12-19-2002, 03:32 AM
Well, if people are downloading files from you, you are "serving" those files.... technically, it's a server.
While we've got all the OO users' attention, I'd like to point out one thing you probably noticed, but never understood. Look at your cable modem. Notice how the "Activity" light is ALWAYS flashing? Whether you're doing anything on the internet or not? Or even if your computer is off? I finally solved that mystery with a little help from my firewall log.
Most of these packets - which my firewall blocks, then logs - are coming from port 137. A little research, and I found out that port 137 is the NetBIOS port. NetBIOS is basically the Microsoft way of computers finding each other by name across a network (being phased out in favor of DNS, if anyone gives a crap). It does this by BROADCASTING these packets to the entire subnet. Now here's where this becomes really important. You will only receive traffic from your local subnet... I looked at my subnet mask, and it's 255.255.224.0 - a little math (31 x 254) and that means you've got the possibility of as many as 7,874 computers pounding you with these packets - which, though they may be useful in a home network, mean absolutely NOTHING over the internet....... but OO doesn't block them from being sent out! Granted 7,874 is the maximum possible, but still, you've probably got literally hundreds of computers sending you these garbage packets.... I would think that this shit probably slows your internet connection!
So, there's my story. Yep. Get firewalls, people.
While we've got all the OO users' attention, I'd like to point out one thing you probably noticed, but never understood. Look at your cable modem. Notice how the "Activity" light is ALWAYS flashing? Whether you're doing anything on the internet or not? Or even if your computer is off? I finally solved that mystery with a little help from my firewall log.
Most of these packets - which my firewall blocks, then logs - are coming from port 137. A little research, and I found out that port 137 is the NetBIOS port. NetBIOS is basically the Microsoft way of computers finding each other by name across a network (being phased out in favor of DNS, if anyone gives a crap). It does this by BROADCASTING these packets to the entire subnet. Now here's where this becomes really important. You will only receive traffic from your local subnet... I looked at my subnet mask, and it's 255.255.224.0 - a little math (31 x 254) and that means you've got the possibility of as many as 7,874 computers pounding you with these packets - which, though they may be useful in a home network, mean absolutely NOTHING over the internet....... but OO doesn't block them from being sent out! Granted 7,874 is the maximum possible, but still, you've probably got literally hundreds of computers sending you these garbage packets.... I would think that this shit probably slows your internet connection!
So, there's my story. Yep. Get firewalls, people.
<center>![[Image: cdih.jpg]](http://followthislogic.50megs.com/cdih.jpg)
stare at the clock
avoid at all costs
this emptiness</center>
stare at the clock
avoid at all costs
this emptiness</center>