Tesco Internet Phone with router

Hi,
I've just got a new Tesco Internet Phone up and running and it works
fine. However the problem is that I have not enabled any incoming ports
on by Netgear router, so I'm surprised the incoming calls are not
blocked.

Does anyone know why they would be allowed through? I have disabled UPNP
on the Netgear and all incoming services are blocked. I'm happy it's
working but not too happy that the router is letting the incoming
traffic through before I've opened a port!

Thanks,

Paul.

"Paul F" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> Hi,
> I've just got a new Tesco Internet Phone up and running and it works fine.
> However the problem is that I have not enabled any incoming ports on by
> Netgear router, so I'm surprised the incoming calls are not blocked.
>
> Does anyone know why they would be allowed through? I have disabled UPNP
> on the Netgear and all incoming services are blocked. I'm happy it's
> working but not too happy that the router is letting the incoming traffic
> through before I've opened a port!
>
> Thanks,
>
> Paul.


So which ports have you opened for your broadband connection?

--
Paul Woodsford
Remove NOSPAM to reply.

Paul F <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>Does anyone know why they would be allowed through? I have disabled UPNP
>on the Netgear and all incoming services are blocked. I'm happy it's
>working but not too happy that the router is letting the incoming
>traffic through before I've opened a port!

For you to be "answerable" you (well, the s/w for the phone) "login" to
some server, so the initial connection may be used as a control channel
to tell your PC there's an incoming call. Without knowing what ports are
open and listening, it's unclear, as an observer. However, LogMeIn.com
works through routers with no uPnP options, calling their USA HQ to show
the PC is online, and subsequently having an encrypted connection from
one PC to another, not via the USA. Check ports on your PC firewall
or try "netstat -n"

In message <(E-Mail Removed)>, Paul F
<(E-Mail Removed)> writes
>Hi,
>I've just got a new Tesco Internet Phone up and running and it works
>fine. However the problem is that I have not enabled any incoming ports
>on by Netgear router, so I'm surprised the incoming calls are not
>blocked.
>
>Does anyone know why they would be allowed through? I have disabled
>UPNP on the Netgear and all incoming services are blocked. I'm happy
>it's working but not too happy that the router is letting the incoming
>traffic through before I've opened a port!
>
>Thanks,
>
>Paul.
Paul,

Which Netgear Router, and which firmware release.

Older releases of the Netgear DG834(G) firmware had a few high numbered
ports open by default. There was a lot of traffic about the issue on the
Netgear Forums (now closed) .

The issue was fixed and then broken and then fixed again as the firmware
evolved.

AIUI the Tesco phone uses port 4569 and memory (but as the forum is shut
down I don't have access to the list) says that sounds like one of the
open ports.

Might be worth shutting down the Tesco software and testing 4569 at GRC.
--
Peter R Cook

Paul F <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>Does anyone know why they would be allowed through? I have disabled UPNP
>on the Netgear and all incoming services are blocked. I'm happy it's
>working but not too happy that the router is letting the incoming
>traffic through before I've opened a port!

For you to be "answerable" you (well, the s/w for the phone) "login" to
some server, so the initial connection may be used as a control channel
to tell your PC there's an incoming call. Without knowing what ports are
open and listening, it's unclear, as an observer. However, LogMeIn.com
works through routers with no uPnP options, calling their USA HQ to show
the PC is online, and subsequently having an encrypted connection from
one PC to another, not via the USA. Check ports on your PC firewall
or try "netstat -n"

Paul F wrote:

> I've just got a new Tesco Internet Phone up and running and it works
> fine. However the problem is that I have not enabled any incoming ports
> on by Netgear router, so I'm surprised the incoming calls are not blocked.

Surely your handset is opening a session to Tesco and therefore incoming
traffic is coming back as part of that session. That session remains
open constantly telling Tesco where your handset is so it can receive
incoming calls. Blocked ports normally only relate to sessions
initiated from outside.

In article <(E-Mail Removed)>, Peter R Cook
<(E-Mail Removed)> writes
>Paul,
>
>Which Netgear Router, and which firmware release.
>
>Older releases of the Netgear DG834(G) firmware had a few high numbered
>ports open by default. There was a lot of traffic about the issue on
>the Netgear Forums (now closed) .
>
>The issue was fixed and then broken and then fixed again as the
>firmware evolved.
>
>AIUI the Tesco phone uses port 4569 and memory (but as the forum is
>shut down I don't have access to the list) says that sounds like one of
>the open ports.
>
>Might be worth shutting down the Tesco software and testing 4569 at GRC.

I'm using DG824M Version 1.4 Release 05. The Tesco software is indeed
set up to use port 4569 - testing this on ShieldsUp shows a 'TruStealth'
rating.

I have only got the default rules set up on my router which are:-
Inbound Services
# Enable Service Name Action LAN Users WAN Servers Log
Default Yes Any BLOCK always -- Any Match

Outbound Services
# Enable Service Name Action LAN Users WAN Servers Log
Default Yes Any ALLOW always Any Any Never

Doing a Netstat -n *sometimes* shows a connection open to
tescointernet.com on port 80, but I tried it during a call and it didn't
show anything.

Thanks for the help,

Paul.

In article <(E-Mail Removed)>, Paul F
<(E-Mail Removed)> writes
>Doing a Netstat -n *sometimes* shows a connection open to
>tescointernet.com on port 80, but I tried it during a call and it
>didn't show anything.

Sorry for following up to my own post - a netstat -a does indeed show a
connection open on port 4569, so like a couple of people have said the
connection must be getting left open.

Thanks for the help!

Thus spaketh Colin Forrester:
> Paul F wrote:
>
>> I've just got a new Tesco Internet Phone up and running and it works
>> fine. However the problem is that I have not enabled any incoming
>> ports on by Netgear router, so I'm surprised the incoming calls are
>> not blocked.
>
> Surely your handset is opening a session to Tesco and therefore
> incoming traffic is coming back as part of that session. That
> session remains open constantly telling Tesco where your handset is
> so it can receive incoming calls. Blocked ports normally only relate
> to sessions initiated from outside.


That was my understanding.

uk.telecom.voip is a good place to ask.


--
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On Sat, 22 Jul 2006 12:33:55 +0100, Colin Forrester
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>Paul F wrote:
>
>> I've just got a new Tesco Internet Phone up and running and it works
>> fine. However the problem is that I have not enabled any incoming ports
>> on by Netgear router, so I'm surprised the incoming calls are not blocked.
>
>Surely your handset is opening a session to Tesco and therefore incoming
>traffic is coming back as part of that session. That session remains
>open constantly telling Tesco where your handset is so it can receive
>incoming calls. Blocked ports normally only relate to sessions
>initiated from outside.

Exactly. It probably works in the same way that things like MSN
messenger work where they initiate a connection with the server then
send keep alive signals every so often to keep the session going.