Anyone here with good router experience.

I got a problem with my router, it seems to be blocking output from my application.

I can send UDP messages via the internet (on another network) to my test machine, via the firewall and NAT to a specific port. I can send messages via my internal network to my test machine (using Internal IPs), bypassing the Firewall and NAT.

I can not send a UDP message from my test machine to external machines on the Internet unless I stick the test machine in the DMZ.

Are routers supposed to block outgoing traffic? It says nothing about it in the instructions are there are no options to turn such a thing off. I don't have any issues with other applications like MSN or Skype.

Please help.

To my knowledge, which isn't brilliant, routers should not be blocking outbound traffic. They block inbound traffic which is why you need to configure them to act as a server when you are playing games - but as a client you should be able to open a connection which will then work fine.

Hi Becky, my thoughts exacly. Just got no idea why it's stopping my application sending anything out.

Can you plug a dial up modem on the PC that uses the router and connect to the internet via that to perform a test instead? This will rule out your PC as having anything to do with the problem. Could your ISP have anything to do with it?

Hi jake, yeah did that as you suggested. I can connect from the dial up to the test machine but not the other way. So Dialup > internet > Router > PC is fine!. PC > Router > Internet > Dial up is broken. And we are talking 2 machines an d they are not sharing a network.

It's definately a router issue, I never had this problem when using ICS as the router - that rules out the ISP also.

Is it possible to swap the router to the other PC and the dialup to the other one and perform the same test? This will 100% confirm the router is the problem (except for the possibility that the dialup ISP somehow treats UDP different from the router's ISP). Having said that it does sound like the router, I just liike to be 100% sure with these sorta things so I don't waste hours on a red herring.

I would do that but when was the last time you tried installing an internal modem in a win98 box. I don't think I have the patience.

Dial up ISP router ISP are the same company. Router ISP is same one I had before I purchased the router, as I said it worked before with ICS (internet connection sharing).

This sucks.

Are you sure the routers firewall is configured to allow the relevent inbound and outbound traffic?

Have you tried disabling your routers firewall (you're pretty safe behind NAT anyway)?

What router do you have?

OK, what about connecting the router to the other PC and trying the test to someone online again? Is that a fag too?

Router is a Belkin F5D7633.

I've set up virtual servers to allow routing of inbound ports for UDP and TCP, that works - inbound. Firewall Disabled still gives the same problem. Putting the test machine in the DMZ allows full connectivity - It works! But I don't want to have to put the machines in the DMZ to get connectivity, and I can only put one machine in the DMZ at any time.

I've a "radical" idea. Try another router. Sounds like a reel biatch of a prolem Tim.

if you can hook the computer directly to the cable modem or whatever... bypassing the router... try that, just to see if that's in fact what is happening...

make sure you are running some sorta firewall, and let it allow for the app you are using to be seen and receive messages...

i just had to do this to act as a server...


good luck

--Mike

I had the older version of that router and never had any problems with it. The only way to provide any kind of "outbound blocking" was to restrict MAC addresses for Wireless,

Make sure your Gateway and DNS settings are right on the machine in question too.

On my current router you can create rules for inbound and outbound, for both UDP and TCP.

It was not like this on my recently (last week) dead router.

Might be worth double checking as this aspect could have easily caught me a week or two back.

Things change! ;O)

Yeah I've read that routers can block outgoing UDP but it's normally disabled by default (the blocking).

Sorry for disappearing, have you resolved this?

It's the damn router.

If I use the router as a network hub and allow all networked machines to connect through this machine using ICS than it's fine.

still no luck then, bummer.