Took me a few read-throughs  (no, you wrote it just fine, I am just
tired and I had to get everything right in my head (ha!)), but I think
I understand what is going on...

No, I don't think you have any kind of trojan program running (or at
least this is not evidence), and in fact, I think it is pretty
normal.  I think you have a very quiet system, which might be why you
noticed it -- you really have to look on a busy system to see this
effect.

Let me make sure I understand your statement...

[192.168.XX.XX/137]->[24.147.YYY.YYY/10629]->[24.128.ZZZ.ZZZ/53].
workstation     A      External       B        DNS           C

Port numbers A and C are staying the same.  Port B is the one
sequencing.  Although, I would guess number A also changes from time
to time, too, if you watch long enough or change enough things.

What the GB message is saying is Workstation is talking out port 137
to the GB.  The GB takes that request, processes it through NAT and it
comes OUT of the GB's external interface as 10629 (in this case).  The
message is directed TO the DNS server port 53.  The port this request
comes out of on the workstation or the GB system is picked pretty much
at random (something available, unused by anything else at the
moment.  It sounds like your workstation has settled on a particular
port to talk out of -- the fact that this is the NetBIOS port is
coincidence (more or less).  This port number changes as it goes
through NAT (generally would have to -- that's how the NAT function
keeps track of multiple requests from several workstations all
requesting data out the same port number.).  

What the Network Address Translation does is associate YOUR
workstation and the port it requested from to any port it had
available at the moment -- which in this case was 10629.  Now, when a
reply comes back (to the same port it was sent from -- 10629), NAT
takes that port, looks it back up in the table it has been creating,
and sends it back to your workstation, to the port it requested from. 
It appears the reason the 'B' port number is cycling is just that is
what GB does.  It can pick any port, apparently, it goes in sequence. 
I just wandered down the basement to look at my GB, and by golly, it
was sequencing the port numbers, too, although there was a LOT more
traffic than one message every 15 minutes, and a few workstations and
apps were chattering away. 8)

As for what is on your system that is chatting with the DNS every few
minutes, no sure answer, unfortunately... my guess is probably some
"web enabled" application you recently loaded...

In other words, nothing to worry about (by itself), GB is acting
normally.

And I'm sitting here realizing that I probably got some detail wrong
someplace, so go ahead everyone, jump on me. 8)

Nick.



Bruce Saunders wrote:
> -------------------------------------------------------------
> OK, I tired the GB lite forum and had no responses, so I'll try this.I have
> two work stations set up on the protected GB Lite 3.0.3 interface. One is left
> on, but goes into a standby type mode after some period of time. The other is
> only on when it is in use, otherwise it is shut off. I have had this set-up
> running for about two months with no problems.
> Recently, I noticed that the WS which is left on seems to be responsible for
> the following alarm, veery 15 minutes:
> 16 5 Jul 10 21:16:35 NAT: Open UDP
> [192.168.XX.XX/137]->[24.147.YYY.YYY/10629]->[24.128.ZZZ.ZZZ/53].
> 16 5 Jul 10 21:16:56 NAT: Close UDP
> [192.168.XX.XX/137]->[24.147.YYY.YYY/10629]->[24.128.ZZZ.ZZZ/53] Pkts 1 1,
> Bytes 62 128.
> 
> The 24.147.YYY.YYY happens to be the IP address assigned to my external NIC by
> the ISP through DCHP (cable modem). The 24.128.ZZZ.ZZZ is one of the DNS
> servers at the ISP. I know 137 is a NetBios port and 53 is DNS. The port
> number after the 24.147.YYY.YYY is incrementing by one every 15 minutes.
> 
> Does any one know, do I have a Trojan inside this WS? The two workstations are
> set-up in a Windows '98 workgroup so files can be shared between them - does
> this have something to do with the messages?
> 
> I don't think I have a serious problem, but don't remember seeing this the
> first couple of weeks I had GB up and running. Also, I've never used anything
> but the default filter set-up right 'out of the box'.
> 
> Any information would be appreciated. Thanks.
> 
> Bruce S.
> 

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