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Antivirus/Firewall Blocking Email: Check & Fix in Minutes

Can firewall block emails? Find out now ? Bitdefender, Norton, Avast, Kaspersky, AVG

7 min. read

Updated onMarch 28, 2024

updated onMarch 28, 2024

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Key notes

Most antivirus programs come with integrated mail support and can scan emails within your existing accounts, regardless of whatclientyou’re using. But, can a firewall block emails?

While this security feature is extremely important, sometimes it can bring further problems. For example, without any apparent reason, the antivirus can block your emails. Or you may struggle with a firewall blocking emails.

Now, it wouldn’t be the first time that afirewall is blocking specific features of an app. Even so, this doesn’t happen to all email clients. Some of them are sufficiently smart not to get blocked by antivirus or firewalls.

So before starting the tweaking with your antivirus, you should consider trying a faster and safer e-mail client that comes with all the necessary tools.

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How do I know if my firewall is blocking emails?

And coming back to our problem, instead of scanning for possible threats, the antivirus or firewall might block emails.

Have a look at other similar issues reported by our readers:

In that situation, you need to find a way to re-enable theemail clientfunctionality and set a new rule within the antivirus firewall or add an exclusion for the email app you’re using.

These operations can be completed differently depending on the antivirus software that’s being used.

We’ll show you how to check if the firewall is blocking emails as well as what steps to take in order to allow emails through your antivirus’ firewall for the most popular Windows-based security tools.

How do I allow emails through my firewall and antivirus?

1. Fix firewall blocking emails: ESET Antivirus

If ESET antivirus is blocking your e-mails, you can tweak the scanning settings from the software as indicated in the steps above.

2. Fix firewall blocking emails: Bitdefender

Remember: on Bitdefender you can also add a website or any other similar source (if, for example, you are using an onlineEmail client) to the Whitelist by following:

If Bitdefender is blocking your Outlook client, make sure you add it to the exception list as shown in the steps above.

3. Fix firewall blocking emails: Norton

These settings will disable email scanning when emails are blocked by Norton without apparent reasons. However, you can try to add a new rule within Firewall, as explained:

When Norton is blocking incoming email, disable the mail scanning feature from Norton as shown in the steps above.

4. Fix firewall blocking emails: Kaspersky

Should Kaspersky be blocking the email server tweak its settings for e-mail scanning as shown in the steps above.

5. Fix firewall blocking emails: AVG

6. Fix firewall blocking emails: Avira

For Avira, you should customize the email settings within your email client because Avira cannot scanemailsthrough an encrypted connection.

These settings might depend on each email program but the main idea is to: deactivate the option that uses encrypted SSL/TSL/STARTTLS connections under the incoming and outgoing server protocol.

Additionally, the following ports shouldn’t be used: 25 (SMTP), 143 (IMAP), and 110 (POP3).

7. Fix firewall blocking emails: Avast

In Avast you can add a new Firewall rule for youremail clientas followed:

Avast works on shields and the mail scan feature is integrated within the shield. If the Avast mail shield blocks the email, you need to customize the Avast email shield as shown in the steps above.

In most situations, the steps from above should help you unlock your email messages after the Email app got blocked by your antivirus or firewall.

Besides, you can alwayscheck if the firewall is blocking a port or programon your PC.

Whatever problems you would have with your antivirus, you still need to secure your e-mail so you should also take a look at our list of thebest e-mail scanning software.

Don’t forget to share your experience and your own observations with us and with other users.

Antivirus/Firewall Blocking Email: Check & Fix in Minutes#

How do I know if my firewall is blocking emails?#

How do I allow emails through my firewall and antivirus?#

1. Fix firewall blocking emails: ESET Antivirus#

2. Fix firewall blocking emails: Bitdefender#

3. Fix firewall blocking emails: Norton#

4. Fix firewall blocking emails: Kaspersky#

5. Fix firewall blocking emails: AVG#

6. Fix firewall blocking emails: Avira#

7. Fix firewall blocking emails: Avast#