Ok, I have no idea "how" you do that. But, some things, like the chat system, where developed "prior" to the existence of UPnP. Thing is, most routers/modems, etc., including mine, since I just did a firmware update, support UPnP. Basically, even in a NAT environment, if you have a UPnP client running, it can use the UPnP features to *temporarily* DMZ only those ports specifically required to support the features. In other words, if Mushclient was UPnP aware and I was using it behind a router (which I may be soon), while Mushclient was running it would "automatically" open the ports for that feature, using something called NAT Traversal. This means people could connect to me, even though I was "still" otherwise behind the routers NAT system. To quote the page I looked at, to try to find out what the heck UPnP was:
http://www.updatexp.com/upnp.html
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The UPnP forum realised that this was going to be a HUGE problem so they developed something called "NAT Traversal"
Essentially NAT Traversal can automatically solve many of the problems NAT imposes on applications such as Net Meeting. It is still NAT but has the added function of keeping open the "ports" that are needed during the Net meeting session. This then allows all the "packets" of information to get through.
So all software companies that want to have their applications work on your NAT based network have to make their software UPnP enabled. As you can imagine Microsoft have done this for all their XP software. e.g., Net meeting and MSN Messenger.
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This might be something we want to look into. Or Nick might, if he is interested in doing so. Right now, anyone behind a router, etc. can't use chat effectively, without DMZing the machine, and leaving them vulnerable to attacks. That, or they must use port redirection, which has to be configured manually. This might solve that issue, maybe. Depending on how it ends up actually working. |