Take a look plz! Outpost blocking PPStream...

[gamersmile]

After I installed Agnitum Outpost Firewall 4.0 on my PC, I've been running it without much trouble for quite a while. Until last night, when I tried to view on-line video via PPStream (a China-based P2P video content provider), Outpost blocked my access, reporting something like TCP/IP attacks.

I had put the application "PPStream" to Outpost's "always trusted applications" and switched the working mode to "allow most communications", but the problem persisted. As long as Outpost kept working, I could not view the on-line video. Strange enough is that my Emule works fine with Outpost.

Finally I had no choice but to uninstall Outpost. After that, my PPStream worked fine again.

Since I've used ZoneAlarm Professional 5.5 and never met this embarrassing problems with P2P software before, I doubt if there if anything wrong with the Outpost firewall.

Though I will use the ESET Smart Security Suite whenever its beta version becomes available on April 2, I'd be looking forward to any comments or suggestions regarding the malfunction of Outpost firewall.

Thanks for your time.

[WSFuser]

if u hadnt uninstalled outpost, i wouldve asked if disabling teh attack detection plugin helps.

[Carver]

I would never...never put a China-based P2P video content provider in Outpost's always trusted applications.

[gamersmile]

-{ Quote: "if u hadnt uninstalled outpost, i wouldve asked if disabling teh attack detection plugin helps." }-

WSFuser, thanks for your kind reply.
I spotted other forums and saw the same solution, which also binding certain ports for PPStream so that Outpost could always allow these ports to pass.

[Paranoid2000]

-{ Quote: "Until last night, when I tried to view on-line video via PPStream (a China-based P2P video content provider), Outpost blocked my access, reporting something like TCP/IP attacks." }-As a general rule, you will need to disable the Attack Detection plugin whenever running any server-type applications - this includes most file-sharing software.

[gamersmile]

-{ Quote: "I would never...never put a China-based P2P video content provider in Outpost's always trusted applications." }-

Carver, though the reply seems off the topic, your dislikeness for Chinese P2P video content provider is understandable. They sometimes offer unscreened low-rated information to the viewer, disregarding their ages.

Except for a few home users who enjoys high band-width (8Mbps or above), the average band width for home users in China is 512kbps-2Mbps. Most Chinese netizens has no choice when they want to watch P2P videos live on the internet.

If you have any opinion regarding this, you are welcome to post it here.

[gamersmile]

-{ Quote: "As a general rule, you will need to disable the Attack Detection plugin whenever running any server-type applications - this includes most file-sharing software." }-

Paronoid2000, thanks for your quick response.
If what you said is true, why didn't ZoneAlarm Pro interrupt normal function of Emule or PPStream?

Thanks for any answer in advance.

[Paranoid2000]

-{ Quote: "If what you said is true, why didn't ZoneAlarm Pro interrupt normal function of Emule or PPStream?" }-Because ZA Pro doesn't have a separate plugin that, by default, blocks (and can alert on) unsolicited incoming connections. You can configure Outpost's Attack Detection to work with server software (including P2P applications) but you need to spent time configuring it (specifying trusted ports specifically) so disabling it is an easier step for most people.

For applications receiving incoming connections, it is also better to make them Partially Allowed and create a proper ruleset (it should be easy enough to find an eMule ruleset over at the Outpost forums (www.outpostfirewall.com) - for PPStream, just check what ports it uses and create rules for those).

Also note that running in Allow Most policy in Outpost is not advisable except for troubleshooting purposes - it provides no real protection in this policy.

[gamersmile]

Thanks again, Paranoid. I learned something new via your answer.

Cheers!