A systems administrator applies the latest security patches to a Windows Server and reboots it. After the reboot, a custom web application listening on TCP port 8081 is no longer accessible from client workstations, although the server itself is still responding to ping requests. The administrator has verified that the application's service is running on the server. Which of the following is the MOST appropriate next step to troubleshoot this issue?
Reinstall the network interface card (NIC) drivers on the server.
Create an inbound rule on the host's software firewall to allow traffic on TCP port 8081.
Contact the network team to inspect the upstream hardware firewall and router ACLs.
Roll back the recently applied security patches to revert to the previous configuration.
The correct action is to create an inbound rule on the Windows Defender Firewall. Security patches and system updates can sometimes reset firewall rules to their default, more secure state, or apply new policies that block non-standard ports. Since the server is responsive to ping (which uses ICMP) but the specific application port is not, it strongly suggests a port-blocking issue at the host level rather than a general network or hardware failure. Creating a new rule to explicitly allow traffic on TCP port 8081 directly addresses this probable cause. Rolling back security patches is a drastic measure that should be a last resort, as it would leave the server vulnerable. Reinstalling the NIC drivers is unnecessary because basic network connectivity is confirmed by the successful ping. Contacting the network team is premature; troubleshooting should begin on the system where changes were just made-the server itself.
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What is a software firewall, and why might it block traffic on a specific port?
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How does creating an inbound rule resolve the issue for a specific TCP port?
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Why is ping working but the application on port 8081 is not accessible?