COX Cable shut off inbound/outbound ports!!! [was: Need best way to share files behind firewall/router]

[RichC]

I'm behind a Linksys router. I'm on a dynamic IP assigned by my cable ISP provider. What's the best way to allow somebody to download large files (500MB) off my computer? I've looked at PeerFTP, but that requires everybody to buy a copy of their software ($20). DNS2Go seems cool, but they charge $19.95/year.

I could setup an FTP server, but the ISP changes my IP once in awhile, so I'd have to keep updating the ftp links on my web page. AOL AIM File Sharing doesn't work behind a firewall. The files are too big to host on my website (100MB limit). Any suggestions? Free would be cool, but a low price is okay (as long as it's paid by me and only me).

[edit]

Spent all day trying to configure my ftp server, when I finally talked to Cox Cable tech support. They said they shut off the ports and that they wouldn't support any type of server activity. Then the guy closed the connection (remote assistance, not phone tech support). I came across this article after a google search:

http://www.geek.com/news/geeknews/2003Jun/gee20030613020400.htm

Bastards at Cox shut port 25 and 80. FTP is on port 21, but the tech support guy said they shut that port off too. Any idea how I can work behind this? Anybody hear anything else about this Cox policy change?

 

[KeyserSoze]

Originally posted by: RichC
I'm behind a Linksys router. I'm on a dynamic IP assigned by my cable ISP provider. What's the best way to allow somebody to download large files (500MB) off my computer? I've looked at PeerFTP, but that requires everybody to buy a copy of their software ($20). DNS2Go seems cool, but they charge $19.95/year.

I could setup an FTP server, but the ISP changes my IP once in awhile, so I'd have to keep updating the ftp links on my web page. AOL AIM File Sharing doesn't work behind a firewall. The files are too big to host on my website (100MB limit). Any suggestions? Free would be cool, but a low price is okay (as long as it's paid by me and only me).

AIM File Sharing DOES work, you just gotta configure your router to open up those ports. Search for your Router on Google with "AIM File Transfer ports", and you should definitely find something. Also, check out dslreports.com, and go search through their forums.

If that doesn't work, I don't really know what other things you could do.




KeyserSoze

 

[RichC]

AIM File Sharing DOES work, you just gotta configure your router to open up those ports. Search for your Router on Google with "AIM File Transfer ports", and you should definitely find something. Also, check out dslreports.com, and go search through their forums.


AIM File Sharing does work for most routers, but there's a known bug with the Linksys router. There is a workaround, but it's not always successful and involves a lot of port remapping.

 

[KeyserSoze]

Originally posted by: RichC
AIM File Sharing DOES work, you just gotta configure your router to open up those ports. Search for your Router on Google with "AIM File Transfer ports", and you should definitely find something. Also, check out dslreports.com, and go search through their forums.


AIM File Sharing does work for most routers, but there's a known bug with the Linksys router. There is a workaround, but it's not always successful and involves a lot of port remapping.

Crap, that sucks. Well, best of luck to you then. I'm no help


EDIT: What is the model number of your router?



KeyserSoze

 

[RichC]

BEFW11S4 - I'm going to try to remap some ports, maybe even put my entire computer in the DMZ. Going to do a google search, but if anybody has a page handy with the port listings, it'd save me some time.

 

[skyking]

forward port 5190 for AIM.
List of other ports for applications.

 

[Mavtech]

I use mydyndns.org for my mail and FTP servers. It will keep the addresses pointed at the right IP.

 

[SkywalkerX]

just check out dyndns.org that should take care of all your dynamic ip needs. once your available to your many user(s) security will be your next biggest problem

 

[BurnItDwn]

run ftp server software (i prefer Servu if you are running windows, in linux I've only tried Proftpd) and then idle on an IRC channel. have anybody that may want the files find you on IRC and just pull up your IP via /dns or /whois.

 

[RichC]

dyndns.org works great. Thanks for the suggestion. No more port remapping. Any ideas on a good free FTP server? Serv-U costs $39.95.

