Limewire Finally Connected, Everything Else Will Not While Limewire is Running
 

OK.. Ive had limewire 4.18.8 installed for some time now and have always had the usual connection problems that seem to generally correct themselves if I leave Limewire open long enough. However, Ive recently installed Kaspersky Internet Security 2009. After doing so I decided to open up Limewire... Usual connection problem... Let it sit... Nothing... I decided to hit the forums....

NO INTERNET CONNECTION AT ALL--- But my router is lit up like Christmas and modem is showing activity on the Activity LED... Now, I have searched these forums thoroughly and have found a handful of threads dating all the way back to January 23rd, 2002 none of them go any further than 3 replies deep.

Posts

http://www.gnutellaforums.com/connection-problems/27419-connection-problems-disconnects-my-entire-internet-connection.html
http://www.gnutellaforums.com/connection-problems/29868-limewire-disconnects-along-my-internet-connection.html
http://www.gnutellaforums.com/connection-problems/26040-every-time-i-go-connect-limewire-my-aol-9-0-internet-connection-disconnects.html
http://www.gnutellaforums.com/general-mac-osx-support/25019-firewall-router-problems-limewire-stalls-my-internet-connection.html
http://www.gnutellaforums.com/general-windows-support/15972-connection-always-disconnects.html
http://www.gnutellaforums.com/connection-problems/7432-q-limewire-brings-down-my-entire-internet-connection.html

So heres a little info to get started
WinXP Pro SP2
(Windows Firewall Disabled)
Latest Version of Java SE Installed (v6 Update 10)
Kaspersky Internet Security 2009
(Given Full Access Rights to Trusted Apps Limewire and all Java Sun Microsystems Applications)
Internet Explorer 7
Behind Linksys Router WRT54G v8 with latest firmware v8.00.5
UPnP Enabled
Bridged Connection over pppoE on Siemens SpeedStream Modem with ISP Windstream Communications out of Comer Georgia 3Mbit Connection

Now back to the saga...

I closed limewire and rebooted my PC. Internet connection back up. Search the forums to find this Sticky by "birdy" http://www.gnutellaforums.com/connection-problems/78124-if-lw-will-not-connect.html

Very informative collection of past present and future fixes, some of which I had used long ago, before they were all in one post, to fix this stubborn app. As per this instance I followed these steps to get Limewire back up and running, but still have intermittent connection problems with everything else. Everytime I took one step I checked to see if either Internet Explorer or Outlook Express would connect.

1. Disconnect/Reconnect LimeWire
-While Limewire Running
--Limewire - Unable to Connect
--IE 7 - Unable to Connect
--Outlook Express - Unable to Connect
-Reboot Router and Limewire Running
--Limewire - Unable to Connect
--IE 7 - Able to Connect for about 20 sec then Unable to Connect
--Outlook Express - Able to connect long enough to check pop and smtp one time then Unable to Connect
-Exit Limewire and either wait about 60 sec or reboot router
--IE7 - Permanently Reconnected
--Outlook Express Permanently Reconnected

2. Disable Ultrapeer and DHT and TLS One by One. Then press apply. Then connect manually on each function disable one by one.
--No change in connection confirmation Steps or Status (I could copy and paste from above but I see no real need, I think Im getting my point across the Status will change slightly later.)

3. Disabled OOB Searching
--No change in connection confirmation Steps or Status

4. UNINSTALL/REINSTALL LW
--No change in connection confirmation Steps or Status

5. UPDATE JAVA (Was running V6 Update 7 -- Updated to 10)
--No change in connection confirmation Steps or Status

6. DELETE/REPLACE gnutella.net FILE
That Fixed Limewire HOWEVER
-While Limewire Running
--Limewire - Able to Connect!!!
--IE 7 - Able to Connect for about 20 sec then Unable to Connect
--Outlook Express - Able to connect long enough to check pop and smtp one time then Unable to Connect
-Reboot Router and Limewire Running
--Limewire - Still Connected
--IE 7 - Able to Connect for about 20 sec then Unable to Connect
--Outlook Express - Able to connect long enough to check pop and smtp one time then Unable to Connect
-Exit Limewire and either wait about 60 sec or reboot router
--IE7 - Permanently Reconnected
--Outlook Express Permanently Reconnected

Now I have absolutely no reasonable way of knowing whether just replacing the gnutella.net file did the trick or if it was all or some combination of some of the actions that fixed Limewire. I mean I (we) all of us hundreds of people in this forum here experiencing the same darn problems are the users, not the programmers, or beta testers. I (we)shouldn’t have to do any of this to get an EIGHT YEAR OLD program working like a overused vehicle. By now the bugs and the gnutella network issues should have been worked out. This has been going on now since the inception of gnutella it seems like and since the fall of the Titan the Free Napster. Im not ranting really Im just pissed and tired sitting here typing away to the best of my ability a very thorough walkthrough of the problems I am encountering and the steps I have taken just to get this far and still havent yet gotten to the problem I have now... Sorry, but I think too that we users here arent really doing enough to help it along either. Nearly every post I have read seems to be a repeat of the fellow before him, and I can see clearly, since they dont post all the necessary system information, dont read the stickies, and obviously dont read the posting requirements, arent themselves informed enough about their systems or their situation to even formulate a complete request and expect to be helped. Pitiful..

