Trouble using the dyndns method

[sfierce]

I am also trying to use the dyndns method. I have configured my server with an alias, a password, port 5500 as the listening port. I create the server supplying my dyndns hostname, no required password.

I launch the viewer on one pc and then launch the server on another. The message on the server pc comes back No connection could be made because the target machine... and I can't see the rest of that line. The next line says Init network failed. This is all within the same network.

I have tried the sample viewer and server and they work fine but I want to try to have this work without the repeater for better response. Port 5500 is forwarded in my netgear wpn824 router to the specific pc I'm trying to use as the viewer. What am I missing?

Thanks in advance for our help.

[mod=9413,1175891267]Split off into it's own thread[/mod]

[bevtech]

can you ping your dynalias address??


also check that your ports are open
https://www.grc.com/x/portprobe=5500

or any other port that you maybe using just change the number to check to make sure they are open

[sfierce]

If by dynalias address you mean my dyndns address, yes. I didn't choose the dynalias setting within pchelpware because I saw that there are problems with it.

[mattice06082]

also check that your ports are open
https://www.grc.com/x/portprobe=5500

[sfierce]

ok - it shows port 5500 to be closed. I have port forwarding in my router and have an exception in windows firewall for port 5500, and my ISP does not block ports. What else could be blocking it?

[mattice06082]

Closed means that you haven't started the viewer or that the viewer isn't listening on port 5500. What does netstat -a report?

[sfierce]

Viewer is running - netstat -a show port 5500 listening
the link for probe still shows 5500 closed

[mattice06082]

Does the private IP address you get from ipconfig on the machine running the viewer agree with what's configured in your router? Bevtech thought that you may not have set up for a static private IP address. Thanks Bevtech.

It's my understanding that grc's site will report Stealth if it is being blocked by a software or hardware firewall and Closed if it is able to make a connection, but that nothing is listening.

[sfierce]

From my router:
Service Name UltraVNC
Service Type TCP
Starting Port 5500
Ending Port 5500
Server IP Address 192.168.1.7

the server pc ipconfig reports:
192.168.1.7

[sfierce]

oops- I meant the viewer pc reports the right ip address

[mattice06082]

Seems like everything is set up properly so I'm a bit confused. If you PM me your public IP address and DynDNS hostname I can see what PortQry reports outside your network.

[YY]

I have port forwarding in my router and have an exception in windows firewall for port 5500, and my ISP does not block ports. What else could be blocking it?

Please also check the status of the firewall, verify if it is really allowing the traffic of port 5500 & phw-viewer.
Open the Command Prompt, and run:

netsh firewall show allowedprogram
&
netsh firewall show portopening

[mattice06082]

YY, isn't netsh firewall only for the windows firewall?

[YY]

YY, isn't netsh firewall only for the windows firewall?

Right, netsh can check Windows Firewall status only.
sfierce is using windows firewall in his pc, isn't he?

[sfierce]

netsh firewall shows tcp and udp port 5500 enabled

[sfierce]

and for the allowed program it shows pchelpware viewer gui

[mattice06082]

Can you try from a friends? I'm wondering if your router won't allow you to connect two machines inside you LAN using you DynDNS hostname or public IP address. It really sounds like you have everything set up properly.

[YY]

netsh firewall shows tcp and udp port 5500 enabled
and for the allowed program it shows pchelpware viewer gui

All config. are properly done, yet the 5500 port is closed !!??

No clue at all! Just some suggestion:
1. Check if there is any port tiggering setting in the router that also associated with port 5500.
2. Disable the router's SPI Firewall to see any improvement
3. If your router has the log feature, you may probe the port again at https://www.grc.com/x/portprobe=5500 , and check what is recorded.

[sfierce]

YY,
The router's port triggering option is disabled. I will try disabling the firewall and let you know what happens.

mattice06082,
I will also test from a friend's pc.

thanks for all of your advice.

[sfierce]

I disabled the SPI firewall and tested the probe again. Still shows 5500 closed. There's nothing to report from the log file because as soon as the firewall is disabled, the log is cleared and inactive until the firewall is enabled again.

I'll try having a friend test next.

[YY]

Have you checked if the dyndns hostname really resolve to your WAN IP?

Probe your PC at https://www.grc.com/x/portprobe=5500 will show your WAN IP, and compare the IP shown with pinging your dyndns hostname.

They need to be the same.

[sfierce]

The dyndns hostname resolves to the same ip address shown at https://www.grc.com/x/portprobe=5500.

[YY]

Ack. the test result of IP.

For your information, a user (ryguy1233) has encountered difficulty when using UVNC, which I feel to be similar to your situation.

In short, when he disabled the SPI firewall, he can make a successful connection remotely, yet port was still reported to be Filtered when probed PortQueryui.exe

His story is at: [topic=9774][/topic]

[sfierce]

I'm getting the same result when trying to connect outside of my network. I don't want to have to disable my firewall in order to use PCHelpWare so I guess it's down to using the repeater version with a slower connection or purchasing something that works faster and connects regardless of firewalls and routers.

Thanks to all for your guidance.

[sfierce]

Somewhat better news at the moment. It suddenly dawned on me that another piece of hardware could be causing port 5500 to be closed. I use a voip phone service and its router sits between my cable modem and my wireless router. I found out how to access the administration for the voip router and sure enough, it had a port forwarding option in it as well. So I forwarded port 5500 to my wireless router. So now, I am actually able to get pchelpware to work, within my own network.

The next hurdle, it doesn't work from outside of my network. With the viewer listening, and a 3rd party on the outside running the server executable that pchelpware created for me, (using my dyndns hostname during the server creation process) they receive a generic connection failed message. I have port 5500 forwarded to my private ip address for the pc I am running the viewer on. Now what am I missing?

[mattice06082]

If you are using the free DynDNS.com service, go to https://www.dyndns.com/ and log in using your username and password on the machine that you're running the viewer on. Select My Services and then Dynamic DNS under Host Level Services. This will show the IP address your myhost.dyndns.org is routing to under IP in Database/DNS and the actual IP address you are currently assigned under New IP Address. If they aren't the same, you can update it by selecting Modify Host. I saw that they weren't the same once on my sister's machine. I don't know how often they update the free accounts. Hope that helps.

[YY]

I found out how to access the administration for the voip router and sure enough, it had a port forwarding option in it as well. So I forwarded port 5500 to my wireless router.

You have a LAN cable from voip router connected to your wireless router. Which socket (at the wireless router) did you plug in? (the WAN, or the LAN)?

[sfierce]

mattice06082 was right - my dyndns, for some reason, updated my ip to my lingo router's local ip. I updated it back to what it should be and now I can connect outside my network . I downloaded dyndns updater and am now running it as a service to help prevent this problem in the future.

Thanks again for all of the great help so generously offered to me. Your patience and tenacity are very much appreciated.

sfierce

[mattice06082]

Now does the grc link show Open! when your viewer is started?

[sfierce]

Yes it now shows Open. Thanks again - superb help!