J
John Britton
Subject: Bright House Networks/Time Warner; Road Runner:
Stopped Internet Ports to all Users Nation Wide
January 2nd, 2004
To whom it may concern at Bright House Networks/Time
Warner; Road Runner:
I John Britton is a member of Tampa Bay Road Runner
Services. I have been with Road Runner for over two years
now. I chose Road Runner to be my Internet Service
Provider because of their great high speed internet
service. I have told all my friends, family and co-works
to change to Bright House Networks/Time Warner EarthLink
or Road Runner. I believe I have given you over 20 new
customers over the years.
As I travel a lot in and out of the United Sates, I want
to access my work and personal files from my home
computer. So I connected by using Microsoft Net Bios
Protocol in Windows. This always works with any windows
computer, but in the last two months, I started having
trouble connecting from other computers to my home
computer.
Net Bios runs over TCP and UDP Protocols and you can
disable the rights in windows if you wanted to in TCP/IP.
It is available with all windows versions. For me to
connect to my home computer, you click on "Start" on your
desktop then "Run" and type in "\\<IP_ADDRESS>\c$" and
will ask for your user name and password and then you can
view and open all your files and folders on your hard
drive. I do this by using any computer that is connected
to the (WAN) Wide Area Network known as the internet. You
can also map your remote hard drive at work so I can
upload and download files and folders to my work and home
computer. It was great and easy to use, but after a two
mouths ago it stopped working for me. I reformatted my
home computer to see if that was the problem, but it was
not. I then downgrade to Windows 2000 Server to see if it
was Windows Xp Pro. and it still did not fix my problem.
I kept trying this and that to get this to work. So I e-
mailed several different computer techs to try to figure
out why this was not working for me. A friend advised me
to install Windows Server 2003, so Microsoft sent me a
180 day trial version of Microsoft Windows Server 2003
Enterp. Edition. So I have tried Windows 2000 Pro,
Windows 2000 Server, Windows Xp Pro and Windows 2003
Server and none of these worked for me. I needed to
access my files from home remotely, so I had to call
Microsoft to figure this out. To speak with a support
professional for per incident is $245.00. So I called
Microsoft phone support and tried this and that. They
remotely connected to Windows Xp Pro using port 3389.
Microsoft is telling me it is my (ISP) Internet Service
Provider, so I called 727.324.1009 which is Road Runner
phone tech support and spoke to Ted Turner. Ted's Tech ID
is H79, he was very helpful to me but still did not fix
my problem. He said Road Runner Nation Wide stopped these
ports. So I am guessing Road Runners Engineers had to
change these ports settings in every router and/or modem
that Road Runner owns. I presumed, you used a bin file to
stop these ports in the modems of each connection. I need
Net Bios ports open and they are ports 135 to 139 and
ports 442 to 447.
PORT INFORMATION:
135: loc-srv
136: profile
137: netbios-ns
138: netbios-dgm
139: netbios-ssn
I asked if I can upgrade to Road Runner Business Class
and he said that will not fix my problem so I guess I
will have to change (ISP) Internet Service Provider or
see if I can get Road Runner to open these ports again.
If I change ISPs I will advise all my clients to change
too.
I can see why you blocked these ports, I presume it was
because of all the viruses over the last years. But the
only way a virus can get throw ports 135-139 is if you
have a user name and password. You need a user name and
password for these OS: Windows 2000 Pro, Windows 2000
Server, Windows ME, Windows Xp Home & Pro, Windows 2003
Sever, and new Windows Longhorn coming soon. So if you
try connecting threw ports 135-139 it will not let you
without a user name or password. But if you have Windows
95, Windows 98, or Windows 98 Second Edition it will let
you in on the system if hooked up on the LAN or WAN side.
