Port Forwarding
If you have a router or hardware firewall*, part of its job is to block incoming connections to protect you from hackers, worms, etc. Port Forwarding sets your router or firewall so it knows to allow some incoming connections that are needed for features in GetRight. There are a couple features in GetRight that will need Port Forwarding.
- BitTorrent
- Because of how the BitTorrent protocol works, it is better if your computer can be listening for connections from other people trying to download the same file.
- GetRight Pro's Web Access
- Since it is a small server allowing you to connect from anywhere, it will also need Port Forwarding so it can listen for incoming connections.
GetRight does try to set this up automatically (if your router/firewall supports Universal Plug-and-Play) but not
all routers allow this, and not all Internet connections will need it.
* Note that by "Firewall" we mean a hardware firewall, not the software one that's built into Windows, ZoneAlarm, etc.
| How you connect to the Internet... | Need to worry about this? |
| A) A Modem dialing a phone | No |
| B) A Cable Modem or DSL where your computer connects by one cord to the Cable/DSL box, which then connects by one cord into the wall. 1 If this is true, your computer is pretty much open to hackers, worms, etc. You really should get a router or firewall  . | No1 |
| C) Your computer connects into a router or firewall (either with a cord or wirelessly) which then connects by a cord to a Cable/DSL/etc box, which is connected by a cord into the wall. | Yes |
| D) At work/school/etc. where your computer connects either with a cord to the wall or wirelessly and network administrators handle all the setup, routers, and firewalls for you. 2 Hopefully it works automatically, otherwise you'll likely need help from your network administrators. | Maybe2 |
| E) Your computer connects either with a cord or wirelessly to a "public" network, such as at an airport, hotel, or coffeeshop. 3 Hopefully it works automatically, otherwise there's really nothing you can do. | No3 |
These directions are really only if you fit into category C above.
(And those of you in category B should get a router or firewall
With a router or firewall, everyone on the Internet will connect to it first when they're really trying to connect to your computer. Port Forwarding tells your router to accept these incoming connections and how to direct these incoming connections to the right computer. (This is one of the ways the router protects you, it only accepts "authorized" connections from the Internet.)
GetRight does try to set it up automatically. Most newer routers should work fine, but older ones might not.
There are choices for how to do the Port Forwarding. You may want to try both, using the Test button on the BitTorrent--Network config page to see which works the best for you. I've had neither work, but then unplugged the power from the router to reset it and retried and then it did work. If neither work, it's something to try.
- The Windows method requires a newer version of Windows (ME/XP/?),
and doesn't seem to work all the time, even when it should. But I've not had it crash yet.
- The GetRight method will work with any version of Windows, and may be able make the ports forwarded more reliably. There were reports of crashes in earlier version--but I do believe they've all been fixed in the final released versions. If the GetRight method crashes for you, send email and let me know the specific router you're using--hopefully I can buy one on eBay for testing!
By default, GetRight uses the range 6881-6899, but you can change to use a specific port on the "BitTorrent" configuration page in GetRight.
A note for using 'Random port ranges...'
- Make sure that GetRight's automatic Port Forwarding works.
- Or be sure you don't need any port forwarding.
