Blocking stuff at router.

[.Mark]

OK so I can block url's at the router no problem. But how about blocking MSN Messenger?
Presumably it uses a port or address or something to get out, how can I find out what it is?

Time for action, there is too much chatting going on and not enough work in some quarters around here!

[__LEE__]

We had to do the same when we published Office Live Communicator.

From memory we blocked TCP port 1863 and the URL messenger.hotmail.com

If you google it you may be able to find out a little more.

HTH
Lee.

[ThePassenger]

Try this little lot:

Service: remote: 1963 and 1863 local: 1542 and 1493.
Audio: local: 13803, 1556, 11771
File transfer: remote: 6891 local: 1544
Messenger Update: remote: 80 local: 1457
Sign-In: remote: 443 local: 1484, 2400
Remote Desktop: local/remote: 389, 522, 1503, 1720, and 1731.

Although you might find it an annoying beast that'll drop down and use Port 80 if none of the others are available; I know one IM client does this can't remember if it's MSN or not.

If you doing this on a corporate network, perhaps a group policy that just kills msn.exe would do the job better?

[BliarOut]

Or re-route the signon servers to 127.0.0.1 that always stuffs it

[ThePassenger]

BliarOut said:

Or re-route the signon servers to 127.0.0.1 that always stuffs it

Or do the bitter and twisted SA routine, have it dump an SNMP trap to you with their hostname, look it up and then appear behind them shouting, grumbling. Works best after eating onions

[.Mark]

Cheers guys, not on a corporate network but a home one. Want to be able to stop daughter 'Gassing' when she should be looking for bleedin' work experience etc.

KIDS!!!

[dickymint]

Fiends the lot of you

[Fer]

I'd like to know how to stop MSMsg.exe from automatically starting.

I had removed it from the components from the "Add/Remove Programs" but it still seems to run (and respawn when I kill it).

[agent006]

Fer said:

I had removed it from the components from the "Add/Remove Programs"

All that does is remove the shortcuts, same for media player. There are ways of uninstalling it properly, google should tell you more.

[ThePassenger]

.Mark said:

Cheers guys, not on a corporate network but a home one. Want to be able to stop daughter 'Gassing' when she should be looking for bleedin' work experience etc.

KIDS!!!

Internet Off? Disable the network card on her machine?

[sneakyneil]

ThePassenger said:

Works best after eating onions

Nice touch, like it

[Tonto]

.Mark said:

Cheers guys, not on a corporate network but a home one. Want to be able to stop daughter 'Gassing' when she should be looking for bleedin' work experience etc.

KIDS!!!

Could always use a software firewall on the PC to block the application sending frames out to the router. Sygate personal firewall (free) can be used to block applications during certain time of the day.

Link

Edited by Tonto on Monday 11th December 18:48

[.Mark]

Passenger/Tonto,
Can't put software on her machine, as it is just that, her machine paid for with her own cash. Don't mind her using MSN of course but would like to control usage so hoping to put some router 'rules' in place.

Bit stuck at the moment though.

Edited by .Mark on Monday 11th December 18:53

[_dobbo_]

agent006 said:

Fer said:

I had removed it from the components from the "Add/Remove Programs"

All that does is remove the shortcuts, same for media player. There are ways of uninstalling it properly, google should tell you more.

Try this: Start->Run-> type "msconfig"

Then under "startup" find "msmgs" (or similar) and uncheck the box. This should get shot of it.

[jhoneyball]

Standard rule of thumb for configuring a router/firewall

"Everything that doesnt need to be open should be closed -- both inwards or outwards".

You should start with everything blocked and only open those ports which need to be open. Anything else is a security risk.

jon
pcpro

[.Mark]

jhoneyball said:

Standard rule of thumb for configuring a router/firewall

"Everything that doesnt need to be open should be closed -- both inwards or outwards".

You should start with everything blocked and only open those ports which need to be open. Anything else is a security risk.

jon
pcpro

So you block everything, then one by one open programmes to see what won't work? Once something fails to run, how do you know what to enable?

[jhoneyball]

there are a few obvious things -- port 80 for http etc

any decent game or service will tell you what port it needs.

www.portsdb.org is a help too

and the logging in the firewall/router should tell you that a connection attempt was made on a specific port and it failed... and from that, you can see what needs to be opened.

[.Mark]

Thanks Jon, something else to consider.

PS - the Boots link isn't working

[jhoneyball]

sorry about the link -- looks like it has gone down :-(

this is a good list held at iana:

www.iana.org/assignments/port-numbers

[CommanderJameson]

ThePassenger said:

Although you might find it an annoying beast that'll drop down and use Port 80 if none of the others are available; I know one IM client does this can't remember if it's MSN or not.

Here's the thing: Windows Messenger (that comes preinstalled with Windows) will drop to Port 80. MSN Messenger won't. Windows Live Messenger will.

This is from my own experience, so could be complete bollocks.