This is the only thing I could think of that Road Runner
blocked these ports because of clients still using
Windows 95 and Windows 98 to connect to the (WAN)
internet. But I would have to say that was not a very
good reason why you blocked these ports, because of virus
getting threw these ports, to windows users using Windows
95 and 98. Most of your nation wide businesses and
residents users use newer (OS) operating system. Not
obsolete Windows 95 and 98. I don't see how a virus can
get threw ports 135-139 with out a user name and password
unless using Windows 95 or Windows 98. I can see the
blaster viruses slowing down your connection speed
because it pings on your computer system, as it is trying
to get in, using port 135. So I can see it flooding port
135 and when that happened it slows your internet speed
down but you can go into your TCP/IP protocol and tell
Net Bios to be disabled, in Windows.
I have to say Road Runner could have informed there
clients when making big changes like this. Especially
after I have spent over 90 hours trying to figure this
out and after I have spent over $245.00 on a telephone
call to Microsoft Support Professional Team. I think next
time you should inform your customers. Please open these
ports again nation wide around the United States or I
will have to change ISPs and I will have all my friends
and family change ISPs. I have given you a good reason to
change if you have something better please inform me? I
do think Road Runner should pay for that call I made to
Microsoft that coast over $245.00 an hour. And my time
spent trying to figure out why. Even before I called
Microsoft I called Road Runner and when on your Bright
House Networks web site to Network Status and it does not
state a thing about this change of maintenance.
I am paying $44.95 per month for Road Runner and that
should allow me to use all my ports that are 0 to 65535.
As Road Runner has stopped ports 135-139 and 442-447, you
should lower your monthly price because you did not
inform your customers and we are not getting are full
internet access. And I am paying for Broadband connection
with AOL $14.95 per month too. If I can upgrade to a
better plan that will allow me to use these ports please
let me know, because I have tried with a business account
and residential account and got no where. Can't you just
tell my modem to allow all these ports to be open or do I
have to downgrade and change ISPs, so it will work!
Thanks for your time and trouble, looking forward to
hearing from you. I wish you a happy new year. Please if
you need any other information please e-mail me at
(e-mail address removed) or call me at (727) 443-9366 and ask
for John Britton. I need this issue solved.
John Britton
(e-mail address removed)
IT Network Systems Engineer
(727) 443-9366
cc: Microsoft Newsgroup Support Team,
Feedback at Tampa-Bay Road Runner,
Abuse at Road Runner, and
Security at Road Runner
Stopped Internet Ports to all Users Nation Wide
January 2nd, 2004
To whom it may concern at Bright House Networks/Time
Warner; Road Runner:
I John Britton is a member of Tampa Bay Road Runner
Services. I have been with Road Runner for over two years
now. I chose Road Runner to be my Internet Service
Provider because of their great high speed internet
service. I have told all my friends, family and co-works
to change to Bright House Networks/Time Warner EarthLink
or Road Runner. I believe I have given you over 20 new
customers over the years.
As I travel a lot in and out of the United Sates, I want
to access my work and personal files from my home
computer. So I connected by using Microsoft Net Bios
Protocol in Windows. This always works with any windows
computer, but in the last two months, I started having
trouble connecting from other computers to my home
computer.
Net Bios runs over TCP and UDP Protocols and you can
disable the rights in windows if you wanted to in TCP/IP.
It is available with all windows versions. For me to
connect to my home computer, you click on "Start" on your
desktop then "Run" and type in "\\<IP_ADDRESS>\c$" and
will ask for your user name and password and then you can
view and open all your files and folders on your hard
drive. I do this by using any computer that is connected
to the (WAN) Wide Area Network known as the internet. You
can also map your remote hard drive at work so I can
upload and download files and folders to my work and home
computer. It was great and easy to use, but after a two
mouths ago it stopped working for me. I reformatted my
home computer to see if that was the problem, but it was
not. I then downgrade to Windows 2000 Server to see if it
was Windows Xp Pro. and it still did not fix my problem.
I kept trying this and that to get this to work. So I e-
mailed several different computer techs to try to figure
out why this was not working for me. A friend advised me
to install Windows Server 2003, so Microsoft sent me a
180 day trial version of Microsoft Windows Server 2003
Enterp. Edition. So I have tried Windows 2000 Pro,
Windows 2000 Server, Windows Xp Pro and Windows 2003
Server and none of these worked for me. I needed to
access my files from home remotely, so I had to call
Microsoft to figure this out. To speak with a support
professional for per incident is $245.00. So I called
Microsoft phone support and tried this and that. They
remotely connected to Windows Xp Pro using port 3389.
