Ports won't forward when connected to VPN

[TileGuy714]

I have been using Relakks for about a year now w/OK results. Last week however I noticed my ports would no longer open when connected to Relakks And my speeds dropped to zero, Connections would last about 30 seconds and then drop completely (This was while using Azureus). I switched back to Utorrent and speeds improved but downloading is still very slow. I've try'd disabling all firewalls (Windows, Blackice & Norton AV 2008) I've made exemptions in both for Utorrent and Azureus. I even replaced my router Verizon FIOS supplyed D-Link DI-624 w/a Draft N DIR-655 Still nothing. As a last resort I DMZ'd the desktop I use for downloading, No effect! As I say when I am not connected to a VPN my ports forward and speeds are fine. I've tryed to contact relakks but there tech support is nonexistant. I even tryed another Sweeden based VPN Dold.se. Speeds are a little better 2-15 kbps down and 10-80 kbps up, But ports still will not open. Because it worked so well for such a long time I'm thinking that maybe I'm being blocked by Verizon. I tryed using another desktop w/the same results so I do not think its hardware. I'm hoping it is just a setting that needs to be changed. Has anyone else experienced problems like this in the last week?

Any help would be appreciated Thanks Chris Mc

[Ultima]

You won't be able to forward your ports using a VPN.

Edit: Should've been more clear about exactly what I meant by this, but Alan87 already explained it (mostly). What I meant was that you won't normally be able to control the port forwarding through the VPN unless you own the VPN. If Relakks forwards any port through to you, it's not something that's up to you (they just do it as a part of their service).

[TileGuy714]

Any Suggestions?

[Alan87]

If by "ports forwarded" you mean others can connect inbound to you, then yes, that DOES normally work via a VPN such as Relakks. When using Relakks your PC gets its own public IP address and anyone in the world can connect to it on any port with no special routing (except firewall configuration). Your router never even sees the connection separately since it's sent via PPTP using the single encrypted VPN connection.

However... I also subscribe to Relakks and a little over a week ago the service went to hell. It seems to die frequently (still connected but nothing getting through). I can't get any P2P to run long enough to be productive so I have been using Relakks for surfing only the past week, the connection seems to stay up longer if I don't open multiple tabs at once or too quickly. After disconnecting from Relakks and reconnecting it starts working again, for a while.

I too am on Verizon (FIOS), so perhaps it is Verizon. Relakks has a history of technical problems which persist a few days and then get resolved. This is lasting much longer than any of them, though. Given Relakks apparently still hasn't got their ability to collect money from new subscribers working, they are probably hanging by a thread financially.

So I don't know who is to blame. Could be either. If someone who's not Verizon reports similar problems that would tell us it's Relakks. I found this thread by googling looking for others with problems, maybe others will too.

[brad-sylvester]

I having the same problem on roadrunner. It is very frustrating to have the utorrent download die on you after a few minutes. Once in a while it works and I get good speeds. Relakks is the only VPN i have found so far that forwards ports. Anyone know of others? Relakks seem to be getting worse and worse.

[aproev]

Hi,

I'm a total Utorrent rookie.

I just started off with dold.se last week. I use BBB www.bredbandsbolaget.net as isp. 100/10. I use dold.se as a vpnproxy. Proxy settings in Utorrent as follows:

Type: HTTPS

Proxy: dold.se

Port: 1723

Authentication: checked

hostname thru proxy: checked

Use proxy fpr p2p connections: checked

Result - it works, but its often slow, 50k or so. Up is generally faster than down. But I can get speeds over 1mbit.

I can live with the speed - but I have another problem wich might belong elsewhere in the forum (found this thred thru google):

How do I verify that my settings don't leak? That all Utorrent communication is withing the thunnel, there it is indeed an enchrypted thunnel and that nothing from utrorrent goes outside the thunnel?