Help! My ISP Blocks Port 80

[BrianEWilliams]

After much frustration trying to get access to my TiVo shows, I realized my ISP blocks port 80. Although the initial request comes in via HTTPS or port 443, it seems like the subsequent requests come in on port 80, and that is why it hasn't been working for me.

I could setup Galleon to transfer all the shows automatically to another computer, set that computer up as a web server on a port other than 80, and then get access that way. Since this involves my wife doing all the heavy lifting while she is juggling two young boys, I'd prefer a simpler solution. Any suggestions?

[davezatz]

Some routers will allow you to forward port numbers in addition to IPs... for example port 232323 (or whatever) on your router would point to the IP of your TiVo and port 80. That might be worth checking out.

[BrianEWilliams]

I beilieve the TiVo actually listens on port 443 and port 80. 443 serves up the Now Playing page, but when you request a video file, that request goes out over port 80. At least that fits the facts as I know them. Forwarding a different port to the TiVo doesn't really help, but thanks for the suggestion anyway.

Has anyone whose ISP actually blocks port 80 found a way around this?

[davezatz]

If your router is using ports other than 80/443 externally to map to your TiVo, your ISP won't know or care what your TiVo broadcasts on internally. That's what routers do, translate and route traffic. That's how I had my former Belkin router setup for 'security' - I didn't want port 80 responding to the outside world. My current Linksys router with company firmware doesn't give me virtual ports (or whatever you want to call them) so I'm no longer configured that way.

[BrianEWilliams]

Thanks.

[ccooperev]

Sounds like its time to get a different ISP too...

[gthomas]

All you need to do is pick a port, any port and port forward that port on your router to your PC. Then, head on over to analogX's website (just google it) and download portmapper. This will allow you to change ports and send it off to a new IP address. I.E. you could take port 5050, send it to your PC, then using portmapper, translate that to port 80 and send it to the IP of your TiVo. Works great.

[PeteEMT]

Your TiVo will only communicate and listen on Port 80, your router handles the translation from Port 80 on the internal network to Port 81 on the external. The only settings you'd have to change are on your Router and the client. (or the router on the other end to change the mapping back)

[BrianEWilliams]

All you need to do is pick a port, any port and port forward that port on your router to your PC. Then, head on over to analogX's website (just google it) and download portmapper. This will allow you to change ports and send it off to a new IP address. I.E. you could take port 5050, send it to your PC, then using portmapper, translate that to port 80 and send it to the IP of your TiVo. Works great.

That seems like a great solution. Don't have time to try it right now, but thanks very much.

[BrianEWilliams]

Your TiVo will only communicate and listen on Port 80, your router handles the translation from Port 80 on the internal network to Port 81 on the external. The only settings you'd have to change are on your Router and the client. (or the router on the other end to change the mapping back)

Thanks.

[diamondsw]

Some of the confusion here is because two different networking concepts are being confused - NAT and PAT. NAT is Network Address Translation, which allows me to contact my router at a.b.c.d:80 and have it translate it to x.y.z.w:80, presumably a local LAN address not visible to the outside world. PAT is Port Address Translation, which allows contacting a.b.c.d:e and translating the IP and the port to something else, like x.y.z.w:v.

Unfortunately, consumer routers always list it simply as "NAT". Some routers support PAT as well; some don't. The only way to find out is to try setting it up. I have an Apple Airport Base Station which supports both, which allows me to do things like this:

public_ip:22 -> 10.0.1.111:22
public_ip:10022 -> 10.0.1.112:22

And thus run multiple SSH servers on my home LAN, and assign different external ports to them. If your router supports NAT but not PAT, you won't be able to do this.

In Brian's case, it appears the router only does NAT, so there's no way to change port 80 to something more convenient. My advice is to buy a better router - they're cheap, even wireless ones.

[gthomas]

But why buy another router when port mapper from AnalogX is free and will accomplish the same thing?

[greg_burns]

In Brian's case, it appears the router only does NAT, so there's no way to change port 80 to something more convenient. My advice is to buy a better router - they're cheap, even wireless ones.

If the OP has a Linksys 54WRTG he could flash it to Seavsoft's Tailsman firmware. It supposedly allows you to do this. Mine is currently flashed to Alchemy, which unfortunately does not support it.

[BrianEWilliams]

If the OP has a Linksys 54WRTG he could flash it to Seavsoft's Tailsman firmware. It supposedly allows you to do this. Mine is currently flashed to Alchemy, which unfortunately does not support it.

Thanks.

