Randomize Port

[Narses]

I have set utorrent to use port 55000 manually. Randomize port and Upnp are unchecked. I also disabled the windows upnp and ssdp services. My router also has upnp disabled. The strange thing is, utorrent kept using another local tcp port to connect to this 1 peer (local tcp port 2488,2742,2159). All my other peers were connecting to my local tcp port 55000. This problem doesn't really worry me, I am more curious then anything else.

[necromancer]

I have the same problem. Someone told me it is because windows always uses port below a certain number for outgoing connections, but if you watch in port explorer you can see outgoing on high ports such as 55000 as well.

So the question remains why is it using ports other than what is specified for commuinication?

[Firon]

Only incoming ports use the port you set. Every outgoing connection uses a randomized port.

[Narses]

So, is this a Windows Xp problem or a utorrent problem? From what you are telling me, you thinks it is Window XP?

I have a software firewall running (sygate personal firewall, I don't like Microsoft built in Firewall), I have it blocked all outgoing and incoming connections to all applications, even Windows itself, except applications I specify to have internet connections. Utorrent is one of the programs I let all incoming and outgoing from the internet. The firewall shows utorrent keeps connecting to the peer on the port other then the one one I manually set in utorrent. Well, I can always set the firewall to block all incoming except 55000.

[Narses]

I am not downloading anything at the moment, I am only seeding. Utorrent only should be accepting incoming traffic. Which means the peer should only be connecting to 55000 and not some other random port.

[Firon]

Why would it only have incoming traffic? When you seed, YOU make outgoing connections to other clients still. It doesn't matter if you're seeding or downloading, you'll always have incoming and outgoing.

It's not a problem with either Windows or uTorrent, it's just the way TCP/IP works.

[Narses]

I know when you seed, there are still outgoing and incoming traffic what I meant was the peer should only be connecting to TCP port 55000.

[Firon]

So an incoming connection was trying to come in through another port?

[Narses]

Yes, this one peer is not connecting on 55000. Now I have another peer connecting on 2955 and not 55000.

[Firon]

Sometimes those peers are anti-P2P peers trying to connect to you, especially if you see them hit you a lot on different ports. It could also be a random port scanner or something...

[Narses]

Well, my firewall show utorrent initiating the connection to the peer? wtf Wouldn't that only happens if you are downloading from that peer?

I think I have to clarify some things. TCP port 55000 is the port I have set to share whatever I have of the file, so I called it my Share Port. If other peers wants to download from me, they have to connect to my share port 55000. The issue here is, utorrent is using another share port which I did not set.

I am not talking about when you are downloading from the other peers, then yes, your local ports will be randomized to whatever windows uses.

[Firon]

It doesn't matter if you're downloading or uploading. What matters is if it's an incoming or outgoing connection! Incoming (as in the peer initiating a connection to your PC) uses that TCP port, outgoing (you making a connection to anyone else) uses a random port. Seeding or downloading has NOTHING to do with it.

All torrent clients will always initiate outgoing connections, regardless of whether they're seeding or not.

[Narses]

I am just curious, if it does not matter. Whats the point of being able to set your Port used for Incoming connections in utorrent if utorrent uses another port?

[Firon]

Because incoming connections all come through that one and only port. That is the entire point of setting it, it's a listening port. uTorrent listens for connections on that port. It doesn't make its own connections through that port because it's not possible to.

[Narses]

Because incoming connections all come through that one and only port. That is the entire point of setting it, it's a listening port. uTorrent listens for connections on that port. It doesn't make its own connections through that port because it's not possible to.

Okay I am on a private tracker at the moment. So I have only a few peers connected thru me. All peers except 1 have connections established on port 55000. The one lone peer I know is a peer and not some other connections becuase it is showing up in utorrent. There are currently 11 peers. What I want to know is why, all the other peer have established connections on port 55000 and not that one peer?

[Firon]

Look at the peer in the peer list. Does it say I in the flag list? (Turn on the flags column if necessary). If it doesn't say I, then it means that your client connected to HIM, and not him to you.

[Narses]

Its just have a U. Why would utorrent making the inital connection to start the uploading process?

P.S

Thanks for the your time, it was really a learning experience or at the very least I am a little wiser.

[Firon]

Since it has no I, it means that it was an outgoing connection. Meaning your client made it, not him.

Like I said, it has nothing to do with you uploading or downloading. It's just that some connections are incoming, and some are initiated by your client. That's it really.

[Narses]

Again, Thanks for your time. I didn't know your client can intiate the conection, I always thought that only happens when you are downloading and not seeding. I always thought the peer has to initate the connection to port you designate before you begin to share.

Well I better eat dinner before it gets cold. Have a nice day.