port forwarding help (WinXP/Versalink327W) PLEASE?

[cleantone]

In my house there are two machines online. A PC (WIN XP) and Mac (OSX.3). I have a Westell Versalink 327W router. The PC is wired to it and the Mac uses WIFI. The PC used to have ME for an OS and I got the ports configured properly. I'm more of a Mac guy but can get around on PC's as well. Using portforwarding.com steps for my setup I cannot seem to get the configurations proper. I would love to remedy this so I can connect again. My connection has been lowered to the cheapo DSL but it is still something with the ports. I know etree's firewall detection doesn't seem to work but on this site it shows my ports in RED. That does mean there is a problem right? I'm hoping someone who has this router and XP might have some insight. Is there some extra firewall built into XP or something?

I'm gonna give it another try right now. I had given up a few weeks ago when we got the new PC and OS.

I want to use 6881-6889 right? I want to follow the guide for "bit torrent" right? This one http://www.portforward.com/english/routers/port_forwarding/Westell/Versalink327W/BitTorrent.htm

I have Verizon DSL. I sort of think they are trottling my ports. I don't know much about it but I have heard that they can and will limit externally. Anyone know much about that?

[U2Lynne]

Yes, there is a builtin firewall in XP. I have a link in my sig and how to forward your ports on it.

[cleantone]

Thanks for the reply. I check out the "how to Win XP" from you link.

When I opened the "windows firewall" it was not turned on. I assume you cannot forward ports if that is not turned on right? So I turned it on. The step that tell you how to setup an exeption says you have to enter each port individually. Assuming I'm not throttled from my ISP, do I still want 6881-6889? If so does that mean I need to enter 9 different names in the exeptions box?

I really hope to get this figured out. Thanks for helping.

[U2Lynne]

I don't know which bittorrent client you are using, but you want to put in the same port range that you have entered in your bittorrent client. Also, I seem to recall that one of the PC clients has an option to use a random port number. Make sure you don't have that option turned on and instead are using a port from a range that you specify.

[cleantone]

Okay. I use Tomato on my Mac and Bit Torrent on the PC but don't use the PC much. I was asking more just to make sure those are still the popular ports. I guess I'll go with that unless it seems like my ISP is clocking them.

Not to be a bugger but can you address the question about entering in 6881, 6882, 6883, etc... seperatly. The text makes it sound as if you need to do this. Do you have any idea?

Then when I finish this "windows firewall" the normal modem forwarding should work right?

[cleantone]

I think I had a Norton firewall blocking me too. After I changed the "windows firewall" and restarted a norton message came up about the norton firewall. I opened it up and it runs a program check. I have bitlord and bittorrent clients on the PC. Both said blocked next to them. So that would have been blocking me too. I guess I have triple firewall. I set norton to allow all action for the clients. Now I will try to connect to a torrent and hopefully I will not be red.

I did go ahead and set 9 different port names for 6881 through 6889 in case I needed to.

:fingers crossed:

[U2Lynne]

Yes, you need to do it for each port. But, realistically, you only need to do it for as many torrents as you plan on having open at one time, which usually means only 2 or 3 unless you have a really good upload/download rate.

[cleantone]

Ah! To test I connected to a torrent on this site real quick, my (6881) was black. So I guess I'm good to go. Does it make much difference whether you have your firewall set to low, medium, or high? I would guess not but don't know for sure.

Thanks a lot for the help. I'm not 100% sure I'm in the clear but I'm a lot closer if I'm not.

[gsmyth79]

If your port is black you're probably fine. Use NAT check here to be sure:
http://midcom-p2p.sourceforge.net/

[gsmyth79]

This is an easier NAT check page:
http://btfaq.com/natcheck.pl

[cleantone]

When I tried on the PC it was black, on my Mac is was red. So I have some more trouble shooting to do. I've been trying to d/l something for days. It's 1.6G and I can barely stay connected, when I am it was like 2K/s. Now I can't get it to connect. It is not from here. It's a TV from Europe that you can't get on DVD over here, at least not yet. It might be a static IP, or NAT issue. I just barely know what I'm talking about. Any OSX port forwarding experts?

[cleantone]

Were having a storm and I think there is a problem outside on the line. The internet connection keeps cutting out. I might not be able to deal with this now.

[U2Lynne]

You need to pick different ports to forward on your mac than on your PC (well, I'll modify that to say you need to pick different ports for the different computers on your network). So, if you have 6881-6889 forwarded for your PC, now pick a new set of ports and do the same for your Mac. Remember to forward them in your router and your bittorrent client. Also, if you have your Mac firewall on, forward them there also.

