Windows Defender Firewall: Protect all network connections
This registry value controls whether Windows Defender Firewall is active for the domain profile.
since 0.9.8.11
Purpose
Show registry keys (1)
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\WindowsFirewall\DomainProfile\EnableFirewall
This registry value controls whether Windows Defender Firewall is active for the domain profile. The domain profile applies to network connections on an Active Directory domain-joined device when Windows detects a domain controller for that domain.
The value uses the REG_DWORD data type. 1 enables the firewall for the domain profile; 0 disables it. When enabled, the firewall filters inbound and outbound network traffic according to the effective rules and default actions for this profile.
When set to 0, the firewall does not block network traffic for the domain profile, regardless of other firewall policy settings intended to block that traffic. The value does not change the firewall state of the private or public profile.
Notes
Security
Enabling the firewall restricts unwanted network communication according to the effective rules. In particular, it can block inbound connections for which no allow rule exists, reducing the device's network-accessible attack surface.
Disabling the domain profile removes this filtering from the affected network connections. Services and open ports can consequently become reachable from the domain network unless another security control prevents access. Firewall-dependent protections are also not fully available for this profile, including IPsec connection security rules, Windows Service Hardening, boot-time filters, and protection against certain network-fingerprinting techniques.
Possible side effects
After the firewall is enabled, applications, server services, or remote-management features can lose network connectivity if the required traffic is not permitted by the effective domain-profile rules and default actions.
Notes
This value changes the state of the domain profile; it does not stop the Windows Defender Firewall service (MpsSvc). Stopping that service is a separate action and is not supported by Microsoft.
“Protect all network connections” refers here to connections governed by the domain profile. Connections assigned the private or public profile are controlled by their respective profile settings.
Microsoft documentation
Microsoft Learn: Windows Firewall overview
Microsoft Learn: Manage Windows Firewall with the command line