Messenger 5.0 & Linksys Router

[Tim FitzPatrick]

Hi again, Jonathan,

Well, I had a chance to install the UPnP Services in
Windows XP, as you suggested. And, as I mentioned, I've
deleted all the UPnP Forwarding entries in my Linksys
BEFW11S4 router.

I had my brother initiate a video conversation with me
tonight. His camera turned on and he saw himself on his
PC screen. My camera turned on (little green light on
camera turns on) but the video box stayed gray.

If I initiate a video conversation with him we get
basically the same thing, except that he no longer sees
himself in his video camera (nor do I).

So, I'm still not able to do video conversations with the
Linksys BEFW11S4 router in the loop.

If I disconnect the router and connect my PC directly to
my DSL modem, the video conversations work fine.

I called Linksys Tech Support yesterday and they
suggested that I go back to the original version 1.44.2
of the firmware instead of using the lastest version 1.45

I reflashed the router with 1.44.2 but I am still not
able to establish a video conversation with my brother.
Again, if I take the router out of the loop and connect
the PC directly to the DSL modem, video conversations
start working again.

The weird thing is that until about 4-5 weeks ago the
Linksys router was in the loop and I have been doing
video conversations with my relatives using Messenger 4.7
for about a year. Then one day it quit working, although
I had not changed any software, other than getting
Windows XP Updates from Microsoft.

Still trying to figure out why things quit working.

--Tim

 

[Tazcabs]

hi Tim

did you get an "Internet Gateway" icon showing in the Network Connections
window
you need this .
some anit-virus software stop it coming up (well did on my computer anyway)
I have to have two internet connections showing by the time at the bottom of
my computer to get the upnp working but I have a d-link router hope this
helps

 

[Lucky One]

Hi Tim

These are the setting I use with my linksys BEFW11S4
router I do not use a firewall
other than the router you must have latest firmware,
you must have UPnP Enable on the router to get the Internet Gateway to
appear in view network connections
And the router to appear in My Network Places
UPnP Enable/Disable radio button in on the password tab in the router
setting,

I have found that with lisksys routers is that you must a have universal
plug and play installed as well internet gateway device discovery and
control client, go to control panel, add or remove programs, windows
components, networking services, click on details and install
if they are already installed in control panel go to, administrative tools,
services, and look for universal plug and play device, and see if it started
if it is set to start automatic change to manual right click on it go
properties startup type and from drop down box select manual and do the same
for SSDP Discovery service you may have to reboot after reboot you should
see your router in my network places and in view network connections you
will see internet gateway if this fails to work try uninstalling and
reinstalling universal plug and play and internet gateway device discovery

Also you mit try a hard reset of router to make sure that all previous
settings are gone then enable UPnP

Post back and let me know how you get on

 

[Tim]

Hi Lucky -

Wowzer, you nailed it right on the head! Both UPnP and
SSDP Discovery were installed on my PC, but they were
Disabled in the Services window. Once I set them to
Manual and rebooted, everything came to life.

I now have an Internet Connection icon in the Network
Connections window and the Linksys BEFW11S4 shows up in
My Network Places.

I remember seeing Internet Connection some months ago -
but I never knew what it was for. Then it disappeared
when things weren't working.

It looks like I shot myself in the foot on this one. I
was the one that shut off UPnP under the recommendation
of Steve Gibson from the Gibson Research Corp.
(www.grc.com).

He has a number of utilities at his web site for checking
how secure your PC is on the Internet. He has a program
called ShieldsUp that back-probes all the low ports (1-
1055) on your PC, and reports on whether they are open,
closed or stealth (not answering at all).

He was ranting & raving one day on his concerns about
potential security holes that Microsoft had in their UPnP
services. So he wrote a utility you could run to shut off
UPnP. That must have been when things went south!

I didn't realize that UPnP had to be running for Windows
Messenger to do voice and video conversations. But after
doing some reading on UPnP and Messenger I better
understand how all the dynamic port allocation stuff
works with UPnP and the Linksys router.

But, I forgot that I had run Gibson's utility to Disable
UPnP services. You don't need UPnP services running if
you don't have a router, like my brother, who just has a
cable modem, but you certainly need them running if
you're using a router.

I just had a video conversation with my brother before
writing this reply and everthing is working fine now!

Thanks a million for your help! Even the two guys at
Linksys Tech. Support, that I talked to for about a half
hour each, didn't have a clue.

Regards,

--Tim

 

[Tim]

Hi Tazcabs -

Thanks for your reply. You're right, I need to have an
Internet Connection gateway icon showing in the Network
Connections window. I didn't really understand why, but
the light is turning on now.

If you read my reply to Lucky One, right above your
reply, you'll see what he recommended I do to get things
working.

I had shut off UPnP services, somewhat unknowingly, and
he told me what I needed to do in the Services window to
get UPnP and SSDP Directory services going again.

I just had a video conversation with my brother, with the
Linksys router in the loop, and everything worked fine!

Thanks again for your reply.

Regards,

--Tim

 

[Lucky One]

Hi Tim

Glad to hear that eveyting is working now
Microsoft did have security problems with UPnP but i think it was fixed
with a security pach
Jonathan will know he is probably keeping an eye on the post
He usually is =)

 

[Tim]

Hi Lucky -

Thanks again. I appreciate all the help I've received
from you and Jonathan over the past few days.

It's good to have things working again.

--Tim

 

[Jonathan Kay [MVP]]

Hi,

Yeah =). The UPnP issue was found right after XP was released in 2001, and was fixed
promptly. There hasn't been an issue since, and the security issue was never knowingly
exploited.

Anyone who's not stuck in 2001 and is concerned about UPnP is most likely referring to the
fact that UPnP can automatically open ports without any indication to the user (among other
things). It's a real debate of whether or not this is a really an issue, but I personally
don't feel it's something to worry about.
____________________________________________
Jonathan Kay
Microsoft MVP - Windows Messenger/MSN Messenger
Associate Expert
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone/
Messenger Resources - http://messenger.jonathankay.com