[cleantone]

See that is where it gets confusing. I really need this setup for the Mac because that is my computer. The PC is not and I cannot use it most of the time. The PC is hard wired and the mac is wireless. Anyway, when the PC had ME I had both computers on 6881-6889 and both computers seemingly worked find. That was the case for at least a year. I was seeding and d/l with no problems. After the PC got upgraded and the OS went o XP a few weeks ago I cannot get the shit straight.

Each computer has it's own Ip addy right? There is a difference between external IP addresses and what would show up when you do "ipconfig" on the PC right? Which do I use for static IP? Do I need to do static IP?

[livedead13]

when the PC had ME I had both computers on 6881-6889 and both computers seemingly worked find. That was the case for at least a year.
Probably because their are 9 ports to choose from, and my guess is that you were'nt running over 9 torrents between both computers. IMO, you should get a client that just uses one port for all torrents, ie. Azureus, uTorrent, and choose a port between the 49152 - 65535 range. On each computer.
Each computer has it's own Ip addy right? There is a difference between external IP addresses and what would show up when you do "ipconfig" on the PC right? Which do I use for static IP? Do I need to do static IP?
Yes. This is the most important part. Here is a guide (http://www.portforward.com/networking/staticip.htm) that will show you how.

Turn off your XP firewall. It's not necessary.

[cleantone]

Anyone kow the difference between (Mac OSX) setting your IPv4 with "DHCP with manual IP" and just "manual"? I used to have the DHCP "DHCP with manual IP" but this tutorial (which I have used before) says to pick manual.

It really isn't helping that there seems to be some local issue due to a big storm that came through. Something still is not right on the mac side, maybe it is the storm, but probably not.

[U2Lynne]

Well, we have five computers at home and all five I've given manual IPs. It's just easier. I *think* if you pick DHCP with manual IP, then certain IPs are open for you to set manually, but then a range is left just for the router to assign dynamically.

[Unidecker]

ipv6 is best imho :) also Cleantone...

[cleantone]

"port between the 49152 - 65535 range. On each computer."

Any reason these numbers as apposed to the 6881 range? I should just pick one number per computer (or two to run two torrents?). Does it matter what number?

This intermittent connection problem is pissing me off, espessially trying to get this shit done.

[livedead13]

Well, if you are suspicious that your isp may be throttling your bandwidth, the first ports they are going to cap are 6881-6889, the original bt ports. By picking a random number to use as your port, it is much less likely that they will be able to cap it. It does not have any affect in terms of connecting to other peers as to what port you use. Ports between 49152 - 65535 are not assigned by IANA (http://www.iana.org/assignments/port-numbers), so opening up a port within that range will not disrupt anything. (at least thats what I've read, and it seems to be working out for me.)

Make sure you get a client that uses only one port to run all torrents, and put that on both of your computers. Then you must use a different port for each computer. It does'nt matter which one, just make sure they are open in your router and software firewall.

[cleantone]

That makes sense. I am probably gonna have to drop this till the local problem is fixed. The internet keeps cutting out everyone couple minutes. I assume it was the storm cause when I called Verizon to have the test the line the automated message said New York and Amherst folks might have trouble connecting and I live 20 miles from Amherst. I'm just getting too frustrated waiting for it to come back so I can post or try something.

I changed the ports on my Mac forwarding to 49152 and on both Tomato and Azureas but still showed up RED here. For some reason my login name didn't show up on the torrent I tried to connect to. My IP did but the "cleantone" was missing.

A big thanks for trying to help once again. I hope to hell I can figure this stuff out again. It worked fine in the past, thats one thing that sucks the most.

[Racerx2004]

I'm in the same situation as cleantone is ,I have tried to forward my ports but my port still shows red.
My set up is : WINDOWS XP PRO (SP2 ) , WESTTELL VERSALINK 327, DSL (verizon),BITCOMET 0.60, Norton av (ports config to allow bitcomet). :hmm:

[cleantone]

I'm am so bent. I seem to have gotten the PC fixed. I tested by connecting to a torrent here and my 6881 was black. I let it run for a few minutes and the speed never got above a couple k/B. The part that is really getting me bent is I can't seem to connect to the torrent I really want, that TV show. I set the PC to connect to 6881 and 6882. The only thing I am not 100% sure about is the DNS server numbers for the static IP. I plugged in the numbers that ipconfig showed me but it was 192.168.1.1 so that doesn't seem right. Would this be hanging me up? Do I need to call verizon to get the DNS numbers? If not is there a way to?

[U2Lynne]

192.168.1.1 is usually the IP you put into your browser to get to your router configuration. When you do ipconfig, it will tell you your IP addy (usually 192.168.1.xxx), your subnet mask (255.255.255.0 or similar) and your default gateway (192.168.1.1).

To get the IP addy for your Mac, go to System Preferences > Network It should say what your IP is right next to the Built-in Ethernet heading.

