Mysterious Incoming Connections

[legacy-infophreak]

I need some help figuring this out, as I have absolutely no idea what is going on.

I am using Windows XP Pro with Sygate Personal Firewall. The install of UT2004 is a completely fresh w/ the 3270 patch applied (legal of course).

First I go to Atarisupport.com where I find this piece of helpful information about how to configure my firewall:



Make sure your firewall, NAT or router has the proper ports open
For the game to work correctly you need ports 7777,7778,7779, and 27902 to be open in your firewall or router.
If you are unsure how do to this, contact your hardware or software manufacturer.


I have done this as well as allowed the program to make outbound connections (both TCP and UDP). The problem is, that if I want to play online, I select "Join Game" In UT2004 and click on "Internet", and then I receive an inbound connection attemt that usually is in the 1300-1800 local port range and the source port seems to be pretty random. Some of the remote hostnames that I have seen are:
ajx104.neoplus.adsl.tpnet.pl
games.amis.net
hachy.demon.nl
breakthrough2.gamersland.com
217.111.21.127 (which according to the WHOIS record belongs to de.colt.net)
144.187-136-217.adsl.skynet.be

Particularly the hostsmasks that look like they belong to end users worry me.

My questions are these:
(1) If I do not accept the incoming connection attemt, I cannot ping any server in the list. What are those connections?
(2) What can I do to avoid them? Because if I can't avoid them, then the information at Atarisupport.com must be incomplete.

Needless to say, allowing the firewall to accept all incoming connection attempts is not an acceptable "solution". That would defeat the whole purpose of running a firewall in the first place. I want to poke as few holes in it as possible.

[legacy-WimpMiester]

You shouldn't have to open 1300-1800 for any reason. As for the ports for UT2003/2004 the only thing that worked for me was the same port settings I used for UT99.

7777-27900 with 27900 as Trigger.

I'm using an Broadband Router.

[legacy-infophreak]

Update.

For debugging purposes, I tried creating a firewall rule that blocks all incoming UDP traffic on ports < 7000 for UT2004.exe. As before, I receive all data about the servers (such as name and current map), but I can't get a ping time from them.

Apparently I do need to open those ports.

[legacy-medic_needed]

Reinstaal and go to fresh settings. UT2004 should automaticly choos the right connections and ports. Allso this sounds like an IP problem. Somone is trying to acsess a server by your IP. Are you running a server or somone on lan?

[legacy-infophreak]

As I already said, the install of UT2004 is completely fresh, so what should I reinstall - Windows or the firewall? Both of these is a rather painful process that I'd much rather be without (though the former is much more painful (6+hrs of modifiying MORONIC default settings == hell...) than the latter).

[legacy-medic_needed]

Do you have a direct connection or are you on a home network (LAN). It allso sounds like a server that has a wrong IP that is yours. look at clan site and see if they have a moving notice on it or look at all the server names and see if one posts a move. Allso try to get a new IP. :weird: