‘Add Exception’ dialog box, provide the URL that you are not able to access using Google Chrome. Finally, tap on the ‘Add Exception’ button. In this way, you can bypass the error in question. 

Wrapping Up

To sum up, Chrome is quite a useful application for our day-to-day work. If you face’ Allow Chrome to access the network in your firewall or antivirus settings’ error, then you can go through the above-mentioned steps. These solutions are both reliable and simple to apply. 

If you have any suggestions or feedback to provide, then you can use the comment section.