Title: Firewall Setup Problems
Last modified: November 23, 2021

---

# Firewall Setup Problems

 *  Resolved [pheck](https://wordpress.org/support/users/pheck/)
 * (@pheck)
 * [4 years, 6 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/firewall-setup-problems/)
 * Hello!
 * I have problems enabling Wordfence Firewall on a customer website hosted at Hetzner(
   Germany):
 * When trying to set it up, auto detection says, the server is running Apache +
   suPHP – which seems not correct as in phpinfo the server API is listed as CGI/
   FastCGI. Nevertheless – whatever I chose from both options, I receive the message:
 * > The changes have not yet taken effect. If you are using LiteSpeed or IIS as
   > your web server or CGI/FastCGI interface, you may need to wait a few minutes
   > for the changes to take effect since the configuration files are sometimes 
   > cached. You also may need to select a different server configuration in order
   > to complete this step, but wait for a few minutes before trying. You can try
   > refreshing this page.
 * in .htaccess, only the following is added:
 * > # Wordfence WAF
   > # END Wordfence WAF
 * Any idea, how to get the firewall running? Any steps I should do to debug it?
 * Thanks in advance
 * Peter
 * The page I need help with: _[[log in](https://login.wordpress.org/?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fwordpress.org%2Fsupport%2Ftopic%2Ffirewall-setup-problems%2F%3Foutput_format%3Dmd&locale=en_US)
   to see the link]_

Viewing 11 replies - 1 through 11 (of 11 total)

