Windows Live Messenger - fw rules

I've found on official LnS website rules for MSN:
http://www.looknstop.com/En/rules/rules.htm#Netmeeting

There are rules: direct (port: 1863) and files (port range: 6891-6900)

In my LnS logs I found that there is many entries like this one below:


So I googled it and here is official Microsoft list of the network ports that are required for various features of Windows Live Messenger 8.1 on a Windows Vista-based computer:

source: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/927847

On this list there is a port 7001 described as port which is using to Network Detection.
So I have right clicked on one of the entry from my LnS log and I've added rule UDP: Allow Port 7001 - Client.
And now it looks like this:


My question is - does it rule (UDP: port 7001) needed? And does it safe to have this rule?

 

I don't know if this is required. So, the best way is to try, with the rule allowing packets, and with the rule blocking packets, if it makes a difference.

If it works better with the rule allowing this port, then to be safer, you may refine the rule by:
- associate Windows Live Messenger to the rule (this helps only if the application is not systematically connected, otherwise the rule will be anyway active)
- specify the IP address of the remote server, or a range of IP address, if several address are used (for instance allowing only 64.4.x.y, based on the log screenshot you provided).

Regards,

Frederic

 

Thank you Frederic,
surprisingly Windows Live Messenger works good with this rule blocked (stops the forbidden packets option enabled), so I will leave it as it is now as you suggested. If something will be wrong I will unblock this rule with IP address.

Thanks,
Creer