Firewall and antivirus error fix guide

NOD32 / ESET antivirus settings for DorsanDesk

If a DorsanDesk connection is established but drops immediately, or the message “The connection was closed by a firewall or antivirus” appears, DorsanDesk must be added to ESET’s allowed list on the host computer.

See the setup steps Paths and files to allow
Error text

The connection was closed by a firewall or antivirus.

Quick fix

Add DorsanDesk to the allowed list of the host computer’s antivirus and firewall or, if the network is restricted, use the Relay connection option.

Why does the connection drop?

The initial DorsanDesk connection is established, but it is then cut off on the host computer by the firewall, antivirus or network restrictions. In this case, allowing the DorsanDesk executables in ESET usually solves the problem.

ESET Endpoint Security

ESET settings path to prevent disconnections

Perform these steps on the host computer, that is, the computer you are going to connect to remotely.

1

Open Setup

Open ESET and go to the Setup section from the left-hand menu.

2

Open Web and email

In the Setup section, click Web and email.

3

Check Web access protection

If Web access protection is paused or disabled, check its status first, then go to Advanced setup for finer configuration.

4

Add DorsanDesk to Excluded applications

Under Protections → Web access protection, click Edit next to Excluded applications and add the DorsanDesk executable to the allowed list.

Whitelist / Exclusion

Files and paths that should be on the allowed list

If ESET lets you select a folder or executable, check the paths below and allow the files related to DorsanDesk.

Suggested paths to check

  • C:\Program Files\DorsanDesk\
  • C:\Program Files (x86)\DorsanDesk\ (old 32-bit versions only; since 10.9.7 all versions install to Program Files)
  • %APPDATA%\DorsanDesk\
  • %PROGRAMDATA%\DorsanDesk\

File names to check

  • dorsandesk.exe (the app, the service and all windows)
  • RuntimeBroker_dorsandesk.exe
  • DorsanDesk-Diagnostic.exe (troubleshooter)
  • Windows service: DorsanDesk

Important note for the host computer and corporate networks

These settings must be applied on the host computer, that is, the computer that will be accessed remotely. If the organization uses a central firewall, DorsanDesk’s IPs and ports must also be allowed on the corporate firewall, in addition to the host computer’s antivirus.

Summary: fixing DorsanDesk disconnections caused by ESET

To fix disconnections caused by antivirus or firewall, first open the ESET settings on the host computer, then add the DorsanDesk executables under Excluded applications. On corporate networks, the central firewall’s restrictions also need to be checked.