 

[RichC]

I spent all night trying to get my ftp server running. I could use it with other computers on the network, but people outside my network couldn't ping my router/computer. I just got done talking with Cox Cable, and they said they have the ports blocked off to prevent FTP servers. What kind of bulls*#% is that? Anybody else have problems with a cable company not letting them run a server?

 

[dartworth]

I have Cox and have never had these problems. I use BulletProof FTP Server and have had good luck with it.

When you configure your server, just move it to a different port. Then make sure you forward that port to the IP of your machine in your router. You could drop your machine in a DMZ, but that leave you open to all kinds of port scanning and attacks.

 

[Daniel]

Originally posted by: RichC
I just got done talking with Cox Cable, and they said they have the ports blocked off to prevent FTP servers. What kind of bulls*#% is that? Anybody else have problems with a cable company not letting them run a server?

Check your terms of service, I'd be very, very surprised if they don't have anything in there about not allowing servers. As much as it may suck you use a consumer level service and if you want to run a server they want to sell you business level service for much more. Many ISPs block common ports (80/21/25/etc) for that very reason.

 

[RichC]

Originally posted by: jfano
I have Cox and have never had these problems. I use BulletProof FTP Server and have had good luck with it.

When you configure your server, just move it to a different port. Then make sure you forward that port to the IP of your machine in your router. You could drop your machine in a DMZ, but that leave you open to all kinds of port scanning and attacks.

What internal/external port do you have ftp mapped to? My problem is that I can't even ping my own machine. I can ping my local gateway, but it's as if my router/computer doesn't even exist when people outside the cox network try to ping it.

 

[RichC]

All fixed now. Had a friend outside my network help me with the port remapping. Finally. Cox blocked 80, 25, and 21, so any incoming ports are shut off. We just picked 65 and it worked fine.

 

[Soybomb]

I just got done talking with Cox Cable, and they said they have the ports blocked off to prevent FTP servers. What kind of bulls*#% is that?

I don't think its BS at all, its presumably against their terms of service and you're if you're on a residential account they're not getting enough money from you to be able to support such large uploads, let alone make any money. If they've proactively blocked the ports, they might also be doing port scans on the customers to see if you're running any servers. If so you find find your service shutoff for violating their TOS one day....

 

[RichC]

I think bandwidth caps are a great idea, but I don't see the harm in hosting a small 10 MB web page, or having a few files on FTP. Bandwidth should be what's important, not what you do with it.

 

[Superman9534]

yea if they give you a capped upload speed you should be able to do whatever the hell you want with it. My Earthlink cable (Time warner) lets me host anything I want.

 

[Macro2]

you could always get a real router...

 

[Soybomb]

It depends on the kind of caps you're talking about. If you're talking about you're capped at so many gigs of throughput a month and then you have to pay more, I agree you should be able to do what you want with it. If you're talking though speed caps of so many Kb/s I disagree. People want broadband because its fast. They can make it fast and cheap because you're not going to be using it all the time if you're surfing webpages and the like. When you run a server its capable of running under a continual load which really eats up the bandwidth so they can't afford to discount it as much. Bandwidth's expensive.

 

[dexter333]

Originally posted by: RichC
I spent all night trying to get my ftp server running. I could use it with other computers on the network, but people outside my network couldn't ping my router/computer. I just got done talking with Cox Cable, and they said they have the ports blocked off to prevent FTP servers. What kind of bulls*#% is that? Anybody else have problems with a cable company not letting them run a server?

Dude, go read that contract you signed when they installed your cable modem, it says no servers of any kind and *sigh* no vpn. Just use like dyndns and put your ftpd on a different port or get real web hosting.

 

[RichC]

Dude, go read that contract you signed when they installed your cable modem, it says no servers of any kind and *sigh* no vpn. Just use like dyndns and put your ftpd on a different port or get real web hosting.

I got everything set up 4 days ago. Now I'm trying to figure out how to get my ReplayTV's internet sharing to work (they're hardwired to port 80). I can probably access my friend's Replay, but nobody will be able to access mine.

 

[dexter333]

Use some kind of tunneling program, I use winsslwrap but only because it's already installed/running.