Hello all,

My LimeWire works at last!!!
My computer (WinXP) very strangely created (on it's own) a new network connection (Internet Gateway) - and is connected to the internet via this connection. It does not use the standard "Dial-up" or "LAN or High-Speed Internet" network that it used to.
All my programs now connect via this new network - incl. LimeWire - which is now at full speed.

I must mantion there is a "glitch" in my PC - I am directly connected to the internet when I turn on my PC. My cable internet service actually requires me to run a dialer program - dial in by clicking on the Connect button, then it verifies my username and password, then finally connects me to the intenet. I cannot bypass this step. I MUST use my dialer and connect first - if I am to connect to the internet.
But since the creation of this new network, I am directly connected - without having to dial in. If I try to dial in, I get an error most of the time.

I suggest all of you who are not able to connect, or get firewall messages or who get connected but are not able to download, try manually creating a new internet connection. Connect to the internet via that new connection and try to see if you can get LW working again.
Mine just did - all all the problems seem solved!


Case History:
Installed LimeWire a few weeks back. LimeWire was great - seemed to be the next best p2p since AudioGalaxy!
A few days back, it just stopped connecting and sharing files - just like that - for no apparent reason - out of the blue.

I installed LW when my ISP was going thru a bad patch - they had just offered increased download speeds to all subscribers at the start of the month. Somehow they messed up somewhere and all of us were getting pathethic speeds (below 1 kBps) and the service would keep disconnecting - sometimes as frequently as 5 mins apart. On an average, I would get 1kbps and a disconnect every 1 or 2 hours!

In spite of this, LimeWire would connect as soon as the internet connection was restored - and would utilize as much of the internet connection as possible. A testimony to the fine engineering done on this product!

A few days back, the ISP managed to clear up all their issues - my internet connection was back to normal speed. I have a 48kbps subscription - and I am getting an average of 45kbps - which makes this is a very dependable service. Also the line gets disconnected just once every day or alternate day.
I noticed LimeWire stopped working the very day (actually the very part of the day) that the connection was fixed. Nothing I did would get LW to work - including all the solutions mentioned in these forums/posts.

Running Environment: WinXP Pro with all the updates. Windows Firewall is turned off. Java is v1.5 - that latest version. LimeWire is using uPnP. Using Port 6346 UDP as well as TCP, and Listening at port 34976 (this is the default port). No other firewall or antivirus installed on the PC.



Post your findings here. Let the other know if this worked for you or not. If you people post back, we can have more ideas and solutions as to what to do next.

Hi mate,

Good to know ur LW is back to normal!

Could u just specify step by step as to how u made tht new connection so tht now u are directly connected to the internet without having to dial through ur ISP's dialer!!

Maybe ur new connection still dials for internet in the background when ur PC boots !!

U too hav PPPOE connection, then there should be two connection icons in ur system tray i.e. LAN and ur internet connection icon, right? Do u mean to say tht after u made a new connection which directly connects u to the net, u hav only LAN icon in ur sys tray???

My language might be confussing but pls understand as I am also desperate to get my LW back to normal!!

Thanx!!

Hello Panzer,

I really do not know how my PC created that new connection. No one else in my house know anything about computers or networking. My brother just does basic stuff with the PC - listen to mp3s, watch videos, surf the internet, play games, that's about it!

So I know for sure that this new network connection was created by the PC itself - somehow. And sadly it's gone again now. After that once or twice it did get created again - but this time I could not directly use the internet. I had to connect via the dialer.

At this time, I have no new network connections. I can connect to the internet only through dialing.

You were right when you said I have another network connection because I am using a PPPoE service.

The PPPoE creates another two network connections.
So I have the default LAN connection that's created when the LAN card drivers are installed. And when the dialer software is installed, it created two Dial Up connections.
So I have LAN connection and 2 Dial Up connections.

When the dialer dials, it uses these new Dial Up connections to connect to the service and use the internet.

On the day the PC created the new connection, I had a fourth internet connection created. It was neither in LAN nor the Dial Up category. But it was in a category called Internet Gateway. When I would turn on my PC, the computer was automatically connected to the internet using the Internet Gateway connection and the LAN connection - while both the ISP's Dial Up connections showed status as Disconnected.

