Canyouseeme Reports My Port is Blocked

Windows specific questions, problems.
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Merlot

Canyouseeme Reports My Port is Blocked

Post by Merlot »

The Canyouseeme website reports an error and that my my qBittorrent Port 8999 is blocked, but I have been downloading with this setting for some time. Can anyone explain? If I change the port setting will I get faster more reliable downloads.

I cannot see a sticky on here for the best QB configuration. Am I missing something?   
Switeck

Re: Canyouseeme Reports My Port is Blocked

Post by Switeck »

You probably need to configure/remove the software or hardware firewalling qBitTorrent to connect to more peers+seeds to possibly get faster speeds.
Antivirus/antimalware often has a software firewall in them that blocks unsolicited incoming traffic on port 8999.

Or a router/gateway or wifi link that is a NAT firewall due to placing the qBitTorrent computer in a LAN ip range.

qBitTorrent having UPnP enabled in its settings probably does almost nothing except cause problems.
Merlot

Re: Canyouseeme Reports My Port is Blocked

Post by Merlot »

[quote="Switeck"]
You probably need to configure/remove the software or hardware firewalling qBitTorrent to connect to more peers+seeds to possibly get faster speeds.
Antivirus/antimalware often has a software firewall in them that blocks unsolicited incoming traffic on port 8999.

Or a router/gateway or wifi link that is a NAT firewall due to placing the qBitTorrent computer in a LAN ip range.

qBitTorrent having UPnP enabled in its settings probably does almost nothing except cause problems.
[/quote]

Many thanks for your reply, but can you assist with the following questions.

1. If 8999 is blocked how have I been downloading torrents?

2. Is there stickie somewhere with recommended settings and detailed instructions? There are loads on Google but I would prefer advice from here.

3. "You probably need to configure/remove the software or hardware firewalling qBitTorrent" How do I do this in Windows 10

4. "Or a router/gateway or wifi link that is a NAT firewall due to placing the qBitTorrent computer in a LAN ip range." Sorry I am a newbie and this is beyond me. Is there something I need to change?

5. "qBitTorrent having UPnP enabled in its settings probably does almost nothing except cause problems" Is this something I should disable?

To confirm I am using IPVanish with QBittorrent on Windows 10 all up to date and latest versions.
Switeck

Re: Canyouseeme Reports My Port is Blocked

Post by Switeck »

1. Being firewalled is like a telephone that never rings -- you can still call other people so long as they have a telephone that rings, they just can't call back. (Not a very useful phone is it?)

2. Not really, because it's not qBitTorrent that probably needs to be configured.

3. Windows 10 is only the operating system. It's your antivirus/antimalware software and any extra software firewalls (beyond Windows firewall itself, which qBT can auto-configure) that needs to be configured.

4. If you have a router/gateway/modem (typically supplied by your ISP to connect to the internet), they need to be port-forwarded to port 8999 to your computer in order for qBT to NOT be firewalled.
BUT! Since you said you use IPVanish...you should NOT do port forwarding on your router/gateway/modem!

5. UPnP in qBitTorrent should probably be disabled -- it's not helping and could conflict with IPVanish by trying to forward to your router instead of to IPVanish's remote server.

IPVanish is either a VPN and/or proxy service. It is quite likely that which causes qBitTorrent to be firewalled. Port-forwarding your router/gateway/modem won't help in that case because it is their remote server that you're connecting to that needs to be port-forwarded. If they don't offer that as an option, you will always be firewalled on qBitTorrent when using that service.
Merlot

Re: Canyouseeme Reports My Port is Blocked

Post by Merlot »

Thanks again for you assistance. To confirm my understanding based on you reply:

1. I can connect to other computers and download/upload, but other computers cannot see or connect to me. This means my downloads still work but are likely to be slower.

2. Noted.

3. Noted, although the antivirus/antimalware is built into Windows 10.

4. As IPVanish does not support port forwarding I am stuck with port 8999, and potentially slower downloads, unless I change my VPN.

5. I have now unchecked "Use UPnP / Nat+PMP port forwarding from my router" on the connection tab.

Can you please confirm I have understood correctly?

   
Switeck

Re: Canyouseeme Reports My Port is Blocked

Post by Switeck »

1. Yes, 2 firewalled peers/seeds cannot normally connect to each other. On private trackers, almost certainly cannot connect to each other. So you can only download/upload with peers/seeds that are NOT firewalled.

2. + 3. Yes

4. Yes, many VPNs don't support port forwarding -- it's a minor security risk for them and a major networking hassle.

5. Yes, disabling UPnP in qBitTorrent is a good idea if using a proxy or VPN ...OR if you've done manual port forwarding. Pretty much UPnP is the awful last-resort thing to try on a LAN you can't configure.
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