hello, thanks for the reply.

> Port scans need to be done from outside your net

right so i can't check to see which ports are blocked myself -- another machine with a different internet connection needs to do it.

> See if there is something like http://www.dslreports.com/tools for your area.

unfortuntely the port scan on that page isn't there at the moment. maybe it'll be back soon hopefully. what do you mean "for your area" though? don't understand the idea of area at all; do you mean where i am location wise? how does that make any difference? what area is http://www.dslreports.com/tools for?

> Assuming you have a direct connection to your ISP, just ask them if you can connect to the gnutella network on port 6346.

they've stated in an email to me that they do not traffic shape before i was a customer of theirs. this is clearly not the case as during certain times, about 4pm to about midnight (and most of the day during weekends i think), p2p applications (limewire, carracho, bit torrent) become unusable -- simply don't work full stop. i'm thinking of looking into making a claim in a small claims court against my isp as i have it in writing from them they don't. it seems clear to me they do do traffic shaping but i want some further info to make sure.

i found this port scanner: http://www.auditmypc.com/firewall-test.asp which told me no (zero) ports are open?! which i found rediculous so wrote that on their forum and have got a reply which i haven't read in full yet: http://www.websecurity.mobi/network-...ediculous.html

> If you are using a router, then google about opening that port on the router's homepage.

i'm using an airport extreme base station (round white one with built in dial up modem) which is a rooter, and an ethernet d-link adsl modem. i'm pretty sure the setting on the base station and modem are not blocking any ports. and if either were it wouldn't be intermittent -- only blocking certain times of the day -- it'd block always, which isn't the case.

thanks.