Updated to Windows 10 Pro 20HS the other week and I decided to have a look around the Windows Firewall for no other reason than I got bored. Clicking the Advanced Settings link brings up the Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security window. Clicking on the Inbound Rules tab brings up a long list of things. There are stuff like Apache, mysqld, and Packet Tracer which I have blocked, after all I only need to use them locally so why give them access to accept inbound connections? All the Windows things are OK since I assume they need to not have their access blocked, but I don’t think I should be beeing anything else.
Although I have spotify.exe blocked, I am seeing several allow rules for Spotify Music, Steam, WinAmp, Outlook, as well as my two Steam games (Rollercoaster Tycoon 3 and The Sims 3).
Unless there is something I’m missing, there is no reason for any app or service apart from server software, web browsers, or Windows networking components to be listed there and, even then,
Call me paranoid but I’m not sure why Spotify or Steam need to accept inbound connections… or why they have just added themselves to the list with allow access
I don’t use Spotify, but I presume it has a network sharing/streaming option. Steam definitely has a network sharing/streaming option (I do use this.) These are basically peer to peer on your LAN, but an inbound connection needs to be active for one to find the other.
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OK, thanks, that’s probably it
Spotify has the same network sharing in it as you can move playing media from 1 device to another without stopping or missing anything. The software waits for the new device to send a signal to indicate it is ready to accept the stream then it switches.