Open Windows Firewall for XDebug

Question

This seems like it should be beyond simple, so I hate asking. But I've tried to configure Windows Firewall to allow XDebug to connect to PHPStorm on port 9000 without success.

XDebug is on on Vagrant Box with private network connection--so the host machine has a virtual network adapter. Vagrant is 192.168.33.10 and the host PC is 192.168.33.1.

With Windows Firewall disabled, XDebug connects to PHPStorm. But I obviously don't want to leave my firewall off.

So I've tried to open a port in Windows Firewall with the following Inbound Rule settings:

• General
  • Enabled: Check
  • Action: Allow the connection
• Program and Services
  • All programs that meet the specified conditions: Checked
  • Services
    • Apply to all programs and services: Checked
• Protocols and ports
  • Protocol type: TCP
  • Local port: Specific Ports : 9000
  • Remote port : All Ports
• Scope
  • Local IP address
    • Any IP address: checked
  • Remote IP address
    • Any IP address: checked
• Advanced
  • Profiles
    • Domain: checked
    • Private: checked
    • Public: checked
  • Interface types
    • All interface types: checked
  • Edge traversal: Block edge traversal

But it's not working to allow XDebug to connect to PHP storm. I've also tried setting the protocol to UDP. And I'm aware that if this rule did work, it would be excessively open (I could tighten up the scope), but for the moment I just want to see it work before tightening it.

Answer 1

There is a problem with Virtualbox network host-only interface since it is loopback interface and Windows manage it in a diffrent way.

Easy way to solve this is to open 'regedit'. Search for 'HKLM:\system\CurrentControlSet\control\class{4D36E972-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}'. There is plenty of interfaces. Simply look one named 'VirtualBox Host-Only Ethernet Adapter'. Then add new DWORD(32) key named '*NdisDeviceType' and value '1' (hex). Reboot.

I don't know if there is a need to add standard fw rules like host port 9000 allow for all, since i had it already.

More about it - http://brianreiter.org/2010/09/18/fix-virtualbox-host-only-network-adapter-creates-a-virtual-public-network-connection-that-causes-windows-to-disable-services/

Answer 2

The simplest approach that I found: Windows Advanced Firewall (where you add/remove rules) -> right-click -> Properties (another place for en/disabling Local/Domain/Public firewalling)

Each off the three scopes (Local/Domain/Public) has a setting to exclude firewall-processing for specific network interfaces completely (!)

Turn of windows firewall for any vmware/virtualbox network interface. (unless you require it against your virtual machine)

This will allow any connection from your guest, to your host machine.