[davezatz]

I believe the relevant tab for PAT with my routers is Applications & Gaming, UPnP Forwarding. Using this tab, I mapped external port 81 to internal port 80 on the first router. Then the second router sends port 80 to the TiVo using the Applications & Gaming, Port Forwarding tab.

Sounds like you have a similar model of router as I... this is the one I can't get it to work on, not sure it's supported the way it looks to be. It seems like the triggers are initiated from within your network, rather than outside. The Belkin router I used to have had a screen similar to the Linksys 'Port Range Forward' screen but also included source and destination ports. I think some of the community-built replacement firmware (Greg mentioned Alchemy) may do what you want, though I haven't tried it myself. And you might be right that having a second router in the mix makes it more complex. (PS, I haven't updated my firmware in awhile... have you? I wonder if there's something newer (and better) provided by Linksys out there.)

EDIT: Just checked... I have v3 of the router and the last firmware update was 8/05 and I've got it.

[greg_burns]

I think some of the community-built replacement firmware (Greg mentioned Alchemy) may do what you want, though I haven't tried it myself.

Just a reminder that Alchemy does not have this feature. But I've seen a screenshot of Talisman that showed source and destination ports.

page with screenshot links (http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/62719?cat=141383)

I use Alchemy for the WDS feature. I would probably upgrade to Tailsman, but everything has been working great for a year now and I don't want to mess with it.

[davezatz]

Just a reminder that Alchemy does not have this feature. But I've seen a screenshot of Talisman that showed source and destination ports.
I meant to type Talisman... doh! :) I hear ya though... my network has been stable and working well for a few months, so I'm reluctant to change my firmware too.

(Looks like they've somehow disabled displaying that picture - link goes to a small logo.)

[greg_burns]

I changed the link. This was just the first thing I found when searching for a screenshot.

[BrianEWilliams]

Thanks for all the help.

[BrianEWilliams]

After much frustration trying to get access to my TiVo shows, I realized my ISP blocks port 80. Although the initial request comes in via HTTPS or port 443, it seems like the subsequent requests come in on port 80, and that is why it hasn't been working for me.

I could setup Galleon to transfer all the shows automatically to another computer, set that computer up as a web server on a port other than 80, and then get access that way. Since this involves my wife doing all the heavy lifting while she is juggling two young boys, I'd prefer a simpler solution. Any suggestions?

I've decided to give up on this, but thanks for all the help.

[davezatz]

I called Linksys tech support, and they said the UPnP tab is the right one to use to map external ports to internal ports. Port triggering dynamically opens up ports based on an internal application triggering it. At least this is what they said. Unfortunately, it still doesn't work.

The problem is we're not using an internal app (game, IRC, whatever) to initiate the remapping. It's not going to work with this firmware... I may have even called Linksys myself a few months ago now that you mention it. Hmmm...

You could always set up a VPN or use something like VNC or LogMeIn, though your results probably wouldn't be great.

[greg_burns]

I thought the OP was doing this just for the challenge. :p

If you just want to access your shows away from home just use Orb.

http://tivo.orb.com]

Edit: better link
http://www.orb.com/dvreverywhere/

[gthomas]

In most linky's you have 2 choices for port forwarding. One is port triggering which requires the trigger to be initiated internally, but the second choice, UPnP does not. You can name the application, but it is initiated externally. That should always work.

[dcahoe]

I don't know if anyone has tried to use TiVoPlayList (http://bellsouthpwp.net/d/c/dcahoe/tivo/index.htm) to transfer files remotely or not, but I have an undocumented (LOL, nothing is documented) way of getting it to work if port 80 is blocked or giving you problems.

First, on your router, map your public (WAN) port xxxx to private (LAN) port 80. Choose a large value for xxxx such as 43000. Then edit the TiVoPlayList.ini file and go to the [Recorder?] section for the machine you wish to access and add the following line:

HttpPort=xxxx

I have found upload speeds painfully slow compared to a local network, but it does work.

[Karlz]

I can see how to port forward, but how do I map a different port? I have a linksys wireless g unit...

also where do I find that ini file?

[greg_burns]

I can see how to port forward, but how do I map a different port? I have a linksys wireless g unit...

also where do I find that ini file?

I don't think all routers can do it. I've seen the some screenshots from hacked Linksys routers (like Sveasoft's Tailsman that clearly have a field for mapping to a different port.) My hacked Linksys doesn't even have it. (I'm running Alchemy). I don't recall if the standard firmware has it either for Linksys routers. :(

http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?p=3704613&&#post3704613

BTW, the .ini file is in the same directory as the executable for TivoPlayList.

[megazone]

Yeah, my Netgear router won't do port remapping. Fortunately I don't need it - Speakeasy DSL doesn't block any ports.