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You were talking about other ports...we need one that has other traffic on it so if it is blocked the other users will be unhappy, but not too much traffic, so it doesn't congest GNet. My suggestion is the port that Aim uses. Does anybody know what this is?
Also, say there's enough blockage to move the entire network to another port. How would we go about doing that?

Kirby
[IMG]http://**************.com/ms/kirbykore/images/kirbywave.gif[/IMG]

I am no expert when it comes to altering the Gnutella network. But as far as I understand, changing the port number that listnens for other hosts can create a new extension of the network. For instance, if I chose to use port 6357 (this is an example- I don't know if this is a viable option), I can find you if you are using that port to listen to the network as well. Problems with this include:

a) no one else may be using that port, so you would not find anyone to connect to,
b) this port may already be used for something else. Like I said, I don't know much about what ports are used for what services, how many ports there are, etc. I basically know that using port 21 to host an ftp server works.
c) the autoconnect hosts give you the addresses to hosts who are using the standard port # (or numbers), so there would need to be a new router set up for this to be practical.

I do not know what Aim uses. In fact, I am not sure what you are referring to. America Online Instant Messenger, Aimster? Please clarify this or correct my ignorance.

The main thing that clogs the Gnutella network are pings and pongs sent between users when searching for files. When it comes time to actually download a file, LW makes an http (hyper text transfer protocol) connection directly to the host. So, the only thing clogging the network are the searches, pushes, queries, pings, and pongs, etc. If we were to try a new number (I mean more than just a few people), we might reduce the traffic. It's like adding more lanes to a freeway. The standard for Gnutella is 6346. But many people have already started using other port numbers.

So to answer your question, Kirby, I am not really sure. But I do know that there are other ports for Gnutella above 6346, and that you can use them.

Does anyone know any resources that discuss ports? If so, please post a link here. Thanks!

A bit exxagerated I should say! You realize, of course, plutonium is manufactured from uranium, a natural resource. Hard to make a natural resource illegal dontcha know. And moreover, the uranium used for power cannot be produced into plutonium. It has to be uranium in it's purest form, in which case the stuff used in nuclear power plants is not.

For those of you who must have a technically correct example (hint hint- You know who you are), let's try this:

Consider an undividual owning a cabel subscription plan that comes with first 20 or so channels. But this guy wants all the good stuff: HBO, Cinemax, Sci-Fi, etc. Problem is, he doesn't want to pay for them. So, he buys a cable descrambler. But as most people know, these are illegal in the U.S. The primary feature of the hardware is to perform an operation that is considered illegal, and has already been established as being illegal. Most people who buy a descrambler will use it to unscramble a scrambled signal. Because of this tendancy, it has been made illegal because it does more harm that it does good. Most people will not use it for noble purposes, and most likely, there aren't any. As a result, the use of cable descramblers in the U.S. has been banned.

Likewise, using a file sharing program is meant to share files. Most of the files being traded with them are copyrighted materials, or derivatives thereof. These are not ordinarily found on the internet because it is (or in some cases is going to be) considered illegal to freely distribute these. Thus creates a demand for a peer to peer file sharing scheme. Is Gnutella encouraging the transfer of copyrighted materials? Almost everyone would have to agree yes to that. We are waiting for the courts to make an official ruling on whether it is legal to trade music on the internet even though it is copyrighted.

Gnutella is a wonderful tool that can be used to share wealths of information and knowledge, but unfortunately, many people are infringing established copyright laws. Luckliy, Gnutella is still in its infancy and is not attracting all too much attention yet. But later on, there's a hefty chance that Gnutella will be deemed illegal or banned altogether. But, as they say, only time will tell.

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Yes, I mean "Aim" as "Aol Instant Messenger" even though I hate it, it's a good port change option. I ran a netstat with Aim running, and the port is 5190. I double-checked it so it was its port, not the one I was running. About my other question, it is early, but how would we move the network to another port? We'd use all the forums, but what about people who don't look at the forums? Could the program developers put a script in their programs that changes the listening port 5190?

Kirby
[IMG]http://**************.com/ms/kirbykore/images/kirbywave.gif[/IMG]

Perhaps I am not understand exactly what it is you want to do with port 5190. I always thought that a port is used for one type of protocol, not several. If you wanted to switch Gnutella to another port, wouldn't it make sense to use one that is not being used by another service? If using an already claimed port #, there would be more traffic on it than the current network already has. What would be the advantage of using AIM's port?

Anyone who wants to can choose to listen to ports other than 6346. In fact, many people are already using 6347, 6348, 6349, and 6355. By spreading ourselves out over a larger area, it makes it more difficult to track specific users, but in now way would using another port isolate users from one another. There are always bridges between the ports being used (i.e. people who are connected to both 6346 and 6347 ports).

Yes, we could tell everyone in the forum to switch to another port number is required, but as you have already stated, it is too early and there is no need to do this yet. Yes, developers could write a script that changes the listening port to 5190, or any other port for that matter. Right now, I am working on a Script for Win 98 that will change the port number for you. We'll see if I can get it to work right, and if I do, I'll post it for you. ALter, Kirby!

I do have a solution for the script idea. I made an executable file for windows that modifies the LimeWire listening port number. But after reading LimeWire's License Agreement, I think it would be in everyone's best interests if I do not distribute it. Unless I get a green light from a LimeWire developer, which I am not currently seeking, I am not going to release it. This type of alteration could potentially fall under the category of backwards engineering, and since LimeWire is not an opensource project, I will respect their rights and will not release any modifying software.

On the other hand, it is relatively easy for users to change the listening port themselves. It's simple enough to go to the options tab and type in a few little digits. So, if we can all coordinate our efforts, we may be able to expand the Gnutella networks should the need arise. :-)

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The reason it would be good to switch to 5190 is that when (not an if) ports 6346,6347 are widely blocked, we can move there and if they block 5190, they will also block Aim, and the Aim users will be mad. 5190 is also a good choice because there's not too much alternate traffic. Some idiot might come in and say "Why not switch to port 80?? They can't block that!!" Because the rest of the internet is using that port and it would take hours to connect, let alone download something. For now, it makes sense to stay put on 634*. But
very soon these ports will start being blocked, and we'll need a plan.

Kirby
[IMG]http://**************.com/ms/kirbykore/images/kirbywave.gif[/IMG]