Viewing open connections/ports in use. - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

mikec · 09-13-2004, 08:24 AM

I am at work, behind a company firewall, and no access to this fireall.

I run AIM, MSN messenger, and Yahoo messenger, separately.

I wanted consolidate, so I installed Trillian standard this morning.

None of the standard IM ports work through the company firewall.

I am trying to figure out which port Yahoo messenger uses, and MSN messenger, when I am connected to them. I know the standard ports, but again those do not work through the firewall.

Is there something I can do to show what connections my PC is making, and through which ports they are being made? I figure this way, I could connect to yahoo/msn, see which port is in use, then configure Trillian to use that port.

I was already able to do that with AIM, because in AIM options, it shows the port that is being used, which in my case is port 53.

Thanks in advance for any help!

Pragma · 09-13-2004, 08:40 AM

First, I should probably ask if it's against company policy to use IM programs from behind their firewall - and I'd assume that it is.

Anyways, if you run a program like TCPView, you can see what programs have what ports open - and I think that might help you.

Just be aware: if using IM programs is against your company policy, even if you run them on non-standard ports, the network staff can still see the activity. I've been on the enforcing end of that rule a few times, and shocked a lot of people when I sat down with them and a few other security officers with detailed IM logs of what they've been talking about, and explained that they really need to stop using IM at work.

MSD · 09-13-2004, 08:51 AM

command prompt: netstat -n

mikec · 09-13-2004, 09:04 AM

pragma, thanks for the info. I can't find a policy either way. I know they can see my convo's if they want to.

mrselfdestruct....damnit, I knew that!! haha. thanks, that is exactly what I was looking for.

sailor · 09-13-2004, 12:47 PM

Fport is another good one--we use it all the time here to diagnose virus/spyware infestations.

09-13-2004, 08:24 AM	#1 (permalink)
mikec I flopped the nutz... Location: Stratford, CT	Viewing open connections/ports in use. I am at work, behind a company firewall, and no access to this fireall. I run AIM, MSN messenger, and Yahoo messenger, separately. I wanted consolidate, so I installed Trillian standard this morning. None of the standard IM ports work through the company firewall. I am trying to figure out which port Yahoo messenger uses, and MSN messenger, when I am connected to them. I know the standard ports, but again those do not work through the firewall. Is there something I can do to show what connections my PC is making, and through which ports they are being made? I figure this way, I could connect to yahoo/msn, see which port is in use, then configure Trillian to use that port. I was already able to do that with AIM, because in AIM options, it shows the port that is being used, which in my case is port 53. Thanks in advance for any help! __________________ Until the 20th century, reality was everything humans could touch, smell, see, and hear. Since the initial publication of the charted electromagnetic spectrum, humans have learned that what they can touch, smell, see, and hear is less than one millionth of reality Last edited by mikec; 09-13-2004 at 08:30 AM..

09-13-2004, 09:04 AM	#4 (permalink)
mikec I flopped the nutz... Location: Stratford, CT	pragma, thanks for the info. I can't find a policy either way. I know they can see my convo's if they want to. mrselfdestruct....damnit, I knew that!! haha. thanks, that is exactly what I was looking for. __________________ Until the 20th century, reality was everything humans could touch, smell, see, and hear. Since the initial publication of the charted electromagnetic spectrum, humans have learned that what they can touch, smell, see, and hear is less than one millionth of reality

09-13-2004, 12:47 PM	#5 (permalink)
sailor beauty in the breakdown Location: Chapel Hill, NC	Fport is another good one--we use it all the time here to diagnose virus/spyware infestations. __________________ "Good people do not need laws to tell them to act responsibly, while bad people will find a way around the laws." --Plato

09-13-2004, 08:40 AM	#2 (permalink)
Pragma I am Winter Born Location: Alexandria, VA	First, I should probably ask if it's against company policy to use IM programs from behind their firewall - and I'd assume that it is. Anyways, if you run a program like TCPView, you can see what programs have what ports open - and I think that might help you. Just be aware: if using IM programs is against your company policy, even if you run them on non-standard ports, the network staff can still see the activity. I've been on the enforcing end of that rule a few times, and shocked a lot of people when I sat down with them and a few other security officers with detailed IM logs of what they've been talking about, and explained that they really need to stop using IM at work.

09-13-2004, 08:51 AM	#3 (permalink)
MSD The sky calls to us ... Super Moderator Location: CT	command prompt: netstat -n