Setting Up Windows Firewall for FSUIPC

[westes]

I use Wideclient on a remote computer. How should I set up Windows Firewall on the computer running FS2004 to allow the incoming connection by WideClient to WideServer.dll? I tried to authorize incoming connections to Flight Simulator itself, but that didn't work. I cannot select WideServer.dll. Firewall wants an EXE.

[Pete Dowson]

I use Wideclient on a remote computer. How should I set up Windows Firewall on the computer running FS2004 to allow the incoming connection by WideClient to WideServer.dll? I tried to authorize incoming connections to Flight Simulator itself, but that didn't work. I cannot select WideServer.dll. Firewall wants an EXE.

I don't really know -- I'd need to find out about the firewall in Windows Help. Did you look? I always disable the Windows firewall entirely, as it gets in the way of most of my Network needs.

However, I would have thought that you don't enable connections TO something in your PC, but FROM something outside your PC? It doesn't make much sense to me otherwise. It is "specific permission to come aboard" you are granting, surely, not "anyone can come and mess with my Flight Simulator".

If Windows Firewall needs specific permissions for programs, then the one asking for access is WideClient.exe.

For specific Windows help, especially with Networks, you may be better off asking in the FS2004 Forum. Katy Pluta visits there and has been of great help in these matters before.

Regards,

Pete

[westes]

However, I would have thought that you don't enable connections TO something in your PC, but FROM something outside your PC? It doesn't make much sense to me otherwise. It is "specific permission to come aboard" you are granting, surely, not "anyone can come and mess with my Flight Simulator".

For specific Windows help, especially with Networks, you may be better off asking in the FS2004 Forum. Katy Pluta visits there and has been of great help in these matters before.

Wow, can't believe you have a network connected computer not running Windows Firewall. In any case, In any case, I'm dealing with the *server* part of the firewall, and I'm telling it what applications to give free reign on the system as a server. You don't have a wideserver.exe, so I can't specify that. I tried FS2004, but that didn't solve it.

I'll have to debug this at the TCP or UDP port level. What port(s) does WideClient on the remote machine try to connect to on the server? Are these UDP or TCP connections?

[Pete Dowson]

Wow, can't believe you have a network connected computer not running Windows Firewall.

The firewall on my Internet router should help keep outsiders out. The computers inside are all mine, and i don't want to block myself, at all. ;-)

In any case, In any case, I'm dealing with the *server* part of the firewall, and I'm telling it what applications to give free reign on the system as a server. You don't have a wideserver.exe, so I can't specify that. I tried FS2004, but that didn't solve it.

Well, I think the FS process is called FS9.EXE isn't it? Check the process list (ctrl_alt_del).

But it still seems most odd to me that you give unlimited permission to all and sundry to interface to a program on your server, rather than saying who is allowed to access it. Surely the latter is a much more normal thing to do? A server services those with permission, doesn't it?

I'll have to debug this at the TCP or UDP port level. What port(s) does WideClient on the remote machine try to connect to on the server?

It's set by the Port parameter. The default is 8002 I think.

Are these UDP or TCP connections?

Neither if you use IPX/SPX, then it's SPX (sequential). If you default to TCP/IP it is whichever of those is sequentially guaranteed, not the one which allows stuff to arrive in random order.

Regards

Pete