Main Menu
  • COMPANY
    • Boundless Cybersecurity
    • Press Releases
    • News
    • Events
    • Awards
    • Leadership
    • Press Kit
    • Careers
  • PROMOTIONS
    • SonicWall Promotions
    • Customer Loyalty Program
  • MANAGED SERVICES
    • Managed Security Services
    • Security as a Service
    • Professional Services
SonicWall
  • Products
      All Products A–Z
      Free Trials
    • Network Security
      • Next-Generation Firewall (NGFW)
      • Network Security Services
      • Network Security Management
      • Secure SD-WAN
    • Threat Protection
      • Advanced Threat Protection Cloud
      • Advanced Threat Protection Appliance
      • Capture Labs
    • Secure Access Service Edge (SASE)
      • Zero-Trust Network Access (ZTNA)
    • Cloud Security
      • Cloud Firewall
      • Cloud App Security
    • Endpoint Security
      • Endpoint Detection & Response (EDR)
    • Email Security
      • Cloud Email Security
      • Hosted Email Security
      • On-Prem Email Security
    • Secure Access
      • Wireless Access Points
      • Network Switch
      • Virtual Private Network (VPN)
    • Wi-Fi 6 Access Points

      SonicWall SonicWave 600 series access points provide always-on, always-secure connectivity for complex, multi-device environments.

      Read More
  • Solutions
    • Industries
      • Distributed Enterprises
      • Retail & Hospitality
      • K-12 Education
      • Higher Education
      • State & Local
      • Federal
      • Healthcare
      • Financial Services
      • Carriers
    • Use Cases
      • Secure SD-Branch
      • Network Segmentation
      • Zero Trust Security
      • Secure SD-WAN
      • Office 365 Security
      • SaaS Security
      • Secure Wi-Fi
    • Solutions Widgets
      • Solutions Content Widgets
        Federal

        Protect Federal Agencies and Networks with scalable, purpose-built cybersecurity solutions

      • Solutions Image Widgets
  • Partners
    • SonicWall Partners
      • Partners Overview
      • Find a Partner
      • Authorized Distributors
      • Technology Partners
    • Partner Resources
      • Become a Partner
      • SonicWall University
      • Training & Certification
    • Partner Widgets
      • Custom HTML : Partners Content WIdgets
        Partner Portal

        Access to deal registration, MDF, sales and marketing tools, training and more

      • Partners Image Widgets
  • Support
    • Support
      • Support Portal
      • Knowledge Base
      • Technical Documentation
      • Community
      • Video Tutorials
      • Product Life Cycle Tables
      • Partner Enabled Services
      • Contact Support
    • Resources
      • Resource Center
      • Events
      • Free Trials
      • Blog
      • SonicWall University
      • MySonicWall
    • Capture Labs
      • Capture Labs
      • Security Center
      • Security News
      • PSIRT
      • Application Catalog
    • Support Widget
      • Custom HTML : Support Content WIdgets
        Support Portal

        Find answers to your questions by searching across our knowledge base, community, technical documentation and video tutorials

      • Support Image Widgets
  • COMPANY
    • Boundless Cybersecurity
    • Press Releases
    • News
    • Events
    • Awards
    • Leadership
    • Press Kit
    • Careers
  • PROMOTIONS
    • SonicWall Promotions
    • Customer Loyalty Program
  • MANAGED SERVICES
    • Managed Security Services
    • Security as a Service
    • Professional Services
  • Contact Sales
  • English English English en
  • BLOG
  • CONTACT SALES
  • FREE TRIALS
  • English English English en
SonicWall
  • Products
      All Products A–Z
      Free Trials
    • Network Security
      • Next-Generation Firewall (NGFW)
      • Network Security Services
      • Network Security Management
      • Secure SD-WAN
    • Threat Protection
      • Advanced Threat Protection Cloud
      • Advanced Threat Protection Appliance
      • Capture Labs
    • Secure Access Service Edge (SASE)
      • Zero-Trust Network Access (ZTNA)
    • Cloud Security
      • Cloud Firewall
      • Cloud App Security
    • Endpoint Security
      • Endpoint Detection & Response (EDR)
    • Email Security
      • Cloud Email Security
      • Hosted Email Security
      • On-Prem Email Security
    • Secure Access
      • Wireless Access Points
      • Network Switch
      • Virtual Private Network (VPN)
    • Wi-Fi 6 Access Points

      SonicWall SonicWave 600 series access points provide always-on, always-secure connectivity for complex, multi-device environments.

