To Architect: Too Many Ports In Use

[sterlingcomics]

So I'm sitting here in a hotel using their wireless network, and find out after cruising the boards for some length of time that my network access stopped. After talking to the technician, he told me that I had over 200 connections, so their software disables my access.

 

After using CurrPorts from http://www.nirsoft.net (or you can use netstat -a if you like command line) I discover that after I hit refresh that seven NEW TCP ports appear. The ports start at TCP 1188 and goes up from there. The threads appear to be in a Time Wait state. Look at the report here.. So, it "looks" like to me that there are too many ports servicing the site, and they don't clean up. The process being "Unknown" spawning these puppies concerns me.

 

I've of course done the pre-requisite AntiVirus and Spybot scans, and all looks ok.

 

So...is this expected behavior for the board software? Could someone else technically minded see if they are getting similar behaviors?

[osborn_fr]

The problem must be in your Internet browser software.

A web site like this one (a standard bulletins board software) don't open software ports like that.

It generally use port 80 for HTTP and sometimes others ports for specific uses like crypted communications.

Maybe i'm wrong but unless there are "specials objects" on a web page (like Active X objects) designed to use specific ports, there should not have so many ports opened....

[osborn_fr]

Ok, i should had a look to your report before:

It seems that your PC is opening a new port for each new communication between it and the web site.

I think the problem is local, maybe your PC or the network access ?

 

Do you have the same problem with others web site ?

[sterlingcomics]

Ok, i should had a look to your report before:

It seems that your PC is opening a new port for each new communication between it and the web site.

I think the problem is local, maybe your PC or the network access ?

 

Do you have the same problem with others web site ?

 

With every other site I visit, the process is known to IEXPLORE, and they do not spawn like this. I'm not a stranger to viruses / spam etc, but if it is in my system it's doing a darn good job at hiding. In just creating this message, over 130+ TIME WAIT ports were opened!!

 

I'm going to test this behavior out on another network/computer tomorrow and see if it is similar.

[nazmuth]

What you are seeing is normal. When you use a web browser to visit a site it does not open one connection and keep this open while browsing. Every request opens a new connection. Each download of an image is a request. How many images are there on this page?

[osborn_fr]

 

You're right, now i remember how the Internet browser works.

Maybe he should try to reduce the number of posts per page when browsing this board ?

[sterlingcomics]

What you are seeing is normal. When you use a web browser to visit a site it does not open one connection and keep this open while browsing. Every request opens a new connection. Each download of an image is a request. How many images are there on this page?

 

I say not normal. If this board requires 300+ ports open to do its job, then I strongly suggest another software manufacturer.

 

For instance, just by refreshing the boards, 7-10 ports open....and it keeps going and going...for one IEXPLORE instance. I'm going to test on Firefox and on another computer.

 

I know there are other IT savy folks out there on these boards...any input is appreciated. More like a confirmation of the activity. (I'm sure it's just ME, but I want to be sure).

 

The main thrust for this post is because CGC's servers are taking a hit too in terms of open connections....

[sterlingcomics]

FYI: I just installed a fresh copy of Firefox, and the same behavior exists. Time to reproduce on another computer.

[nazmuth]

What you are seeing is normal. When you use a web browser to visit a site it does not open one connection and keep this open while browsing. Every request opens a new connection. Each download of an image is a request. How many images are there on this page?

 

I say not normal. If this board requires 300+ ports open to do its job, then I strongly suggest another software manufacturer.

 

For instance, just by refreshing the boards, 7-10 ports open....and it keeps going and going...for one IEXPLORE instance. I'm going to test on Firefox and on another computer.

 

I know there are other IT savy folks out there on these boards...any input is appreciated. More like a confirmation of the activity. (I'm sure it's just ME, but I want to be sure).

 

The main thrust for this post is because CGC's servers are taking a hit too in terms of open connections....

 

See, but the board does not open any of those ports, your browser does. And http is very well defined so there is nothing special the board can be doing in this regard. Also, they are not open. I can almost assure you they are listed as "TIME_WAIT" This state basically means that the connection is closed but is waiting for duplicate segmetns from the connection to expire. I think the default for this state is 240 seconds.

[Sal]

my system's only opening one port for the site.

[nazmuth]

Oh, and just an FYI, the reason you are seeing all those different numbers for the ports is because that is the local port. The remote port is always 80, bur for each connection your computer initiates it has to assign it an local port. You can run out of those at 65536, but it's pretty hard.

[sterlingcomics]

Well, at my customer site there are not a ton of connections. The architecture is different because they are using a proxy here. So----it must be the wireless design/architecture of the hotel I am at that is somehow exacbriating the situation.

 

I guess what I don't understand is that why is the browser insisting on opening up a new port for each new refresh? I'd like to be able to give these wireless admins some info to chew on.

[osborn_fr]

Hum... When i read all your comments i must say that i'm now sure of nothing ...

 

Who's said that computers science is only about logic