FTP transfers conflicting with binary news transfers?

[cookie365]

Hi all, I've recently had some trouble losing connections when downloading from binary news (port 563 SSL). The news service is Astraweb which is usually rock solid.

I've only just noticed that it seems to only happen when I'm simultaneously transferring (usually uploading) to an FTP server on port 21.

It's pretty variable - sometimes they conflict, sometimes they don't, and it changes during a session - but I'm sure there's a correlation.

It doesn't seem to matter what newsreader or FTP client I use.

I can't change the FTP - it's my media server on my local network and port 21 is the only choice. I haven't tried port 443 for the newsgroups yet but that's an option.

My router is a Bufflao Linkstation.

Any ideas? Or is really a coincidence I'm just reading too much into?

Thanks

[watercooled]

The router shouldn't play a part as only the switching hardware should see the traffic on your LAN, so I'd suspect your PC. It could be flaky network drivers or a firewall interfering, try updating drivers and disable any software firewalls to test.

[cookie365]

Thanks watercooled. Drivers are up to date.

The firewall is Comodo, I've set all the relevant apps to being trusted and there aren't any automatic blocks. I'm not going to disable the firewall to test though. Don't want to be connected to the internet without a firewall.

[watercooled]

You're behind a router which will act as a firewall, you don't really need a software firewall in such a scenario, they just tend to get in the way. Rules might not be the cause, the only way you could find out it by disabling it to test.

[cookie365]

Thanks for the suggestion, but I'm really not going to be connecting to the internet without a software firewall.

[watercooled]

You can wait to see if any other members chime in to put your mind at rest, but a software firewall really doesn't add anything useful on top of a NAT router unless you're on an untrusted LAN/public wifi hotspot. Read up on how NAT works if you don't want to take my word for it; nothing can gain access to your system without a process on your system initiating a connection, it's not just it's not allowed, it's impossible - an inherent level of protection offered by NAT. The exception is if you have port forwarding set up manually or via UPnP. Outbound protection can add something but something's already gone wrong if you need it. You may be stuck with the problem if you're not prepared to help diagnose the problem, with what you've already said it could be one of many things hence why I'm trying to narrow it down, and the software firewall would be near the top of my suspect list.

[TheAnimus]

I wouldn't worry about disabling Comodo if your on your "trusted" local network.

Software firewalls are useful in a better than nothing kind of way, but they are not secure. Neither is a modern NAT router thou thanks to all the tricks people do with uPnP. If you really want piece of mind try a hardware one like m0n0wall on an old box! Also software firewalls are incredibly easy to bypass if your running as a local admin. Iirc comodo doesn't fully play well with UAC so it may well not offer any protection against well written malware, but most malware is very badly written!

[cookie365]

Thanks for both your suggestions.

I hear what you're saying, but if the solution or even the test means disabling my firewall then I'll live with the issue and stagger the timing of the transfers.

[watercooled]

If it makes you feel better, unplug the Ethernet cable, disable that firewall and enable the (arguable better) Windows firewall and reconnect. It still isn't at all necessary but if it's the only way you'll try...