Port won't open! Maybe it's the router

[Tsunemori]

Hi everyone,

As u see, I'm new here and registered only because of this issue.

So, I started using uTorrent and downloading a torrent with LOTS of seeds, only a few (like 10) conect to me. And the status icon is ALWAYS red.

Desperately, I googled the problem it seems that a firewall or router can cause the problem. So, I have a router (two pcs connected to it). It's an Encore (not wireless), and it's not listed in www.portforward.com.

I heard I have to put the port I'm using in the router config and something about an static IP, but entering my router config there's nothing about ports.

Also, firewall desactivated and NOD32 last version.

Connection speed suposely 256 kbps.

Acording to Speedtest.net: Download speed test 410 kbps and Up 75 kbps

Tried lots of ports but all of them closed.

Thanks in advance guys, if u can, help me please!

Sry 4 my software ignorance.

[Claw_gr]

Encore models covered in portforward

* Encore-SOHO

* ENDSL-AR4

* ENHWI-G3

* ENHWI-N

* ENHWI_G

* ENRTR-104

* WTC215

If it isnt in that list check some of them.. They should have similar interface and the steps are practically the same.

ports are all closed for security.. The only way to open them is manually from router default page.

And can you tell us your router/modem model if it is not in the list?

(search router manual too.. It may say how to do port forwarding)

[Tsunemori]

First of all, thanks for trying to help me.

Yeah, it's the ENRTR-104. Checked the manual and didn't find something about port forwarding or ports. Maybe in their official website?

Can you explain to me the next step?

[Claw_gr]

Then your guide is on portforward and it is this

http://portforward.com/english/routers/port_forwarding/Encore/ENRTR-104/Utorrent.htm

By filling the boxes they ask you questions (like static ip) you get the results and configurations you need to do

If you need more help understanding what is a static ip and how to setup one, you should check the standard guide which is

http://www.utorrent.com/setup_guide.php

[Tsunemori]

Thanks Claw.

So, I read the guides. Before following any of them, I found the Advanced Setup in my router configuration and was looking for something that could help me.

I found this option in the Firewall settings:

DMZ (Demilitarized Zone)

"If you have a local client PC that cannot run an Internet application properly from behind the NAT firewall, you can open the client up to unrestricted two-way Internet access by defining a virtual DMZ Host."

I felt like enabling it to see what could happen. Put my current IP (192.168.1.5) and instantly the green "ok" state appeared for the first time in uTorrent, port is OPENED and it is like this untill now. My connection improved a bit: more peers, seeds and a few Kbps more. But surely something was still wrong.

Currently, 15(142) seeds, 49 (539) peers and speed sometimes 3x, 20 or 15 kbps, even with the green state and port opened.

Next, I followed the guide for the static IP and my router config. When the aplication time reached, it said the IP was wrong and I couldn't connect to internet. My DNS is 192.168.1.1 (when I ask for it in the command window). But in my router configuration it says it's 190.183.71.209. So I tried to put this DNS instead of the other one. It accepted, and uTorrent was downloading EVEN BETTER, the only problem was that all the other internet software such as Explorer and MSN didn't work (only uTorrent worked).

All this with the port forwarded in my router.

Another question, my router supports UPnP port mapping, but it has to be unchecked in uTorrent anyways?

Also, it seems my IP is always the same when I reboot it, so maybe it's already static.

There's an option in my router config that says "The Gateway acts as DHCP Server" and it's Enabled. Don't need to change that right?

Sry for the text wall. Thanks in advance

Rodrigo

[Claw_gr]

DMZ is good for gaming, since it forwards every port to the specified ip..

But that also mean bad for security because every port is open. (Its the same as making your router to modem )

So if you already know how to open them manually why to risk with DMZ? (basically you do the same things, just select the ports too)

...

The Ip your router says is probably the (dynamic) external ip (190.183.71.209), at this point you wont need it (at least in utorrent) just revert everything to normal/default and follow the guide again. Its the best for starters

I assume that the default gateway of your router (the page you type to internet explorer/firefox) is

192.168.1.1 (as it says in portforward)..

So the correct values you put in TCP/IP v4 properties is

IP adress: 192.168.1.x x=anything but 1, and try to avoid DCHP ranges(search your router for DCHP to find)

Subnet M: 255.255.255.0

Default G: 192.168.1.1

DNS : 192.168.1.1

Secondary: not needed and can be left empty

(If router's page is another, use that at DNS and default gateway instead)

again check this http://www.portforward.com/networking/staticip.htm

As for X in ip value.. If your PC is always 1-2, DCHP range should count from 2 to y. So setting 100 there (192.168.1.100) maybe a value that wont be assigned almost never (But try to search your router page for DCHP, and find its ranges, and chose one outside.. (max is 255))

** You dont need to change "The Gateway acts as DHCP Server", just see its values and chose one outside of them

if you dont see them try with 100

Upnp is similar to automatically port mapping/forwarding, but it has to be enabled in the router first, and the applications must support this. (Utorrent supports it, and it is good for DHCP as you dont need a staticip)

but is kind of slower than manually portforwarding. (And sometimes may not forward ports properly.. Depends on how good the router is too/rooter usage? havent figured that out yet.. Thats why I hate it and have it off.)

