How do u close a port!!

[mafia_almighty]

u can view all the open ports on my PC ....but what should i do ... if dont want a particular port on my PC to be open..???

plz reply!!!

[sysmin770]

Just use a firewall and close them all. Unnecessary ports being open can lead to a lot of trouble.

[skiddieleet]

Do what sysmin said, here are a few firewalls:
http://soho.sygate.com/buy/download_buy.htm
http://www.zonelabs.com/store/conten...eeDownload.jsp
www.kerio.com/us/kpf_home.html

edit
no problem sysmin, we shouldn't have to find it for them anyway.

[sysmin770]

Thanks h3retic I am not feeling well today. I should have posted links to some free ones.

[MrLinus]

Ummm.. dumb question but what OS are you using? A firewall will block ports but not necessarily close them. It's probably better to stop/remove the service that is causing the port to be open. And if you cannot stop/remove the service, then the firewall can be used to block the port.

And I've moved this to Newbie Security because this can go beyond a) web access b) it's always something that new members are interested in.

[skiddieleet]

I was just going to add about running services MsM. You should definetly try and turn off what you can. Here is a good site for unnecessary windows services and how to turn them off: www.blackviper.com
If you are on linux(I don't think you are) there should be a built in firewall and I kindof need to know which distro to help you turn it on. Check out blackviper if you're on windows though, it will help you get rid of unnecessary services.

[noODle]

MsM=e^2

Ummm.. dumb question but what OS are you using?

A firewall will block ports but not necessarily close them.

h3r3tic

...good site for unnecessary windows services...

If you are on windows you could use f-port && Google besides the allready mentioned.
Search for disable+app_name.

You should still use a firewall though, it will change the status to stealth instead of closed unless you specify it not to.

[Datsun 260Z]

Originally posted here by h3r3tic
Do what sysmin said, here are a few firewalls:
http://soho.sygate.com/buy/download_buy.htm
http://www.zonelabs.com/store/conten...eeDownload.jsp
www.kerio.com/us/kpf_home.html

edit
no problem sysmin, we shouldn't have to find it for them anyway.

Another good, free firewall is Agnitum Outpost. http://www.agnitum.com

There's a free and paid version. The free version should be enough.

[Producer]

Why not troubleshoot what apps are opening the ports?

Or is this grandma we are talking to?

[!mitationRust]

Some Tips
Be careful with file-sharing services like Kazaa
Update your software
Use passwords (strong passwords. Just a thread about this on the main board)
Windows 2000 and XP,Do not Browse the internet on Root or an "administrator account"
Configure your home firewall well
Don't use outlook express (I know, it's convenient)

Check your own security by simply going to
http://www.grc.com/ and running Shields Up.
http://grc.com/lt/leaktest.htm
http://www.auditmypc.com/

If your on XP enable the XP firewall:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/p...orking/icf.asp

1. Log into XP with an owner account.
2. Click the Start button and select Control Panel. Double-click the Network Connections icon.
3. In the Network Connections window, click to highlight the connection you want to protect. In the left panel, under Network Tasks, click "change settings of this connection."
4. When the connection status dialog box opens, click the Properties button.
5. In the Properties dialog box, click the Advanced tab. Check the box beneath "Internet Connection Firewall." If you leave it unchecked, the firewall is off. If you aren't running any servers on your computer, just click OK. If you run an FTP or Web server, you need to change the advanced settings.

Most think Microsoft's XP Firewall is underpowered. They prefer more powerful software, such as BlackICE Defender,Sygate....ect. Others hide their networks behind a cable/DSL router like the Linksys BEFSR41, (I prefer the BESX41)which includes a built-in hardware firewall.

Stateful inspection
The firewall included with Microsoft Windows XP claims to be a stateful inspection firewall, though it lacks any way of filtering application content. This is where things get a little blurry, as the XP firewall has essentially the same functionality as the firewalls built into commonly available cable/DSL home routers, a combination of packet filtering with a circuit level gateway.

(opinion)Close all ports your not using including port 80 when you away from the computer
Port: One end of a logical connection between two computers. Specific ports are used for specific types of data. For example port 80 is used to send and receive HTTP (web browser) traffic. Firewalls can block ports, disabling them from receiving any data.

Speaking of configuring your new firewall
Here is a list of well-known port numbers which you may find useful in configuring your firewall. (paste job)
Service Port Number
FTP 21TCP
Telnet 23 TCP
SMTP 25 TCP
HTTP 80 TCP
POP3 110 TCP
HTTPS (secure) 443 TCP
IRC 194 TCP
ICQ 5190 TCP, (note: ICQ by default will use this port to connect, and any available port above 1024 to listen for new connections. This is kind of insecure, so I would recommend going to the ICQ site and reading their firewall configuration info
AOL messenger 5190, 4099 TCP (also will self configure to available ports)
Yahoo IM (self configures)
MSN messenger 6891-6900 TCP for file transfer, 6901 TCP/UDP for voice (otherwise self configures messaging)
Kazaa 1214 TCP (can be reconfigured within Kazaa)
Games** For various multiplayer games, check the websites for specifics.

I would take h3r3tic's advice an go to www.BlkViper.com and make your own custom reg tweak.
Here is the link to my own custom reg tweak.
http://www.antionline.com/showthread...898#post684898

Also here are the links to the software that I use. (All free)
http://www.antionline.com/showthread...317#post685317