[cleantone]

192.168.1.1 is usually the IP you put into your browser to get to your router configuration. When you do ipconfig, it will tell you your IP addy (usually 192.168.1.xxx), your subnet mask (255.255.255.0 or similar) and your default gateway (192.168.1.1).

Yeah, I do know that. That is why it seems weird that when I did ipconfig /all it told me the DNS numbers where also 192.168.1.1.

Would this be the hangup? I had called verizon before to get DNS numbers and still had them plugged into my mac. Would I want to use taht number on the PC? All I know is now that shit should be configured right I can't even connect on my mac and the PC doesn't seem right either.

[U2Lynne]

Well, the IP addy you see in ipconfig is something that you manually set on your PC, so it sounds like you set it wrong when you manually set it.

You want to use the same DNS entries (this is separate from your IP addys and not really related) on all your computers.

[cleantone]

I just got off the phone with verizon tech to figure out why after the storm the connection was dropping out. We reset the modem. So I have a bit of a blank slate. I did find out that in my network connections the DNS numbers were not right and have plugged in the correct ones. Now she told me that the account I have "non buisness" is not set up for a static IP. Or does not support a static IP. Is this just BS? I am damn posotive that I had a static IP setup when this was all configured properly with the old PC and the old OS. She said it needs to be dynamic for the IP changing.

I can't remember where, when, or how I got the IP numbers I got but I think they are right. The PC is 192.168.1.## and the mac is the smae but one digit higher.

Should I try the static IP again now that we have reset configurations? The connection hasn't dropped out so I guess there was (and maybe still is) a modem issue after last nights storm. Seems fine so far though.

[U2Lynne]

You do not need a static IP. I don't have one. When you read things like portforward.com and they talk about having a static IP, usually they are talking about having a static *local* IP which is the one that looks like 192.168.1.xxx. So, if you are giving your computers static local IPs, then you need to turn off DHCP in your router. If DHCP is turned on, then it will give your computers a local IP and it may be different everytime you turn on your computer.

[cleantone]

Thanks (yet again) so I should go to my network connection properties and switch "use the following IP address:" and go back to "obtain automatically"?

[U2Lynne]

For your Mac, in your Network configuration, you should have Configure set to Manually, your IP Address set to 192.168.1.###, Subnet Mask set to 255.255.255.0, Router set to 192.168.1.1, DNS Servers set to whatever your ISP told you. Then, in your router, forward your ports for your mac to 192.168.1.###

[cleantone]

I went ahead and did what I proposed above^^

I again, connected to a torrent on this site. It started up, the speed seemingly got decent, espessially since there were not leechers off of me. My numbers were black and all. I tried to connect to the TV show torrent I wanted and it just will not start up. I don't know what the difference is between torrents on places like here and etree and the other types of places. This one was from torrentportal. I don't normally d/l TV shows or any sketchier downloads but this sho is not available here and not available on region 1 dvd yet but I want to see season two. Maybe torrentportal doesn't allow traffic to the 6881 range ports? Any ideas?

[livedead13]

so I should go to my network connection properties and switch "use the following IP address:" and go back to "obtain automatically"?
No you shouldn't.

Think of it this way... Your computer is connecting to your router, and your router is connecting to your modem. The ip address that is assigned by your isp to your modem (the one that connects you to the internet and changes frequently) is connecting you to the internet. The *local* ip address (the one that you assign to your network configurations and needs to be static) is connecting your computer to your router. If you have this address set to "obtain automatically", then the next time it obtains an ip address to connect to your router, it most likely won't be the address that you have the ports forwarded on.

With my router, the default setting for how many dynamic ip address it can choose from is 50, and the starting address ends in 100 (the first digits cannot be changed). So that means the addresses ending with 100-150 can't be used as a static ip address, because they are reserved for dynamic switching. So I chose an address that ended with 151 to be my static ip address.

Hopefully that helps, but I can't explain it very well.

EDIT:
I tried to connect to the TV show torrent I wanted and it just will not start up. I don't know what the difference is between torrents on places like here and etree and the other types of places
Many sites do not allow traffic on ports 6881-6889, or any other blacklisted ports (http://azureus.aelitis.com/wiki/index.php/PortIsBlacklisted).

[cleantone]

and "host device" should be a single IP address right?

[cleantone]

I trashed the .torrent file from this TV show and re d/l it. This is on the PC. On my Mac I have 56% of it d/l but it took all week. I got it to connect but so far it is floating 4-6K/B down. The fact that it connects probably tells me that torrentportal dot com does not blacklist these ports right? I know there is only 3-4 seeders at this time, so it the slow speed could be fro mthier connections as of now. Hopefully it will fluctuate upward. When it was all screwed up I was only getting 2/k anyway.

I changed the network connection setting back to a paticular IP. Will see what happens from here.

