Why am I getting probed??

Since about 9pm on 7/10, I have been getting probes on port 6347 approximately once per minute!! My ZoneAlarm log confirms this.

To the best of my knowledge, I do not belong to Gnuetella, LimeWire, or any other network of this type. Since my ISP is Verizon, I do not have a static IP address, but I noticed today that if I log off and back on, it keeps the same IP address.

Since I have not used LimeWire (to my knowledge..!!), I am not sure how the service works, ie would the 'server' keep poking at my address if I never requested anything? Would it keep poking if some other user of Verizon had this address and signed up for LimeWire without knowing he did not have a static address..??

I have tracked the IP of the source probing me back to his ISP and have sent them a message about this probing just in case it is some idiot trying to bust in.

If it is a LimeWire (or other Gnuetella) source, and my IP has somehow gone static on me, how can I get it stipped?

P.S. Don't get me wrong...this Gnuetella network thing sounds like a valuable net application...I just haven't signed up yet 8-)

Thanks for any and all help.

- Dom

The previous occupant of your current IP was most probably running a Gnutella client. The fix of course is to get a new IP.

To get a different IP - that's tricky. If it's a PPP connection (dial-up, PPPoE etc) then you should be getting a different IP each time you connect. If it's PPPoA or DHCP - then you'll have to wait until your lease expires. Windows boxen have buggy DHCP clients. Even if you reboot they'll try and get the same IP the next time they connect... if the IP is available a "polite" DHCP server is going to let you have it.

If it IS a DHCP connection you're making, try "breaking" the DHCP renewal chain by specifying your own IP in your TCP/IP properties. Set up the connection to use a static IP in the same /24 you're currently in. (ie, add 1 to your current IP). This won't work of course, but after you specify it, reboot, and then re-configure back to DHCP it forces your Win DHCP client to make a clean renewal request. If that doesn't make sense, just do this:

Configure your TCP to use a static IP.
Reboot.
After the reboot, configure BACK to DHCP.
Reboot.

Now you should have a new address and the probes should stop.