Allow Windows Explorer Connections?

[SCR 195]

Every once and awhile I get a pop up that Windows Explorer wants to connect to the Internet. So far I have been denying the connection. Sometimes it gets persistent and I have to temporarily deny connections. I have not seen any problems with this but I'm not sure. Is there any reason that Windows Explorer should be allowed connections?

 

If not then I want to create a rule to permanently block all connections for Windows Explorer.

 

ESS v8

Win7 sp1 x64

[PodrskaNORT 17]

Hi

 

 

To what site it tries to connect?

 

 

Best

Tomo

[SCR 195]

Thanks for the reply Tomo.

 

I guess the site would be helpful duh on me.

 

I've set up a rule to "Ask" and to log the attempt. I'll have to wait until it tries again, mostly  it occurs on first boot of the day but not always, it's pretty sporadic.

 

I apologize for the lack of inclusion of the proper information to answer my question.

[SCR 195]

Update:

 

Windows Explorer is asking to connect to:

157.128/25.71.204.74.in-addr.arpa(74.204.71.157)

TCP 443 (https)

 

According to https://who.is/whois-ip/ip-address/74.204.71.157

 

Secure-24 Inc - C/O Office Extension USSIG-128-71-204-74-25 (NET-74-204-71-128-1) 74.204.71.128 - 74.204.71.255
US Signal Company, L.L.C. US-SIGNAL5 (NET-74-204-0-0-1) 74.204.0.0 - 74.204.127.255

 

It took a while before it tried again. For now I have blocked the connection.

[Arakasi 549]

Its strange its on 443 too.

 

Have you looked in scheduled tasks or tried viewing a process monitor log during the attempt ?

Try running a search through your registry for "74.204.71.157"

 

https://ussignal.com/ - looks like simple network hosts.

You sure your internet provider isn't using them for dns or cabling etc ?

[SCR 195]

Thanks for the reply Arakasi.

 

A search of the registry and scheduled tasks found nothing.

 

I use Verizon wireless through a USB modem connected to a Cradlepoint router that is hard wired to my system. The router uses OpenDNS. I'm not sure if Verizon uses this. I tried searching for some reference to it at Verizon but found nothing.

 

There seems to be a long period of time between attempts to connect. The latest  on 9/24 and the previous to that was 9/15. I haven't seen any ill effects from denying the connection and set a specific rule to always deny 74.204.71.157 and another to ask for any other connection. I don't know of any legitimate reason for Windows Explorer to be connecting to the Internet. That being said what I do know is some what limited.

[Arakasi 549]

Other applications will use explorer at times.

[SCR 195]

Other applications will use explorer at times.

Thanks for your help Arakasi

 

I have set Windows Explorer to ask for the connection just in case something else needs to use it but I have denied the IP range 74.204.71.128 - 74.204.71.255 because I can't figure out why or what's connecting. I've set both rules to log.

 

Maybe denying the connection will expose a problem then I'll know what and why.

[rugk 397]

Yes I think that's a good decision.

So you'll keep control over it.

[SweX 871]

If nothing brakes or stops working denying that connection I see no harm in having it blocked. I mean you can always change to allow at any time 

[SCR 195]

Yes I think that's a good decision.

So you'll keep control over it.

Thanks.  At last ... I have control over something...

 

If nothing brakes or stops working denying that connection I see no harm in having it blocked. I mean you can always change to allow at any time 

So far so good, but you know how these things go. 2 months from now something won't work and I will have forgotten what I did.   I keep dated screen shots of everything I change in several of my more important programs. To bad I can't slap in a few gigs of new memory in my head..