Microsoft is telling me it is my (ISP) Internet Service
Provider, so I called 727.324.1009 which is Road Runner
phone tech support and spoke to Ted Turner. Ted's Tech ID
is H79, he was very helpful to me but still did not fix
my problem. He said Road Runner Nation Wide stopped these
ports. So I am guessing Road Runners Engineers had to
change these ports settings in every router and/or modem
that Road Runner owns. I presumed, you used a bin file to
stop these ports in the modems of each connection. I need
Net Bios ports open and they are ports 135 to 139 and
ports 442 to 447.
PORT INFORMATION:
135: loc-srv
136: profile
137: netbios-ns
138: netbios-dgm
139: netbios-ssn
I asked if I can upgrade to Road Runner Business Class
and he said that will not fix my problem so I guess I
will have to change (ISP) Internet Service Provider or
see if I can get Road Runner to open these ports again.
If I change ISPs I will advise all my clients to change
too.
I can see why you blocked these ports, I presume it was
because of all the viruses over the last years. But the
only way a virus can get throw ports 135-139 is if you
have a user name and password. You need a user name and
password for these OS: Windows 2000 Pro, Windows 2000
Server, Windows ME, Windows Xp Home & Pro, Windows 2003
Sever, and new Windows Longhorn coming soon. So if you
try connecting threw ports 135-139 it will not let you
without a user name or password. But if you have Windows
95, Windows 98, or Windows 98 Second Edition it will let
you in on the system if hooked up on the LAN or WAN side.
This is the only thing I could think of that Road Runner
blocked these ports because of clients still using
Windows 95 and Windows 98 to connect to the (WAN)
internet. But I would have to say that was not a very
good reason why you blocked these ports, because of virus
getting threw these ports, to windows users using Windows
95 and 98. Most of your nation wide businesses and
residents users use newer (OS) operating system. Not
obsolete Windows 95 and 98. I don't see how a virus can
get threw ports 135-139 with out a user name and password
unless using Windows 95 or Windows 98. I can see the
blaster viruses slowing down your connection speed
because it pings on your computer system, as it is trying
to get in, using port 135. So I can see it flooding port
135 and when that happened it slows your internet speed
down but you can go into your TCP/IP protocol and tell
Net Bios to be disabled, in Windows.
I have to say Road Runner could have informed there
clients when making big changes like this. Especially
after I have spent over 90 hours trying to figure this
out and after I have spent over $245.00 on a telephone
call to Microsoft Support Professional Team. I think next
time you should inform your customers. Please open these
ports again nation wide around the United States or I
will have to change ISPs and I will have all my friends
and family change ISPs. I have given you a good reason to
change if you have something better please inform me? I
do think Road Runner should pay for that call I made to
Microsoft that coast over $245.00 an hour. And my time
spent trying to figure out why. Even before I called
Microsoft I called Road Runner and when on your Bright
House Networks web site to Network Status and it does not
state a thing about this change of maintenance.
I am paying $44.95 per month for Road Runner and that
should allow me to use all my ports that are 0 to 65535.
As Road Runner has stopped ports 135-139 and 442-447, you
should lower your monthly price because you did not
inform your customers and we are not getting are full
internet access. And I am paying for Broadband connection
with AOL $14.95 per month too. If I can upgrade to a
better plan that will allow me to use these ports please
let me know, because I have tried with a business account
and residential account and got no where. Can't you just
tell my modem to allow all these ports to be open or do I
have to downgrade and change ISPs, so it will work!
Thanks for your time and trouble, looking forward to
hearing from you. I wish you a happy new year. Please if
you need any other information please e-mail me at
(e-mail address removed) or call me at (727) 443-9366 and ask
for John Britton. I need this issue solved.
John Britton
(e-mail address removed)
IT Network Systems Engineer
(727) 443-9366
cc: Microsoft Newsgroup Support Team,
Feedback at Tampa-Bay Road Runner,
Abuse at Road Runner, and
Security at Road Runner