Need help - No usable rule found

[newbie2247]

I am getting this - NO USABLE RULE FOUND - in blue ink all the time and I am not in interactive mode like the person from last year posted in that old and now closed thread.

Most of the language in that thread was too technical for me, acronyms and all that. Therefore, I didn't understand anything that was posted in that thread.

Most of it is coming from a port named UDP, but there are lots that come from a port named IGMP - if that helps.

I also see here that many times the SOURCE and TARGET are the same, not always though. I do not want to fret over this but I don't like seeing ANYTHING in my firewall log at all. So I do worry - A LOT. :doubt:

1) What should I do about this?

2) How often should I clear out all my log files?

3) How do I do that? (Step by step "for idiots" pls.) :-\

Thanks in advance. (No techie speak pls - I am a dummy as regards technical nomenclature, etc.)

[Marcos]

You can swith to the interactive mode. The message "no usable rule found" appears in automatic mode when a connection attempt is blocked. Automatic mode allows all incoming communication and blocks any uninitiated outgoing communication.

[newbie2247]

Thank you.

What is it I switch and where do I find it please?

Is this appropriate for a home PC used just for fun, surfing, email, etc.?

Again, thank you very much :)

[jmc777]

To correct what Marcos wrote: automatic mode blocks all unsolicited incoming connections, and allows all outgoing connections.

[Marcos]

-{ Quote: "To correct what Marcos wrote: automatic mode blocks all unsolicited incoming connections, and allows all outgoing connections." }-

Thanks jmc777 for correcting me, it was a late night here when I was replying ;D As the saying says - to err is human.

[COSMO26]

More to the point, a low-expertise user (newbie2247 admits to being one) will become an alcoholic trying to understand the complexities of Interactive and Policy-base modes. There is no "ESS Firewall Explained for the Casual User" and this Forum doesn't always answer fair, basic questions.

newbie, you should stay with Automatic - Default Settings if you surf safely.

Delete log entries when you know you won't investigate them. Left clk a line/Hold Dn Enter/left clk any line below that one and all lines between the two will hi-light/Rt clk and Delete those hi-lighted Or RtClk Delete All deletes Entire log list.

Prior posts concern DNS cache Poisoning Attack entries (I show some) that most likely are not real issues and have been referred to in this Forum as an "ESS bug" (usually). If you run ESS Virus Scans, things like Spybot S&D, SpywareBlaster, Malwarebytes AntiMalware and/or SuperAntiSpyware without warnings, I personally don't worry about the log entries.