NETGEAR Nighthawk X6 R8000 - How to block an application's forced update via the Netgear router?

[ibrahimy]

Hi everyone,

I often have to use my work laptop at home due to high work volumes or whenever I'm work-from-home, and I want to find a way to prevent the installed Antivirus program from running regular updates while I'm connected to my home network. 

I'm not trying to circumvent any applications or settings currently ON the laptop (and I can't anyways due to IT policy); the laptop can go ahead and run whatever updates it wants when I'm in the office, but I should have the right to prevent a forced application from using my bandwidth while at home.  A couple of weeks ago, I was connected to my 4G hotspot while at the airport and the useless update went ahead and destroyed my monthly data cap for the brief 45 minutes I had to answer emails/do work. 

I have looked at ESET's website as noted here (https://support.eset.com/kb332/?locale=en_US&viewlocale=en_US) and used the Advanced-->Security-->Block options in the Router menu to block all the relevant ports and website/domains used by ESET, but it appears that the ESET application on the laptop still finds a way to connect online and squander my bandwidth.  I've already blocked *.eset.com, but it looks like it's using the HTTPS protocol to obfuscate the domain name it's connecting to.  Is there a way to block application-based connections or is Netgear unable to differentiate connections if it's made by an application.  Any alternatives here?  

[ibrahimy · Accepted solution]

Hi IrvSp,

Unfortunately I cannot change anything on the laptop itself because of work IT policy.  However, I was able to block it using OpenDNS! I signed up for the free OpenDNS home package and used their custom filtering to block *.eset.com, and this has worked so far. 

[IrvSp]

I'm not too sure? I guess if you are on Windows you could run in an elevated CMD prompt NETSTAT -b and look for the port it uses when it is running and block that. However it might not be the only one running it?

You might be better off looking for solutions on your PC such as stopping the service or 'sleeping' the app? A router solution would be a pain to let it run again.

[ibrahimy · Accepted solution]

Hi IrvSp,

Unfortunately I cannot change anything on the laptop itself because of work IT policy.  However, I was able to block it using OpenDNS! I signed up for the free OpenDNS home package and used their custom filtering to block *.eset.com, and this has worked so far.