Skype adding port forwarding rules to router
viafax999
Community Leader
Community Leader

I have a Westell router and I keep getting, and deleting, entries like this in my port forwarding table

 192.168.1.23   192.168.1.23  Any Any Skype UDP at 192.168.1.23:10834 (1086) - UDP Any -> 10834 Active      
 
  192.168.1.23   192.168.1.23  Any Any Skype TCP at 192.168.1.23:10834 (1086) - TCP Any -> 10834 Active      
 
  192.168.1.21   192.168.1.21  Any Any Skype UDP at 192.168.1.21:40158 (1088) - UDP Any -> 40158 Active      
 
  192.168.1.21   192.168.1.21  Any Any Skype TCP at 192.168.1.21:40158 (1088) - TCP Any -> 40158 Active      
 
I'm not putting them there, Skype is.  Anybody know how to prevent this and also does anybody know how Skype is doing this and what the point of them is?

They only appear to get there if I connect a mchine that is running skype to the VZ router subnet.  If I connect the machine to a secondary router no entry appears on the VZ router and I don't see any entry on the scondary router.  I'm wondering if they actually are just entries in the routing table but can't remember how to display the routing table on the secondary router - Linksys wrt54g.

Also does anybody know what port 34371 is used for?  I believe it must be something specific to Fios.  I have this is my port forwarding

 192.168.1.3   192.168.1.3  Any Any DNA (TCP) - TCP Any -> 34371 Active       
 
 192.168.1.3   192.168.1.3  Any Any DNA (UDP) - UDP Any -> 34371 Active      
That address no longer exists in my dhcp clients nor does it appear anywhere on my network table, however I do see traffic on port 34371 apppearing on my incoming log on my secondary router . 

0 Likes
1 Solution

Correct answers
Re: Skype adding port forwarding rules to router
spacedebris
Master - Level 2

From what I understand, and I may be mistaken on this so I apologize if I'm wrong....

The new Verizon firmware is setting up port forwarding rules for known programs automatically. Due to the number of programs that require ports to be forwarded and the fact that Verizon does not support port forwarding, they decided to have the new firmware automatically set up the ports when the program tries to access the internet. So whenever a known program (skype, xbox, WOW, etc) try to access the internet and need known ports, the router will set it up automatically.

If you don't want skype to access the web, you can either...

1. Remove skype from the computer and then the router will not set up the port forwarding due to the program not being there

2. Put a software firewall on computer to block skype from trying to access the internet.

But as long as the program is there and trying to access the internet, the Verizon router will continue to set up the port forwarding for it.

View solution in original post

Re: Skype adding port forwarding rules to router
viafax999
Community Leader
Community Leader

@viafax999 wrote:

 Also does anybody know what port 34371 is used for?  I believe it must be something specific to Fios.  I have this is my port forwarding

 192.168.1.3   192.168.1.3  Any Any DNA (TCP) - TCP Any -> 34371 Active       
 
 192.168.1.3   192.168.1.3  Any Any DNA (UDP) - UDP Any -> 34371 Active      
That address no longer exists in my dhcp clients nor does it appear anywhere on my network table, however I do see traffic on port 34371 apppearing on my incoming log on my secondary router . 


OK,I believe port 34371 is the random port selected by skype when I installed it and used for notification communication etc.

Still can't work ou how the other entries are getting into the port forwarding tables

0 Likes
Re: Skype adding port forwarding rules to router
spacedebris
Master - Level 2

From what I understand, and I may be mistaken on this so I apologize if I'm wrong....

The new Verizon firmware is setting up port forwarding rules for known programs automatically. Due to the number of programs that require ports to be forwarded and the fact that Verizon does not support port forwarding, they decided to have the new firmware automatically set up the ports when the program tries to access the internet. So whenever a known program (skype, xbox, WOW, etc) try to access the internet and need known ports, the router will set it up automatically.

If you don't want skype to access the web, you can either...

1. Remove skype from the computer and then the router will not set up the port forwarding due to the program not being there

2. Put a software firewall on computer to block skype from trying to access the internet.

But as long as the program is there and trying to access the internet, the Verizon router will continue to set up the port forwarding for it.

Re: Skype adding port forwarding rules to router
viafax999
Community Leader
Community Leader

I'll buy it

Though it makes you wonder what the point of private password protecting the router is about as normally having your own password and userid means that only you, and possibly a hacker, can make changes  !!!

Kind of says that VZ has some access beyond what the owner/user can see.

0 Likes