Opening IP port. How long does it remain open?

I want to run a program that needs to open a port on my PC so that it can
update the firmware on my ADSL router.

Vista is giving me a warning saying that the port will remain open, but for
how long?

Will the report remain open if I reboot the PC?


--
Michael Chare

"Michael Chare" <> wrote:

>I want to run a program that needs to open a port on my PC so that it can
>update the firmware on my ADSL router.
>
> Vista is giving me a warning saying that the port will remain open, but
> for how long?

Indefinitely, or until you close the port by editing the rule in your
firewall. You can edit Windows Firewall rules here:

Control Panel > System and Maintenance > Administrative Tools > Windows
Firewall with Advanced Settings

> Will the report remain open if I reboot the PC?

I don't know about any report, but the port in question will.

Charlie42

Michael Chare wrote:
> I want to run a program that needs to open a port on my PC so that it
> can update the firmware on my ADSL router.
>
> Vista is giving me a warning saying that the port will remain open, but
> for how long?
>
> Will the report remain open if I reboot the PC?
>
>


Actually the port should not remain "Open" because the software should
close it when done, by that I mean it should cease "Listening", and a
listening port is harmless anyway unless the software doing the
listening is flawed, rather like you listening for the phone but only
answering calls from numbers you recognize on the caller ID.

I suspect the message you are getting is trying to tell you that the
port will not be automatically firewalled again until you change it back
manually, this is way different than it being "Open" all it means is
that the firewall will not warn you if that software or something
malicious using the same port tries again to communicate, and that the
firewall will not automatically block this.

"Charlie42" <> wrote in message
news:5E6E6443-88C7-4302-BA70-...
> "Michael Chare" <> wrote:
>
>>I want to run a program that needs to open a port on my PC so that it can
>>update the firmware on my ADSL router.
>>
>> Vista is giving me a warning saying that the port will remain open, but
>> for how long?
>
> Indefinitely, or until you close the port by editing the rule in your
> firewall. You can edit Windows Firewall rules here:
>
> Control Panel > System and Maintenance > Administrative Tools > Windows
> Firewall with Advanced Settings
>
>> Will the report remain open if I reboot the PC?
>
> I don't know about any report, but the port in question will.
>

Thanks for the replies. Yes port!

Well I allowed the port to be opened. The 'Speedtouch (router firmware)
upgrade wizard ran and is listed under 'Exceptions' but its box is not
ticked.

I had no end of trouble because when the router's configuration web pages is
accessed it prompts for a password and then ignores to answer because of
some incompatibilty with the new firmware and IE7. A problem that I ran
into the moment I set a password for the router's administrator.


--
Michael Chare

"Michael Chare" <> wrote:

> Well I allowed the port to be opened. The 'Speedtouch (router firmware)
> upgrade wizard ran and is listed under 'Exceptions' but its box is not
> ticked.

Seems to me like the rule has been entered, but it's no longer active. Make
sure your router firewall is enabled, and you should be safe.

You can probe your own ports from this web site, to check out the status of
them:

https://www.grc.com/x/ne.dll?bh0bkyd2

> I had no end of trouble because when the router's configuration web pages
> is accessed it prompts for a password and then ignores to answer because
> of some incompatibilty with the new firmware and IE7. A problem that I
> ran into the moment I set a password for the router's administrator.

There is an issue with IE7 and some of the Thomson router modems, that may
be what you've run into. A work-around using telnet will solve the problem.
Take a look at dafca's post in this thread:

http://forums.microsoft.com/technet/...&tf=0&pageid=0

(Or just use a different browser, this is an IE7 problem only.)

Charlie42