Initializing Sockets

Good day:

Despite my efforts to initialize the sockets in my registered copy of TDS-3, the icon does not "light up". My concern is that this option was working until today ( as far as I can recall). There does not seem to be anything else untoward with the program or with the computer system itself.
I am operating on a wireless LAN, so that I have the router and my cable ISP in front of me, along with the Panda firewall on the computer itself. TDS-3 updates itself happily and I have verified that the other programs that access the Internet are working OK.
Have I inadvertently changed a setting somewhere to cause this change in socket setting? While it may not matter from a security viewpoint, I am concerned with the sudden change in behaviour.
Any ideas and help much appreciated.

EdBB

 

Hi EdBB,
did you accidently uncheck in TDS > Configuration > Startup tab > Initialize sockets ?
Or in upper right Sockets > automated > initialize > save
when all the options there are satisfying?
Hope it is one of those, please check back with us so we can go deeper if necessary.

 

Jooske:

Unfortunately, both of those paths to initialize the sockets are OK - that is, they were selected initially and remain selected. The only thing that I can see is that the word "sockets" appears to be highlighted under the grid icon in the upper right hand corner of the TDS screen.

Is there something that might have become corrupted in the configuration file (just a wild guess)?

Thanks for any and all assistance,

EdBB

 

Hi EdBB, If you are using a wireless LAN you probably have some form of NAT firewall which may require port forwarding to enable TDS to see the socket or you may have to create a rule for your Panda firewall. Possibly an update to either has closed TDS's ability to see the sockets

 

Pilli:

I checked the settings for the firewall relative to TDS-3 and to Update. Both are allowed without restriction and I have not changed the settings. I am not aware of any updates to the Panda firewall.

Could some files have become corrupted ?

Would uninstalling and then reinstalling TDS-3 do the trick?

Is this even worth bothering about?

EdBB

 

EdBB, Are you using the latest TDS3 version? 3.2 Final, if not it may be worth installing. Have you many 0 byte files in your TDS main directory?

 

Pilli:

Sorry for the delay in responding.

I have the following zero byte files in the main directory.

"conf", "msism", "msconfig", "www.synaptics", "Ymsgr".

EdBB

 

Hello again EdBB, You can delete the 0 byte files. IIt may be worth uninstalling TDS3 & re-installing, if you have a licensed copy with Execution Protection installed you must uninstall that first from the TDS menu.- -Execution Protection - Remove

HTH Pilli

 

Hi again, if you're reinstalling, you might like to grab the latest version from the site and drop your keyfile in it after installing (so take care you don't lose that one with the uninstall!)
"conf" which? any idea if that could have been the TDS configuration (suppose not but never know......)
Keep us informed how it goes.

 

Jooske/Pilli:

I have TDS3.2.1 - I uninstalled it and reinstalled it. No change. I also removed the zero byte files.

Since I don't know what initializing the sockets does for my system's security, I think that I will probably just leave well enough alone and wait for TDS4.

Thanks.

EdBB

 

Hi EdBB,
at this moment it's really hard to know from a distant what changed on yoyur system, maybe in your firewall settings, which seems to effect your sockets settings.
Never heard this before and you tried the things one can think of.

Many people don't use the sockets option, for reasons of resources maybe.
The helpfile says about the Sockets Configuration
"TDS-3 allows you to use sockets to monitor/react on certain trojan ports. While it is generally recommended that a firewall takes care of this side of things for you, in some cases sockets can be more advantageous - especially if you want to see/send data or interact in other ways." and a whole page how to do all that.

You could go back to a former restore point if possible --i don't see your OS in the postings-- to where it still worked and think deep about possible settings you might have changed somewhere especially as you say it stopped working from the one moment to the other.
Firewall, something in your LAN, whatever.
Did you install new software that day?

 

Jooske:

I'm using XP Home, updated to SP-3 and the latest Microsoft critical updates. However, this socket "problem" was there before that.

I will look at the firewall again.

Thanks for your patience.

EdBB

 

Hi EdBB
I don't see what you are trying to accomplish here. You told us you had been able to initialize sockets in the past and now it doesn't work anymore.
So, here are my questions:
Why do you want to to initialize any sockets, do you have any scripts that need ports to be listening?
If yes, have you configured and check-marked the ports that need to be open,before trying to initialize them?
If no, you don't need to initialize any sockets.
Dolf

 

Dollefie:

I agree that I don't really need the socket listening capability. I was just concerned that I had it and now seem to have lost it. Did I lose anything else ?

Anyway, I will take your advice, along with the input from Pilli and Jooske, and forget about the sockets.

Thanks for the input,

EdBB

 

I do hope you find out what was changed, firewall settings/update came to the mind but it's still the only time i hear about this and would like it solved of course, using it or not, it should be able.

 

A firewall cannot prevent TDS from listening to certain points. However connection access has to be granted before TDS can 'hear'.
Dolf