 *  Plugin Support [wfphil](https://wordpress.org/support/users/wfphil/)
 * (@wfphil)
 * [4 years, 6 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/firewall-setup-problems/#post-15099095)
 * Hi Peter,
 * I would like to have a look at your Wordfence diagnostics report. Please go to
   the top of the “**_Diagnostics_**” tab on the Wordfence “**_Tools_**” page. There
   will be a “**_SEND REPORT BY EMAIL_**” button to send the diagnostics report.
   Enter **_wftest [at] wordfence [dot] com_** as the email and **_pheck_** as the
   forum username please.
 * Once you have emailed me the diagnostics report can you reply here to let me 
   know that it has been sent. This is important in the unlikely event that your
   installation of WordPress is having an issue with sending mail.
 *  Thread Starter [pheck](https://wordpress.org/support/users/pheck/)
 * (@pheck)
 * [4 years, 6 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/firewall-setup-problems/#post-15099107)
 * Done – mail has been send!
    Thanks in advance for having a look at it!
 * Cheers Peter
 *  Plugin Support [wfphil](https://wordpress.org/support/users/wfphil/)
 * (@wfphil)
 * [4 years, 6 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/firewall-setup-problems/#post-15104145)
 * Hi [@pheck](https://wordpress.org/support/users/pheck/)
 * Can you ask your hosting provider to set a string of `.user.ini` for the PHP 
   directive `user_ini.filename`.
 * If they won’t do this, ask them if you can add a `php.ini` file in the root directory
   of your WordPress file system so that you can manually set a string for the PHP`
   auto_prepend_file` PHP directive.
 * Let me know what they say.
 *  Thread Starter [pheck](https://wordpress.org/support/users/pheck/)
 * (@pheck)
 * [4 years, 6 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/firewall-setup-problems/#post-15104152)
 * I am able to create such a php.ini on my own and add required strings – just 
   let me know, how it should look like – thanks!
 * Peter
 *  Plugin Support [wfphil](https://wordpress.org/support/users/wfphil/)
 * (@wfphil)
 * [4 years, 6 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/firewall-setup-problems/#post-15112766)
 * Hi [@pheck](https://wordpress.org/support/users/pheck/)
 * Thank you for the update.
 * In the **_php.ini_** file add this. **_Note that I have redacted the PHP process
   owner with XXXXX_**:
 *     ```
       ; Wordfence WAF
       auto_prepend_file = '/usr/www/users/XXXXX/wordfence-waf.php'
       ; END Wordfence WAF
       ```
   
 * You can find the PHP **_Process Owner_** in the **_PHP Environment_** section
   on the Wordfence **_Tools_** >> **_Diagnostics_** page.
 * Let me know if that works.
 *  Thread Starter [pheck](https://wordpress.org/support/users/pheck/)
 * (@pheck)
 * [4 years, 6 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/firewall-setup-problems/#post-15121796)
 * Hello!
 * back from a short vacation, I have now added the php.ini file with the entry (
   substituting the XXXX with the right process owner name). Unfortunately, nothing
   changed in the behavior of the setup – same message.
 * Cheers Peter
 *  Plugin Support [wfphil](https://wordpress.org/support/users/wfphil/)
 * (@wfphil)
 * [4 years, 6 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/firewall-setup-problems/#post-15136706)
 * Hi [@pheck](https://wordpress.org/support/users/pheck/)
 * Thank you for the update.
 * Can you send me a new Wordfence diagnostics report. Please go to the top of the**_“
   Diagnostics”_** tab on the Wordfence **_“Tools”_** page. There will be a **_“
   SEND REPORT BY EMAIL”_** button to send the diagnostics report. Enter **_wftest[
   at] wordfence [dot] com_** as the email and **_pheck_** as the forum username
   please.
 * Once you have emailed me the diagnostics report can you reply here to let me 
   know that it has been sent. This is important in the unlikely event that your
   installation of WordPress is having an issue with sending mail.
 *  Thread Starter [pheck](https://wordpress.org/support/users/pheck/)
 * (@pheck)
 * [4 years, 6 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/firewall-setup-problems/#post-15138420)
 * Done!
 *  Plugin Support [wfphil](https://wordpress.org/support/users/wfphil/)
 * (@wfphil)
 * [4 years, 6 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/firewall-setup-problems/#post-15139198)
 * Hi [@pheck](https://wordpress.org/support/users/pheck/)
 * Thank you for the report.
 * You will need to ask your hosting provider to look at your code in the **_php.
   ini_** file and ask them why your Apache web server is not setting the string
   for the **_auto\_prepend\_file_** PHP directive so that the firewall can be optimized.
 *  Thread Starter [pheck](https://wordpress.org/support/users/pheck/)
 * (@pheck)
 * [4 years, 6 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/firewall-setup-problems/#post-15140146)
 * Managed to get it working via .htaccess now by inserting the following command:
 *     ```
       # Wordfence WAF
       php_value include_path ".:/usr/www/users/xxxxxx"
       php_value auto_prepend_file "wordfence-waf.php"
       # END Wordfence WAF
       ```
   
 * where xxxxxx = process owner name.
 * Thanks for your support!!!
 * Cheers Peter
 *  Plugin Support [wfphil](https://wordpress.org/support/users/wfphil/)
 * (@wfphil)
 * [4 years, 6 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/firewall-setup-problems/#post-15140378)
 * Hi [@pheck](https://wordpress.org/support/users/pheck/)
 * Thank you for the update.

Viewing 11 replies - 1 through 11 (of 11 total)

The topic ‘Firewall Setup Problems’ is closed to new replies.

 * ![](https://ps.w.org/wordfence/assets/icon.svg?rev=2070865)
 * [Wordfence Security - Firewall, Malware Scan, and Login Security](https://wordpress.org/plugins/wordfence/)
 * [Frequently Asked Questions](https://wordpress.org/plugins/wordfence/#faq)
 * [Support Threads](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/wordfence/)
 * [Active Topics](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/wordfence/active/)
 * [Unresolved Topics](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/wordfence/unresolved/)
 * [Reviews](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/wordfence/reviews/)

 * 11 replies
 * 2 participants
 * Last reply from: [wfphil](https://wordpress.org/support/users/wfphil/)
 * Last activity: [4 years, 6 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/firewall-setup-problems/#post-15140378)
 * Status: resolved