On Thursday 23 Jun 2005 4:24 pm, Keith Powell wrote: >>I installed Skype to try it out, and was surprised to find that my >> ADSL router was showing a lot of data being transferred even when > >I was idling in Skype. Before installing Skype, there was no > >router activity unless I was active on the internet. >> >>Then I found that, by installing the program, you have to agree to >>the Skype people using your router as a server for other >>machines. As I am on capped broadband, I was not able to allow >>this. So I deselected allowing them to use port 80. >> >>Data transfer dropped quite a lot when I was in "idle" mode, but >> there was still some. It was fairly continuous, rather than the >> very intermittent and small amount there should have been just to >> occasionally send my "I'm still here!" signal. So I have >> uninstalled Skype. >> >>According to the TX/RX light on my router, there are still bursts >> of data going through it, suggesting to me that it is still being >> used by others. >> >>As I am nearly at my broadband cap for this month, I am having to >> keep my router switched off and only switch it on when I want to >> go on the internet. >> >>I am wondering if Skype, having found my router, is still using it >>although I no longer run their program. >>
Mikkel replied: > If you removed the software, then the trafic you are seeing is > probably people trying to connect to the program. There is no way to > stop people from trying to connect. But the bandwith usage from them > trying does not amount to anything. > > I am not sure how Skype does it, but if it is like most software of > this type, the connection attempts will die out as your IP address > expires in the list of servers. If your router reported it, you would > be supprised by the number of different people trying to connect to > your system. > > By the way, turning your router off doesn't stop them from trying to > connect. Also, they can not "hijacking" your router unless you have > the software running on one of the computers on your network. You > probably also need to have your router set to forward the incomming > connections to that computer. The firewall-routers for home use will > not process this type of connection by themselves, so to "hijacking" > one requires software running on your computer. (Things can be done > by changing the firmware of the router, but that is another story, > and requires firmware specificly for your router.) Stephen replied: > As stated before, use something like trafshow or iptraf to determine > what is talking on what port - you might want to login to your ADSL > modem's internal configuration page and set the firewall there as well > (most come with the firewall turned off by default); check what > running services you have - turn off what is NOT necessary, get and > install a chkrootkit to make sure you're not hijacked, and monitor all > activity. > > If you're given a static IP by your ISP, you could always ask for it > to be changed. Thank you both for your advice. I will do the tests you suggested. There has been much criticism on the Skype forum regarding others using one's router as a server and causing people with capped broadband to exceed their allowance. One person, who was having a vast amount of traffic going through his router, found that it was being used as a server by a university! I'm not worried about the small amount of useage caused by people still trying to connect to me; it's the thought of me being used as a server for others chatting away for hours on end, so using up most of my monthly allowance. Cheers, and thanks again, Keith
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