HearthWire

Allow HearthWire in your antivirus

Your computers can't connect, but "Fix my network" says everything is fine?

Many antivirus suites (ESET, Norton, McAfee, Kaspersky, Avast, AVG, Bitdefender and others) include their own firewall that decides which apps may talk on your network, separately from Windows. If one of them blocks HearthWire, your PCs won't reach each other even though Windows itself allows it. The fix is always the same idea: find HearthWire in your security app and set it to Allow / Trusted for your home network. Pick your antivirus below.
The one universal rule: in your security app, open its Firewall or Application rules, find HearthWire in the list of programs, and set it to Allow / Trust (both incoming and outgoing) on the Home / Private network. If it recently blocked HearthWire, there is usually a "blocked apps" or "recent events" list where you can simply Unblock it.

Find yours

ESET (Internet Security / Smart Security)
  1. Open ESET, then go to Setup → Network protection.
  2. Click Solve blocked communication (or Troubleshooting wizard). Find HearthWire in the list of recently blocked apps and choose Unblock.
  3. To make it permanent: Advanced setup (F5) → Network protection → Firewall → Rules → Edit, then add a rule that Allows HearthWire, both directions, on your local network.
  4. Make sure your home network is set to Home or office network (trusted), not Public.
ESET's official guide ›
Norton (Norton 360 / Norton Security)
  1. Open Norton, then Settings → Firewall.
  2. Go to the Program Control tab and find HearthWire in the list.
  3. Set it to Allow, then click Apply. If it isn't listed, click Add and browse to HearthWire.exe.
Norton's official guide ›
McAfee
  1. Open McAfee, then open Firewall (under PC Security or My Protection).
  2. Choose Internet Connections for Programs.
  3. Find HearthWire and set it to Full access (in and out), then save.
McAfee support ›
Kaspersky
  1. Open Kaspersky, then click the gear (Settings) at the bottom-left.
  2. Go to Protection → Firewall → Configure application rules.
  3. Find HearthWire, and move it to the Trusted group (or set it to Allow), then save.
Kaspersky's official guide ›
Bitdefender
  1. Open Bitdefender, then Protection → Firewall → Settings.
  2. Open Application Access (the firewall rules), find HearthWire and set it to Allow.
  3. Set your network type to Home / Office, not Public.
Bitdefender's official guide ›
Avast
  1. Open Avast, then Protection → Firewall.
  2. Open App rules, find HearthWire and set it to Allow (all connections).
  3. Set the network profile for your home Wi-Fi to Private.
Avast's official guide ›
AVG
  1. Open AVG, then Menu → Settings → Basic Protection → Firewall.
  2. Open Applications (app rules), find HearthWire and set it to Allow.
  3. Set your home network to Private.
AVG support ›
Another antivirus, or not sure
The steps differ by brand, but the goal is the same. Open your security app and look for a section called Firewall, Application rules, Program control, or Network protection. Find HearthWire in its list of programs and set it to Allow / Trusted for your home network. If there is a recent blocked apps list, Unblock HearthWire there. Also set your home Wi-Fi's profile to Home / Private / Trusted, not Public or Guest.

Good to know

Windows' own firewall
Windows' built-in firewall is handled for you: click I need help or Fix my network in HearthWire and it sets the right Windows rules. This page is only for a separate antivirus that has its own firewall on top of Windows.
It worked, then broke after an update
These allow-rules are tied to HearthWire's exact file location. If you move HearthWire or install a new version to a different place, some antivirus apps treat it as a new program and block it again, just allow it once more. Keeping HearthWire in the same folder avoids this.
Do I allow it on every computer?
Allow HearthWire on each computer that runs it. A PC that is only joining mainly needs outgoing access, and the PC that hosts or that others connect to needs incoming access allowed, so allowing HearthWire fully on every PC is the simplest and always correct.