Jump to content

Firewall Configuration


lostlloosstt

Recommended Posts

When using utorrent (or any BitTorrent client), should firewalls be configured to allow traffic an any specific ports?

Should anything particular be done to configure Windows XP SP2's built-in firewall?

well i hope you have a router in addition to the firewall.

if you have a router, then you don't need to do anything with the windows firewall except grant µtorrent internet access.

after that, yes you need to forward a port in your router to the IP on your network, then tell µtorrent what port that is..

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Router Configuration

Allow inbound TCP connections on the port specified in Network Options, Listening Options.

Assuming you have a router, this is the only configuration you will need.

WINDOWS XP SP2 FIREWALL (or other application firewall such as Zonealarm or Norton Internet Security)

Allow the application as an EXCEPTION to blocking. (Windows firewall I believe allows you to click this and remember it so it won't block the application next time).

You may need to combine both of these to achieve proper operation from utorrent and other file sharing clients.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Router Configuration

Allow inbound TCP connections on the port specified in Network Options, Listening Options.

Assuming you have a router, this is the only configuration you will need.

WINDOWS XP SP2 FIREWALL (or other application firewall such as Zonealarm or Norton Internet Security)

Allow the application as an EXCEPTION to blocking. (Windows firewall I believe allows you to click this and remember it so it won't block the application next time).

You may need to combine both of these to achieve proper operation from utorrent and other file sharing clients.

right, which is what I said above. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Routers suck in my opinion and I'm running straight from my modem with Protowall. Protowall is the best and anything less is just asking your ISP to come shut you down. In any case boys allot of you are probably hooked onto wireless from your parents or big brothers modems/routers so it doesn't matter much.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

three words: lol.

whoever thinks that a so-called >>personal firewall<<, and that includes ALL software products to be installed on a client machine [your pc] gives any protection is seriously misguided.

a router with firewall on the other hand, if properly configured, does offer good protection..

please everyone, deinstall your firewalls, and burn the disks they came on, this stuff is, for the most part, useless, and the only effect is a little more systemload :P

</rant>

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you have a slightly modern router, utorrent should be able to set its own ports via UPnP. Then you don't have open ports sitting when there is nothing running.

For those who claim UPnP is a security risk, I'll say that having ports permanently open is the real risk.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
three words: lol.

whoever thinks that a so-called >>personal firewall<<, and that includes ALL software products to be installed on a client machine [your pc] gives any protection is seriously misguided.

a router with firewall on the other hand, if properly configured, does offer good protection..

Sorry, but that's bullshit.

Running a desktop firewall doesn't make you PC safe, thats right.

But the same kis true for routers.

Used properly a dfw adds security.

A desktop firewall can do something no router can do: Control application level access.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

if he's using DMZplus, it means he's DMZed, and the modem assigned a WAN IP to his computer, meaning he avoids the dreaded "my IP is 192.x.x.x!".

But yes, DMZ does mean that all incoming connections are forwarded.

You don't need UPnP if you're DMZed; there's no ports to map because all of them are mapped to you.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The vast majority of software firewalls are far too easy to bypass. You should check out the leaktest. :P

So what?

As I've said, you need to use the firewall properly. That is, you have to know what you're doing.

If you let malware be executed on your PC than you've already made the mistake.

But a dfw is perfect to make sure Windows doesn't call home^^

And btw, a router will allways allow any otbound traffic on allowed ports, as it doesn't know what application is requesting the data.

so where's the advantage of using a router here?

(I personaly use a dfw and the packet filter on my router, so I have the best of both worlds *g*)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A good, properly configured hardware firewall can filter out a lot of malicious packets in either direction, as well as scan packets for undesired activity., block websites, IPs, ports, you name it. They don't simply just block activity on a port. They're quite powerful in the right hands.

It doesn't matter if "you know what you're doing", because most firewalls are nothing but CRAP. You can't "use it properly" if the firewall is utterly useless and vulnerable. No amount of configuration will fix a poorly designed firewall. The fact that most software firewalls don't protect very well is important because they're supposed to protect you from internal AND external intrusions. Application level filtering isn't enough because malware/spyware/whatever can just pose as authenticated software, or add itself to the trusted application list.

But you are right, a hardware firewall can't protect you as well as a software firewall potentially could from internal intrusions: the problem is that the software firewalls don't do a good enough job in any direction!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 year later...

I've been having trouble with the steaming pile of crap known as CA Internet Security Suite which is causing utorrent to crash my system.

I was a big fan of the old e-trust security suite from last year, but this year they have tossed out the great Zonealarm firewall and replaced it with their own buggy pile of garbage instead.

Don't get me wrong CA Antivirus is still fantastic but I'm supremely disappointed by the totally substandard firewall which I'm gonna remove from my system before I'm forced to throw my computer out the window.

Do you guys have a particular firewall preference or do you think Windows Firewall is sufficient protection?

I'm looking forward to your comments

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...