Linksys router just won't port forward, odd?

[gbryant]

This is really really stupid, but we have a new Linksys standard BEFSR41V4 router that just refuses to port forward. This is not very complicated. It's got a port forwarding page on the router: I tell it to forward 2235 to .100 and yet the port remains closed. I was on the phone to linksys for 2 hours and managed only to get a woman with a very loose grasp of english that just kept telling me to do inane stuff like check connections or update the firmware (and when I asked to speak to a supervisor or anything she just put me on hold).

Any thoughts? I'm not exactly new to this but I have no clue what else I could do. It seems like it's a pretty much on or off situation. Since it's on all I can do is just yell at it to work.

 

[RBBRMADE]

I don't have any help, but have seen more than one linksys not port forward correctly.
You mentioned it was new, can you exchange it?

I don't know what you are connecting it to, but could the modem be blockng the port?

Ron

 

[unmerited]

I had the same problem recently with a Dlink router; it just would not forward any ports. Upgrading the firmware took care of it for me. I still think it should have worked right out of the box, but go figure.


unmerited

 

[Fardringle]

I would certainly make sure you have the newest firmware for the router. Even if it doesn't fix this particular problem Linksys usually adds functionality (and fixes known issues) with their firmware updates.

How do you know that the port is not being forwarded to the computer? Have you made sure the Windows Firewall has the port open? Have you tried installing a firewall like ZoneAlarm to see if you get a pop-up warning that something external is trying to access the computer on that port? This would be a very good way to test to see if the port is actually being forwarded to the computer or not since if ZoneAlarm doesn't give you a warning, the connection is not getting to the computer at all.

Also, have you tried connecting the computer directly to the Internet modem without the router as a temporary test to see if your ISP/modem is blocking the port?

You might also want to try to connect directly to port 2235 on the destination computer from another computer inside your local network to see if the application computer itself is responding properly to communication requests on the port...

 

[TheSophist]

With some routers, if it is asking for a range to forward and you enter in 2235 to 2235, then it will actually deny that port. If this is the case, then forward port range 2235-2236 to .100. Hope that helps, keep us updated.




TheSophist

 

[gbryant]

Yep, tried to forward a range, tried to upgrade the firmware, there's no software firewall. I'm running nmap to test the port also.

Here's a funny thing though: the DSL has gone crazy and is changing the dynamic wan IP sometimes every 1-2min. Coud that effect it?

 

[wheresmybacon]

I had a BEFSR41V4 that wouldn't port forward at all either. Even after the firmware update, nada. I took it back and got a new one that worked fine. Very weird indeed.

 

[Atheus]

Originally posted by: gbryant
tried to upgrade the firmware

That means you actaully did upgrade the firmware right?

Here's a funny thing though: the DSL has gone crazy and is changing the dynamic wan IP sometimes every 1-2min. Coud that effect it?

Really? That will affect almost everything, Eg all your downloads would be cut off when the IP changes.