video confrencing on a static port?

[MrDudeMan]

is there any software that will let you select the port to run live video on? netmeeting seems to pick a random port so i can't open a port on my router to let it work w/o being Dmz.

lmk

 

[MrDudeMan]

anyone?
bump

 

[MrDudeMan]

bump

 

[ttn1]

I have been looking for solutions to this as well. I haven't found any yet. I'll let you know if I do.

 

[joelryan2k]

What router do you use? I just upgraded my firmware for my Linksys router and low-and-behold it supports UPnP now. As I understand it, UPnP will allow your computer to open and close port on the router dynamically so that things like what you describe can work behind NAT. (This is not all UPnP can do, but how it is used in this situation)

Of course, the application you're using would have to support UPnP as well. I'm not sure if the latest version of netmeeting does.

Oh, and this just came back to me. Netmeeting uses a protocol called something like H323. It requires a special piece of software called a gateway to run on a machine directly accessable from the internet. If you use linux for you router, it may be possible to install an open source application to do just that... I think it's called openh323 or something.

Hope this helps
-- Joel

 

[Bglad]

I'm not sure if UPnP is a new solution to the problem, but if it isn't, you have to use DMZ. Video apps don't use one single port chosen at random, they use a wide range of ports simultaneously. Many are for the video, some for audio, one for chat, one for incoming calls, some for indexes etc. That is the problem. You either have to open a wide string of ports to your firewall and forward all of those ports to the video app machine, or work on DMZ. Problem is if you forward a wide string of ports to one computer on a lan, no other computer can ever use those ports and you will likely find things not working properly on other machines. Besides if you are going to open all those ports in your firewall you may as well be on DMZ anyway.

The only solution is to put that machine on DMZ and then run a software firewall configured for the app you are running. A software firewall like ZoneAlarm will check to see if the program using those ports is a program approved by you. If it is great. If something else tries to access those ports it will be blocked. Most software firewalls must be run on the medium setting to work. This keeps your ports blocked and protected but not stealth.

 

[MrDudeMan]

awesome!
the explanation about the use of multiple ports was great. i should have thought of that

anyway.. hmm i guess it is back to dmz. duno why i think that is bad, i have just heard of many problems (not haX0rz related, just stuff working wierd) with it. i guess its time to try again.

thanks
mrDudeman

 

[Bglad]

Nothing should run weird. I do it all the time. Just be sure to protect the machine on DMZ. Either only put it on DMZ when you need it or add a software firewall to that machine.