      Read More
  • Solutions
    • Industries
      • Distributed Enterprises
      • Retail & Hospitality
      • K-12 Education
      • Higher Education
      • State & Local
      • Federal
      • Healthcare
      • Financial Services
      • Carriers
    • Use Cases
      • Secure SD-Branch
      • Network Segmentation
      • Zero Trust Security
      • Secure SD-WAN
      • Office 365 Security
      • SaaS Security
      • Secure Wi-Fi
    • Solutions Widgets
      • Solutions Content Widgets
        Federal

        Protect Federal Agencies and Networks with scalable, purpose-built cybersecurity solutions

      • Solutions Image Widgets
  • Partners
    • SonicWall Partners
      • Partners Overview
      • Find a Partner
      • Authorized Distributors
      • Technology Partners
    • Partner Resources
      • Become a Partner
      • SonicWall University
      • Training & Certification
    • Partner Widgets
      • Custom HTML : Partners Content WIdgets
        Partner Portal

        Access to deal registration, MDF, sales and marketing tools, training and more

      • Partners Image Widgets
  • Support
    • Support
      • Support Portal
      • Knowledge Base
      • Technical Documentation
      • Community
      • Video Tutorials
      • Product Life Cycle Tables
      • Partner Enabled Services
      • Contact Support
    • Resources
      • Resource Center
      • Events
      • Free Trials
      • Blog
      • SonicWall University
      • MySonicWall
    • Capture Labs
      • Capture Labs
      • Security Center
      • Security News
      • PSIRT
      • Application Catalog
    • Support Widget
      • Custom HTML : Support Content WIdgets
        Support Portal

        Find answers to your questions by searching across our knowledge base, community, technical documentation and video tutorials

      • Support Image Widgets
  • COMPANY
    • Boundless Cybersecurity
    • Press Releases
    • News
    • Events
    • Awards
    • Leadership
    • Press Kit
    • Careers
  • PROMOTIONS
    • SonicWall Promotions
    • Customer Loyalty Program
  • MANAGED SERVICES
    • Managed Security Services
    • Security as a Service
    • Professional Services
  • Contact Sales
  • Menu

Blocking Facebook by Schedule using FQDN Address Objects and Access Rules

10/14/2021 36 People found this article helpful 201,628 Views

    Download
    Print
    Share
    • LinkedIn
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • Email
    • Copy URL The link has been copied to clipboard

    Description

    Blocking Facebook by Schedule using FQDN Address Objects and Access Rules

    Resolution

     

    Resolution for SonicOS 6.5

    This release includes significant user interface changes and many new features that are different from the SonicOS 6.2 and earlier firmware. The below resolution is for customers using SonicOS 6.5 firmware.

     

    Feature/Application:


    When filtering Facebook by App Rule or App Control Advanced and using a schedule. A user who establishes a connection prior to the schedule activating is still able to update content from Facebook when any new connection from another client would be blocked by the enforced schedule. This occurs for two reasons:

    1. Because the session is already established and the SonicWall cannot decrypt the HTTPS content without the use of DPI-SSL.
    2. Facebook also delivers content using a different domain. "fbstatic-a.akamaihd.net"

    This article describes how to block Facebook by using FQDNs and Access Rules on a Schedule.  

    Note: The IP addresses shown here are subject to change by Facebook Inc.


    Procedure:

    Step 1.

    1. Click Manage in the Top navigation Menu
    2. Create 2 FQDN address objects under Objects | Address Objects:
    3. Click on Add and create 2 FQDN as below

    Image
    Step 2. Create an Address Group

    1. Click Manage in the Top navigation Menu
    2. Click Objects | Address Objects
    3. Click on Address Group Tab
    4. Click on Add
    5. Add the objects from step 1
    6. Click on OK

    Image

    Step 3. You need 1 schedule under System>Schedules. This schedule will be for when Facebook is going to be blocked:

    1. Click Manage in the Top navigation Menu
    2. Click Appliance | System Schedules
    3. Click on Add
    4. Create Your schedule time List
    5. Click on OK

    Image


    Step 4. Create Deny Access rule

    1. Click Manage in the Top navigation Menu
    2. Click Rules | Access Rule
    3. Click on Add
    4. Add a Deny Rule as follows, using the schedule created in Step 3


    Image
    Step 5. Now add the following Allow Rule:
    Image
    Notes: If you have routed subnets behind the LAN that need filtering, you will need to create an Address Group that contains LAN Subnets and the Address Objects for those routed subnets and specify that group in the source of the Allow Rule.

    If you also have other configured Zones that need filtering, such as a WLAN, you will need to add Rules from those specific Zones to WAN as well. You will also need to choose the appropriate source object on the Allow Rule. For example, in a WLAN to WAN filter, you would choose WLAN Subnets as the source.

    Step 6. When the rules are first added, they will be out of order from what we need them to be so we will need to reorder them:

    Before:
    Image
    Hit the Up/Down Arrow of the Deny Rule and change the priority. In this example I set the priority of the Deny Rule to the Allow Rules priority of 2. Click OK to update.

