disabling firewalls

Hi ya'll.....I'm back with another....some questions...I suspected that one of the issues I was having, was due to a firewall, yet I couldnt figure out where. I had disabled one on the mac (dont get hung up on that-they're harmless) and thought ...still think there is one built in the vonage router.In reading on a link on how to get outside the firewall....it led me to an info page about macs and it has a built in firewall besides the one you can turn on and off....so when I had turned it off (ages ago)...the built in one lept into place...so the way around it in a matter of speaking is to turn the firewall on and check the different options....as to what traffic I want to allow...that's the question...I dont know what they are....a bunch of letters that when I google search...comes up with Einstein's theory. I can cut and paste if that would be easier. I can solve this myself (where are the Apple diyers??) but I need a geek....to fill in the logic....

My setup is cable modem plus VOIP (vonage) plus belkin wireless plus Mac OSX (10.4.1)

any and all help/suggestions.....whatever,,,,, is appreciated....if the same problem existed with a windows based pc....you would know this stuff....don't let the word mac throw ya....it's just slightly different is all.

Thanks (in advance)

turns out....i cant cope er i mean copy/paste....but i can let you know the options...

Sorry Bett, I've read all that a few times and I'm not sure what your question is!

Which firewall do you want to disable?

And what exactly are you trying to achieve?

sorry.....I get a little carried away.

I have turned my firewall back on (you'll have to trust me on this)...I need to know what "traffic" to allow to come through....so I need to know...what is FTP....in laymans terms...and there are more options that I dont have a clue as to what they are.....I will have to spell them out....sorry guys...I'm trying to achieve the best connection I can get with a crippled mac

I am behind a firewall (maybe 2) to the point where not sure what is coming this way....but I cant get out....at least not like I should be able to. Please be patient with me....I wish I could just present it to you and be able to 'fix' it....it just isnt turning out that way. If I can 'set up' my firewall where I have the best....i dunno..... connection??? then I can turn my sights to conquer the firwall that's in the vonage router.

Hi

FTP = File Transfer Protocol

It is the protocol used for transferring files to, or from, an FTP site.

You will find more details Here

Hope this helps
MGFDude

mlb3c said:

but I cant get out....at least not like I should be able to.

Click to expand...

Just explain the problem. Why is it not like you should be able to?

okay...here goes
I have a laptop....specifically a G3 Mac Powerbook...I've had it for 4 years now. It has been through "Bett" hell and back and to be fair...has done okay...until about 6 or 7 mos ago. When I first got a cable modem instead of dial up....I could kick butt....and I did I was given this computer as a gift just to 'do some email and play some games', but I pushed it to the max with all sorts of multimedia....downloads of songs....with itunes (built in) and limewire, wma, quicktime, msn messenger, yahoo, skype, iphoto (built in)...all this and as it turned out..I had corrupted memory and was running on 256mb...I have since put in more memory...its max is 640. Once upon a time about 6 or 7 mos ago....I think I either had a power surge (even with a surge protector) or lightning struck...and killed my modem...things changed after that shortly after I replaced the modem....my ethernet port quit working....I hauled it in to Apple...seems the ethernet port was actually broken off of the logic board (same as motherboard in a pc)....to fix the ethernet, the logic board would have to be replaced...a cost of nearly $800....for that amount....I could get a newer...nicer...pc (never another mac) so I returned home....and set up a wireless router...for a couple of reasons.....1st my modem doesnt support usb on a mac...my isp doesnt know anything about a mac...and after repeated nightmare service calls...in the end...they dont have a clue....I have Vonage which is a saving grace...cant do without it....it is my lifeline to Kev....but I think I am behind a firewall built into that....which brings me to the present...I went on a Vonage website to get instructions on how to get out from behind their firewall...and as searches go....found out that on Mac OSX..there are actually two firewalls...one built in and unremovable and the other you can enable/disable....however when you rnable the firewall...you (I) can check on several things to allow that type of "traffic'...which I dont have a clue...hence my question....if I can set it up...then Maybe I can configure the settings to tackle the vonage firewall...is this any clearer??

erm

ok lets start over

whats not working like you would like it to?

ARRRGGGGGHHHH!!!!!!!!!


you are joking.

Geez, stop waffling and tell us what traffic you think is being blocked. IE, tell us what is not working. What is the specific problem?

Is this a **** take?

msn msgr
skype
yahoo msgr

won't stay signed in is the problem

IF thats the case, then I dont see what the firewall (inbuilt or otherwise) has to do with the problem. Sounds like a dodgy connection.

dodgy connection wouldnt help the issue

now then....thanks Kev....but its not just that....here's the page I found:

http://tech.yahoo.com/gd/using-mac-os-x-s-built-in-firewall/153431

I have enabled the followingersonal file sharing
itunes music sharing, msn messenger, quicktime.....and I have enabled passive FTP.

what I dont know....what about:window sharing, personal web sharing, remote login ssh (i would say no because the word remote), ftp access, apple remote desktop, remote apple events, printer sharing (dont have one) iphoto bonjour sharing, network time?

no...I'm not yankin your chain (probably has a different meaning there) and I have exhausted my other avenues of enlightment.....so please know I am being genuine and sorry to be stupid....I dont know how this thing works...I just want it to. [/list][/list]

mlb3c, there's a communication problem here, so excuse me sticking my face in, but I can understand Igorian's and eggplant's frustration. And yours.

When it comes to diagnosing PC and networking problems remotely, less is usually more.

We need a short description of the problem that you have. An example would be thus:

When I run MSN Messenger, it fails to connect. My suspicion is that it's a firewall problem.

...or....

Everything works, but seems slower than it used to be.

Does this help to explain what's needed from you?

hmmm.....yes....that makes sense....

KEV

SAID

the more info the better.....right Kev????

sorry....I will try and be clearer....