...

Also if the external ip is always the same, it is probably static (switch the router off for 15mins and check again if you want to make sure) but that doesnt mean anything.. It is not the internal (LAN) which has to be static for forwarding ports..

[Tsunemori]

I didn't understand the DMZ part very well. So I disable it? Damn.... it's making uTorrent work, but well...

I found the DHCP ranges. It was from 2 to 254. I changed it to 2 to 200, and will choose a number between 200 and 255. Am I doing right?

So, the TCP/IP settings would be something like this...

IP: 192.168.1.237

Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0

Gateway: 192.168.1.1

Primary DNS: 192.168.1.1

Right?

Untill now I was always with 192.168.1.5. Will change it to a number above 200 so the DHCP doesn't include it.

Also, how many Seeds and Peers should I be getting with a good connection if Seeds are (167) and Peers (550) ? The port is open but the speed still slows down.

Thanks man.

[Claw_gr]

Dmz is kind of last resort if portforwarding wont turn on. (So it should be disabled)

DCHP ranges will give ips from 2 to 200 now.. (So you can chose from 201 to 255)

**To tell you the truth you propably wont have 198 pc's connected to your router so since you found out how to change it

make it give IP's from 2-10... To free the other slots, or just ignore it)

Yeah those settings should work fine

Now you just made a static ip.. It will just ignore DHCP and always give 192.168.1.237 no matter what the router says

Now the guide to portforward should work fine.. set up those ports if you hadnt done it

That depends on the settings you put on utorrent: (Preferences-->Bandwidth) but you will connect to more peers than seeds for sure and its better this way

Of course those values are very important and you shouldnt mess up with them too much

Go to Preferences-->Speed Guide and chose the closest match (towards the lowest connection) that your upload bandwidth is.. In speed guide it is measured in Kbit per second and the download/upload speed you see in each torrent its in KByte/s

dont mix them up (1byte = 8bit). So actually it depends on your connection. (For me it works better if reduce the number of downloading/active torrents)

The speed depends on torrents health(speed/peer ratio, availabity, max swarm speed,etc), so if one torrent isnt good, dont worry, most of them arent healthy and you dont get max speeds

[Tsunemori]

Roger that man, now I understood it.

Configured just like I sugested and the port is opened, green status and an average speed, but it's ok anyways

Now I just need to config the Speed Guide in uTorrent:

The "Connectoin type" there is the speed my ISP provides me or my upload rate?

I know my internet speed is 256kbps

Currently, my uTorrent is configured like this:

Upload Limit: 30kb/s

Connections (per-torrent): 80

Max Active torrents: 3

Upload slots: 10

Connections (global): 230

Max Active downloads: 2

what do u think?

[Claw_gr]

Then I guess thats the reason for slow speeds. Getting too much connections you cant handle and it kills your speed.

If your upload speed is 256Kbps you should chose the xx/256 profile (or 192, definitely not the 384 one) or update utorrent if you havent done already.

Notice that upload speed is what matters.. (They wont usually give less that you do, but giving too much and your connection dies)

You can also close all network connections and do a speedtest (speedtest.net) to find usually true ISP upload speed (Its in Kbps too, so use that in profile), cause ISP wont give always what they claim.

Alternately check this chart http://forum.utorrent.com/viewtopic.php?id=34259

(you are intrested in 224 kbit/sec if upload speed is 256)

since it is more detailed and improved..

Upload speed should always be ~80% of its maximum capacity (and no more than 85% to work, pass that and its overkill)

**Usually ISP names it 1Mbps/512Kbps. First for download second for upload... so xx means doesnt matter what download speed is and you should chose based on upload

[Tsunemori]

Nope, I guess 256kbps is my download connection xD

Yeah I know I won't fly with this shi*** connection but something is something.

Actually my upload speed is 74 kbps= 9,25 kbytes/s

I followed this to setup my Speed Guide in uTorrent:

"Tweaking the upload speed

Take your upload speed result in kbit/s and divide it by 8 (you now have your result in kBytes.)

Take your speed in kByte/s and multiply it by 0.7 (this now gives you a proper upload speed of 70% of you tested max)

Go to Options > Preferences > Bandwidth and put your result in the "Maximum upload rate" box."

And I've got the same results.Maybe it's the best I can go with this torrent. Already 77%, almost finishing.

Time elapsed: 4d 16h ! lol

The first 3 days were with closed port, red status.