This was the only status when I could connect using LimeWire. Both the ISP's dial up connections were disconnected or disabled - and the connection was through the newly created Internet Gateway and the LAN connection.

When I tried to connect using the ISP's dialer, the Internet Gateway and LAN connections were disconnected/disabled and traffic was passed through the two Dial Up connections belonging to the ISP's dialing software program. This is when LimeWire is not able to connect.

When I logged out and quit the dialer program, I was again connected to the internet via the Internet Gateway and LAN connection. The Dial Up conncetions were once again disconnected/disabled. LimeWire was again able to connect.

So you see, this is clearly an issue with the ISP. That's why you are able to use LimeWire when you use the dialup modem (assuming your dial up and PPPoE are by different ISPs).

My new Internet Gateway connection was what was getting LimeWire to work. Traffic passing through the gateway connection was somehow bypassing some blocking software (or maybe hardware) that my ISP must be using.

I tried creating a new connection and using that instead of the default Dial Up connection - but so far was not able to do it. Maybe I need some help in setting it up correctly.

At the moment, my situation is just like you. Stuck! Without any possible help!

Regards, AG.

P.S. If anyone can help me setting up a new network connection, please post your advice.

Hey buddy,

Got my LW to work again.(Read in the !!Solution!! to LW Problems!)

Even I had tht Internet Gateway icon in the network connections folder about an year ago!! It use to come whenever it wanted to and suddenly disappear after restarting PC!! The best part of tht connection was tht I could use the internet without having to dial in and could get speeds upto 512Kbps even when I was subscribed to 128Kbps!! Download speeds were like 38-40Kbps!! Really I use to look forward to this connection whenever I use to start my PC!! But it seems like the ISP have fixed the loop hole and I havnt seen tht connection since then!

Anyway u know where ur problem lies, right above in tht router which is having some NAT firewall!! So its in the hands of ur cable operator to let u pass!

Hope u find a solution soon!!

Thanx for the help!!

Hello Panzer,

Looks like you and me are pretty much in the same boat.

Except that your have a good cable operator who is good friends with you - and I am in Mumbai (Bombay), India - where everyone around is corrupt to the core - right from the goernment to the police to the doctors to the common cable operator. So getting my cable operator to unblock a certain port is next to impossible.

Here in India, if you have internet access, you are a well-to-do successfull person. Only in the cities can you expect broadband. I have a cable connection - a rarity - and I pay about $11-$12 a month for a measly 48kbps (6kBps) line. And if I'm lucky (fortunately, yes!) I have a service without a download limit. Most (Broaband) ISPs have a download limit which varies from 100Mb to 500MB a month. For people who use P2P applications, that's about downloading one compressed movie.

Operators who offer unlimited downloads (like mine) will do any foulplay possible to reduce the amount of bandwidth people use - including blocking ports. Why in the world would they unblock the ports and let people download as much as they want? They get away fooling innocent non-techy people saying that if you can surf the internet, our service is fine and the problem lies with your computer or the website you are trying to access. My ISP clearly told me they dont block any ports - except for Kazaa which is freed only in the nights.

In fact, Bombay has a system of cable operator gangs. In each area, only one cable operator can provide TV and Cable service. A very organized mafia. No other cable operator will provide service in a block already "claimed" by another operator. Else that intruding operator can expect the underworld to shoot him dead! And that happens.

They're backed by an underworld lobby of internationally wanted gangsters! The underworld may be getting huge ransoms for keeping this cable lobby in check and making sure that intruding operators are killed - as a lesson to others.

I'm glad you got your LW working again - and it was as simple as asking your friendly operator to unblock your NAT. I may see no such luck.

At the moment LW is working. That mysterious Internet Gateway fairy appeared again last night. LW got a full-speed connection. And this morning when I restart the PC, it's gone. Ha!

But my LW still works at extreme speeds - I may have found a new little trick - though it's too soon to say. I'll wait and watch a few more times and see if this connection persists. If it does, I'll let y'all know what I did.

Wish me luck, AG.