Hi. This isn't really a problem, just more a question of curiosity. There have been times when I have been disconnected from the Gnutella network for some length of time (in excess of 48 hours on one ocassion) yet it appears that there are people attempting to connect to me on port 6346. I'm ignoring the times when the other computer has attempted to connect from a vastly different port number (this could just be the usual port scans that Zone Alarm records). However there have been many ocassions when the other computer is attempting to connect from ports numbered 6346, 6348 or 6349, yet it is quite sometime since I disconnected from the network.

I can understand that disconnecting may take a little time to "filter" through the system but how can I still be getting these connection attempts 24 hours plus after disconnecting? I can't believe that someone can be attempting to use the "browse host" feature (surely after that length of time it shouldn't be highlighted as an option).

As said, I'm more curious than worried (the IP addresses are always different, so it's not like there's one IP always trying to connect), but I'm also puzzled. I'm on a fixed IP address as I have cable broadband, so it's not a problem that people with dynamic IPs may encounter.

Thanks again in advance

Robbie

Just a bit of a further point - at times I've been running as an ultrapeer, so often after disconnecting from the newtork I seem to get a lot of connection attempts for a while after disconnecting. However, it's the attempts to connect to me after a a longer period of time that puzzles me (and these happen wether I was running as a UP or not in my last connection status).

Robbie

Hi Robbie

If a user last connected to you when you were an ultrapeer, then shut down for a week or so, they would attempt to connect to you when they started up again.

You might even see someone attempt to connect months later, if that was the last time they ran LW.

Failed connection attempts remove invalid IP's (or they are supposed to with decent clients), which would explain why you don't see repetitive connection attempts from the same IP.

thanks for the answer stief.

I guess sometimes I'm ultra security conscious!

Robbie

jusy wanted to let you know that the intrusion you speak of is not alway ultrapeer. I have never been connected as an ultra peer and am constantly having attempts made on my computer in limewire.
Unfortunately the site is becoming crowded with virus and trojans and hackers.
Get the best anti-virus you can find.
get a trijan detector, get zone alarm, get whatever you need to protact yourself.
Filesharing is so much fun, but very risky.

so when a user starts up limewire, does the system attempt to connect that person to the IP addresses which are in the gnutella.net file (in C:\documents and settings\(username)\limewire\gnutella.net)? That would make sense. But what about where the person never has been an ultrapeer, as stevebcali has just posted? I did notice these connection attempts after beginning to use limewire and well before I was ever an ultrapeer. I can understand how being an UP will lead to failed connection attempts being logged by Zone Alarm if I'm not connected to limewire, but not how this could happen in cases where someone is not, and has never been, an UP.

I think deep down, I still have some unresolved worries about how secure my computer is while using P2P. Zone alarm, and anti-virus, anti-spyware software can only provide so much protection if someone uses a programme that potentially compromises computer security in the first place...

midnight_blue

Like you, I also worry about my computer being compromised because I use my PC for other things as well, i.e. banking, shopping, research, etc.

Now, I will be the first to admit that there is no such thing as 100% security and that using P2P brings internet dangers that much closer to you. However, there are some extra security utilities you could use to bolster your security.

PeerGuardian 2 (beta 5b)

http://www.methlabs.org

Uses IP block lists to keep out organisations that creep into your PC via port 6346 when using LW.

Prevx Home V2.0

http://www.prevx.com/prevxhome.asp

Sits behing your firewall and protects your PC against the worms, trojans, malicious spyware, malware and hacker attacks.

There are other security utilities that will help but I would suggest that you use these two and see how you get on.




UK Bob