I commend all who have the sticktuitivness to help me out. I dig this new PC and XP but not the issues that came with it.

[cleantone]

FUCK!! It has happened again. Out of the blue I am firewalled again and going through all the steps I cannot get it worked out. The only thing that I am questioning is the IP. I have my TCP/IP set to manually and a certain IP for my mac. But when I go to whatsmyip.com it doesn't tell me that I am the one I specified. Would this be the reason I'm firewalled? I have the routers/firewall/client seemingly configured properly but cannot get the shit going? Think is is my ISP perhaps? I am trying 49152-49153 for port ranges. Should I try another? Any suggestions?

[U2Lynne]

The IP you should be forwarding for yourself will look like "192.168.1.xxx". You can find out what your IP is by going to System Preferences > Network and then it will say it next to Built-in Ethernet: "Built-in ethernet is currently active and has the IP address 192.168.1.xxx. etc."

[cleantone]

Yeah. I do have one like that. The one that I have used for a long time. I have my router and client set for the 192.168.1.## that I have told my TCP/IP to manually use. When I use an online IP checker it tells me I am some other random number. I know ISP's change up the IP now and then but I thought if you tell the TCP/IP to use one in paticular that it does just that. Should what'smyip dot com being showing me 192.168.1.##?

[cleantone]

I just fired up the house PC and I am not firewalled on it. Connected to a torrent here and not only did the red FIREWALLED message go away but it ramped right up to max speed right away. I have gotten my mac to work fine at the same time as the house PC. Various times it has gone from fine to not fine for no apparent reason. I change nothing but all of a sudden and firewalled. I can't deduce why.

[U2Lynne]

Hmmm, strange.

The IP you have assigned to your computer is a local IP number. Each computer in your house should have a different one. That is how your router can tell when information comes in, which computer to send it to - you don't want The Babe thread to end up displayed on your wife's computer, nor do you want her Hunk thread to show up on yours! When you go to whatsmyip to see what your IP is, that is the actually IP that your ISP has assigned to you. It is the one that will show up under your name in the Peers List.

[cleantone]

Thanks for trying to help.

I wanted to test the ip cause I was pretty certain when I connect to a torrent it displays the one I have selected, 192.168.1.XX (one digit higher than the PC). I does show that one. Not the one that whatsmyip dot com shows me, which is 71.127.5.XX for some reason. I connected to a nirvana torrent and though my IP is in (red) the big red FIREWALLED on the top right went away. The torrent ramped up right away too. WTF?!?

[U2Lynne]

If the Peers List is showing the 192.168.1.xxx IP, then you must have it input into your bittorrent client. That may cause your stats to not update also.

[cleantone]

If the Peers List is showing the 192.168.1.xxx IP, then you must have it input into your bittorrent client. That may cause your stats to not update also.

What does this mean? I do have the ip in my client. I want that right?

I am a mod on a band's forum and can look up ip's. I looked at my own and none of them from the past have ever been 192.168.1.XX

[U2Lynne]

Well, when I look up your IP for your posts, I do not get the 192.168.1.xxx number and I shouldn't. I should, and do, get the IP that your ISP gave to you. However, some bittorrent clients have a spot that says something like "Input the IP you want people to see". You should not put anything in there. That is the IP that it will tell the tracker you are at. However, the tracker only has access to our IP database and that keeps track of the IP that you logon to the site from, which is not 192.168.1.xxx. So, the tracker sees someone on torrents from 192.168.1.xxx and it doesn't know who that person is and so it will not update your stats.

[cleantone]

Oh I see. Am I not supposed to having my computer on one specific IP? Static IP? I thought I was. I thought by having my Mac's TCP/IP set to manually and plugging in 192.168.1.XX it was using this IP to connect to the net.

[cleantone]

BINGO!! Seems to have been the problem. I wonder how the hell I had it working before like that? I am not getting (green) so I must be all set right? I checked at Bootcity and it also said I am green and connectable.

All set you think? Much thanks yet again.

[U2Lynne]

I'm glad you got it all figured out.

[cleantone]

Maybe I spoke too soon. I am so frustrated. Using tomato for a client I can get this site and bootcity (two that tell you when your firewalled) to tell me I'm okay. I try to use transmission for a client and bootcity tells me I am firewalled. When I connect to a marley torrent on bootcity with tomato and it sais I'm okay I cannot connect to seeds. When I try in transmission it sais I'm firewalled but connects to 3 seeds and downloads at about 35k when tomato is single digits. Transmission doesn't let me tweak anything beside the port range, nothing about IP. FUCK!!

[U2Lynne]

Have you tried the regular bittorrent client? I've used that on my Mac and gotten good speeds. I normally use Azureus, but at one point I was having trouble connecting to torrents at DIME with it, so I had to use another client and I choose to use bittorrent.