Now finally after all this yak...

-While Limewire Running
--Limewire - Able to Connect!!!
--IE 7 - Able to Connect for about 20 sec then Unable to Connect
--Outlook Express - Able to connect long enough to check pop and smtp one time then Unable to Connect
-Reboot Router and Limewire Running
--Limewire - Still Connected
--IE 7 - Able to Connect for about 20 sec then Unable to Connect for an Undetermined amount of time Able to Connect...then not.. then Able etc.
--Outlook Express - Able to connect long enough to check pop and smtp one time then Unable to Connect
-Exit Limewire and either wait about 60 sec or reboot router
--IE7 - Permanently Reconnected
--Outlook Express Permanently Reconnected

I can search, download and upload in Limewire. However while running Limewire everything else will not connect to the internet. The Firewall Icon in the bottom left hand corner of the screen is now not there indicating there is no firewall. Im not sure if this is relevant. I re-enabled all the performance options... No change in status... Ive even disabled Kaspersky Firewall…

The only things I have not done, all of which have really been only indicated as relative to getting Limewire to connect alone by itself, is reverting back to J2SE 5.0 U11 (which I really dont think is wise due to the inherent security risks in this outdated and unsupported version of the Java Runtime Environment), DISABLE 'SHOW TIPS AT STARTUP' & 'CONNECT ON STARTUP' (I dont think this will help), Purge the Download Que (nothing in it anyway), Delete Limewires Prefs Folder (perhaps might help), flat out do away with UPnP (my XBOX 360 uses UPnP flawlessly but Im willing to try to port forward if necessary), or install FrostWire (im trying really hard here).

So, I dont think I missed much. Sorry for the long read but I think it is necessary given the magnitude of users experiencing these "connection" problems. I figured a thorough request for help might adequately accompany the efforts of a few here that seem dedicated to correcting the situation ( birdy, Lord of the Rings, Ne0teric, et voilà, SatanslilHelper and others that I have seen assisting in these countless threads). Maybe if nothing else the number of keywords mentioned here will add to the combinations of possible search strings to return the most relevant results, making it more likely that this thread will be read when someone searches for similar problems. Well Thanks again. Ill keep working on it hope someone can help..

Rick Morris

Hi Rick,

Sorry to ask a stupid question, but did you try reducing both your upload & download bandwidth within LW's tools > options? If not, reduce both to ~ 70-80% & then restart LW.

Are you sharing a huge number of files? If you are, reduce the number of files shared. Restart LW.

Have you ever had older versions of LW installed & if so, did you have the same problem? If you've never used an older version of LW, would you consider trying one?

Have you used other Java based p2p apps & if so, did you have the same problem? If you haven't tried other apps, you could consider Phex or FrostWire and for a non-Java app BearShare.

Heaps of people have problems with Linksys routers in UPnP mode but it usually shows as a connection problem (ie either bad connection or LW shows as firewalled). I'm not sure if port forwarding will help your particular problem but if you'd like to give it a try then you really don't have anything to lose - you can always remove the rules from your router's config later.
http://www.portforward.com/english/r...5/Limewire.htm

We realise that the people who post here are pissed-off with their LW problems. It would be nice if the LW developers came to this forum & gave some input or helped out with some of the problems here... but I don't think that's going to happen. So it's up to the users here to try to help other users... that's the best we can do.

If you think that there are bugs in a particular version, you can always post at this other forum: LimeWire Forums
One of the developers might answer your question there.

Hey birdy.. appretiate the reply

-Yeah I had already reduced the download bandwidth; but, did not decrease the Upstream BW.
-Sharing only about 60 files now.
-The only other P2P I have used are Kazzaa Lite and Ressurection, Morpheous, WinMX, Shareazza, and Bearshare.
All of which do not seem to give as many connection problems as Limewire, except Kazza during its first FastTrack decline, yet they all do experience some level of connection unreliability. I really think it has more to do with the protocol than it has to do with Limewire itself, but I have no real expertise to base such a conclusion except that they all do experience connection problems. Also worth noting, I have not always been behind a router and have experience connection issues with all of these programs under a non routered condition. ??? Who knows.

As of posting this now I have not lost internet connection in over 10 min...
The only change made was to decrease upload BW to 80%.. Perhaps this was it. If so then I would like to understand why or how this works. Do you know?

Also why has Limewire not detected a firewall when there clearly is one? For isstance when using ZoneAlarm I noticed LW would detect a fire wall, but not now with Kaspersky installed inplace of deleting ZA.

The firewall icon shows when LW detects a firewall that's not configured properly. It's not detecting whether you actually have a firewall functioning:) I have Comodo firewall configured to allow LW - I don't see the firewall icon. So there was some problem with your ZA config, if you were seeing the firewall icon.

Do you see uploads in progress soon after you start LW (click on the Monitor tab to check)? When LW's firewalled, other people will have a hard time uploading from you. You might see some uploads, but nowhere near as many as you'd see if LW wasn't detecting a firewall. Maybe now that your LW's not firewalled, you have more people uploading from you & so you're using more upload bandwidth. Maybe that's why reducing upload bandwidth helped.

icon of firewall still displayed