How to block a specific program from using the internet without using software

There are many reasons that can cause noticeable slowdown in your internet connection. Sometimes it could be due to a malfunction in the company providing your internet connection, in which case the problem is general and cannot be solved. However, if it is specific to you, then you should follow the five steps we previously reviewed to make your internet faster. You should also follow ways to save internet usage, as it contributes to speeding it up to the maximum degree. However, let me tell you, dear reader, that there is something else that you may not have considered, which could be the cause of internet slowness, and that is the various programs installed on your device. Despite the fact that you rarely use most of them or they are not intended for internet connection, such as browsers, they consume internet bandwidth in the background. So, I will introduce a unique method to block a program from accessing the internet without the need for external programs.

Before we start explaining the steps, you should know why a program uses the internet. There are many reasons, but one common example that drives some programs to use the internet is automatic updates. You may have a program that updates itself in the background without the user’s knowledge, and this is often free security programs and browsers, or it may use the internet to display ads, among many other cases where you need to try cutting off internet access to this specific program. Here is how you can do it.

Since we want to block a program from accessing the internet, we will need a firewall, as it is the only means capable of executing the task. However, as mentioned, we will not use external tools, as Windows comes with a built-in firewall that we will use in this guide. To access it, go to Control Panel from the Start menu, then search for Windows Firewall. From the side window, click on Advanced settings. This option will allow us to add the program you want to block from accessing the internet.

By clicking on Advanced settings, a window will appear. Look to the left side where you will find Inbound Rules. Click on New Rule on the right side, and another pop-up window will appear. Start by selecting “Program” and then click Next to proceed to the second step. Here, select “The program path” and click Browse to select the file through which the program you want to block is run, usually located in the Program Files folder. After finishing, click Next.

Now comes the most important step, which is to select the “Block the connection” option, which will prevent the specified program from using the internet in the background. After selecting this option, click Next and do not uncheck the default options, leave everything as is and click Next again. You will be asked to enter the name of the program you have selected, and after finishing, click Finish at the bottom. The program will be added to the list of programs prohibited from using the internet.

When you try running the program, you will find that it can still access the internet because we only blocked incoming connections. We still need to block outgoing connections to completely prevent it, by following the same steps but going to Outbound Rules instead of Inbound. Click on New Rule on the right side and continue with the same steps. After finishing and seeing that the program name appears next to it with a red “block” icon, this means that the steps have been successfully completed.

Now test the program you blocked and verify that it cannot access the internet, even though the computer is actually connected to the internet, either through a cable or wirelessly via a laptop. It will think that you are not connected and therefore will not be able to communicate with the internet at all, allowing you to use it and perform tasks on it without any issue.