    The Rules should look like this after adjusting the priority:
    Image

    Conclusion:

    This effectively denies access to *.facebook.com and fbstatic-a.akamaihd.net when the schedule is active and then allows access when the schedule is not active. The FQDN objects will update automatically in the firewall using the DNS servers specified in the firewall.

    Unlike App Control Advanced or App Rules that attempt to match content with matching signatures. This configuration prevents access to these sites at the initial SYN packet from the client.

    Troubleshooting:

    Verify that your firewall is able to resolve DNS. You can do this by using the DNS Name Lookup tool in System>Diagnostics. Lookup *.facebook.com and fbstatic-a.akamaihd.net and verify that they do resolve. You can also mouse over the 2 FQDNs in Network>Address Objects and it will show the resolved addresses. If DNS does not resolve to addresses, verify DNS settings under Network>DNS.

     

    Resolution for SonicOS 6.2 and Below

    The below resolution is for customers using SonicOS 6.2 and earlier firmware. For firewalls that are generation 6 and newer we suggest to upgrade to the latest general release of SonicOS 6.5 firmware.

    When filtering Facebook by App Rule or App Control Advanced and using a schedule. A user who establishes a connection prior to the schedule activating is still able to update content from Facebook when any new connection from another client would be blocked by the enforced schedule. This occurs for two reasons:

    1. Because the session is already established and the SonicWall cannot decrypt the HTTPS content without the use of DPI-SSL.
    2. Facebook also delivers content using a different domain. "fbstatic-a.akamaihd.net"

    This article describes how to block Facebook by using FQDNs and Access Rules on a Schedule.  

    Note: The IP addresses shown here are subject to change by Facebook Inc.


    Procedure:

    Step 1. Create 2 FQDN address objects under Network>Address Objects:
    Image
    Step 2. Create an Address Group and add the objects from step 1.
    Image

    Step 3. You need 1 schedule under System>Schedules. This schedule will be for when Facebook is going to be blocked:
    Image
    Step 4. Go to Firewall>Access Rules and choose LAN to WAN. Add a Deny Rule as follows, using the schedule created in Step 3:
    Image
    Step 5. Now add the following Allow Rule:
    Image
    Notes: If you have routed subnets behind the LAN that need filtering, you will need to create an Address Group that contains LAN Subnets and the Address Objects for those routed subnets and specify that group in the source of the Allow Rule.

    If you also have other configured Zones that need filtering, such as a WLAN, you will need to add Rules from those specific Zones to WAN as well. You will also need to choose the appropriate source object on the Allow Rule. For example, in a WLAN to WAN filter, you would choose WLAN Subnets as the source.




    Step 6. When the rules are first added, they will be out of order from what we need them to be so we will need to reorder them:

    Before:
    Image


    Hit the Up/Down Arrow of the Deny Rule and change the priority. In this example I set the priority of the Deny Rule to the Allow Rules priority of 2. Click OK to update.


    The Rules should look like this after adjusting the priority:
    Image






    Conclusion:

    This effectively denies access to *.facebook.com and fbstatic-a.akamaihd.net when the schedule is active and then allows access when the schedule is not active. The FQDN objects will update automatically in the firewall using the DNS servers specified in the firewall.

    Unlike App Control Advanced or App Rules that attempt to match content with matching signatures. This configuration prevents access to these sites at the initial SYN packet from the client.

     


    Troubleshooting:

    Verify that your firewall is able to resolve DNS. You can do this by using the DNS Name Lookup tool in System>Diagnostics. Lookup *.facebook.com and fbstatic-a.akamaihd.net and verify that they do resolve. You can also mouse over the 2 FQDNs in Network>Address Objects and it will show the resolved addresses. If DNS does not resolve to addresses, verify DNS settings under Network>DNS.

    Related Articles

    • Bandwidth usage and tracking in SonicWall
    • How to force an update of the Security Services Signatures from the Firewall GUI
    • Configure Guest VLAN in the TZ firewall, for guest users to access Internet only.

    Categories

    • Firewalls > TZ Series
    • Firewalls > SonicWall NSA Series
    • Firewalls > SonicWall SuperMassive E10000 Series
    • Firewalls > SonicWall SuperMassive 9000 Series

    Not Finding Your Answers?

    ASK THE COMMUNITY

    Was This Article Helpful?

    YESNO

    Article Helpful Form

    Article Not Helpful Form

    Company
    • Careers
    • News
    • Leadership
    • Awards
    • Press Kit
    • Contact Us
    Popular resources
    • Communities
    • Blog
    • SonicWall Capture Labs

    Stay In Touch

    • By submitting this form, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge our Privacy Statement. You can unsubscribe at any time from the Preference Center.
    • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Linkedin
    • Youtube
    • Instagram

    © 2023 SonicWall. All Rights Reserved.

    • Legal
    • Privacy
    • English
    Scroll to top