Networking Questions - General

[Cyan]

I'm a bit behind on my stuff, it's been awhile

Assume cable internet (cable modem) and a Rounter with firewall

1. If you do port forwarding, you need to forward to the IP address you want it to go to. Assuming that the ISP doesnt give a static IP - wont this mess up port forwarding? Or does the router keep the IP it gives the attached computer static? Or is it based on something else and I dont understand?

2. I assume port forwarding speeds up downloads from several types of programs and games? Is there a way to find out via some method exactly what ports a program tries to use?

3. VPN - Is there any reason to use this if you've got a hardwired connection between 3-4 computers and don't plan on accessing the network with anything thats not connected to the router? Or do I misunderstand?

---I think that's all for now

---I spelt "Genral" wrong...

[Stuart100]

Ok Port forwarding works from outside in....if you have serveral machines on your network and are running services etc etc this helps. Like if someone want to download from you via ftp and you have ftp service loaded on your box you would tell your router anything coming in on port 21 (FTP) goto inside address 192.168.1.x. Same thing goes with e-mail. I run an exchange server from my home and when mail hits the outside interface of my router my router is set to send that traffic to my mailserver. So it looks like...anything on port 25 (SMTP) go to inside address 192.168.0.XX

As for P2P downlaod software if your connected to the service normally the firewal/router or whatever is contoling the NAT knows the inside address of the machine running the software and forwards requests from other users to download things from you.

VPN is Virtual Private Networking. Mainly used by med to large corps to encrypt and secure data across public internet line. My company uses VPN for sale people and when they get an internet connection they open there VPN connect and the firewall and the client match on encrpytion levels, algorythms, passwords etc etc and then once all is well it creates a secured connection to the inside of our network. Then they can work as if they were sitting inside at their desks but a little slower. Then if some (Hacks) a packet. The firewall or client after doing the "Math" on the packet will close the connection because it thinks it to be unsafe and compromised and in some setups will reconnect automaticlly or wait for the client to reconnect. Pretty nice setup but in a wired network like a small one there is no need to do it. Only if you are on a large wired network where you have firewalls connecting to each other across the internet or routers connecting buildings etc etc.

I hope this helped there is a lot more to this and if you tell me the DL program or P2P program you are talking about I could probably help you config it for the best downloads possible.

Sorry for any grammer mistakes or spelling I get typing so fast sometimes I don't notice.

Stu

[Cyan]

Thanks for the info

my primary concern with the port forwarding was for Bittorrent, I also wondered if it would increase response times in games (like counter-strike) or the like.