ALL of my ports are closed. - by Aerothorn
Aerothorn on 17/12/2011 at 01:41
Is this normal? I have a reasonably faster internet connection (speedtest says 21 mps download/3 upload) yet I've been having connection problems with programs ranging from Skype to Battlefield 3.
Just did a port scanning test using an online port scanner, and found that EVERY port I thought of to test was closed (including everything from 1-2000). Turned off Windows firewall and Router firewall to see if either of those was it. Still all closed. Took out the router entirely. Still all closed.
Tried port forwarding on the router.
Not really sure what to make of this. Networking is not my forte :(
Al_B on 17/12/2011 at 02:01
Almost certainly ports aren't being forwarded by your internet router to your computer. This is normal, safe, behaviour and what you want to happen. However, if a game needs ports to be opened then yes, you may need to use port forwarding as you've already tried. Have you checked the UPnP settings on your router as that could be one reason they're not opened automatically for you. Alternatively, did you check (
http://findports.com/document.php?tag=battlefield-3) all relevant ports were being forwarded for Battlefield 3?
Quote Posted by Aerothorn
Took out the router entirely. Still all closed.
What do you mean by this? You will have a router between your computer and the internet - even if it's a cable modem or similar.
Aerothorn on 17/12/2011 at 02:29
Quote Posted by Al_B
What do you mean by this? You will have a router between your computer and the internet - even if it's a cable modem or similar.
Sorry, didn't realize the modem also functioned as a router! Just meant I took out the wireless router.
Yeah, I'm probably just doing port forwarding wrong and/or it's not doing it properly. This all started because my skype internet connection is atrocious and it's not like Skype needs a lot of bandwidth, so trying to get that port open is my first order of business.
Al_B on 17/12/2011 at 19:19
Skype should work without any port forwarding at all. It uses UDP hole punching using an external skype server as a third party in setting up a connection between your computer and the computer being called. Don't worry if that doesn't make sense - in essence it means that you don't need to set anything up for it to work.
Other applications may be different, of course, but if you're having bandwidth problems then it might be other factors such as issues with your ISP (e.g. throttling your traffic) or a problem at the other end.
Aerothorn on 17/12/2011 at 19:48
I doubt it's ISP - apparently the recommended upload bandwidth for Skype video chats is 512kps, which is totally find. I've tried doing this with two friends in two different locations and there was the same problem: I came through clear, but they were a blurry mess and the connection eventually dropped if the video was left on. I mean, it could be throttling, but why would they throttle so little bandwidth?
As for Battlefield...I realized that, among other things, I need to open ports 20000 to 20100, and my router only allows me to open one port at a time. SUCK.
Al_B on 17/12/2011 at 19:54
Have you tried changing the port that Skype is using to see if it improves matters?
What is the make and model of your router as that would help to see its facilities?
