yea im having trouble with the firewall as well, once i get onto lime wire it pops up an error report saying "your machine doesnt have an actice internet connection or a firewall is blocking limewire from accessing the internet.LimeWire will automatically keep trying to connect you to the network unless you select disconnect from the File menu" i know that my internet connection is up, and im running on internet cable from comcast, but i dont know what to do with the firewall, can some1 plz help

Have you configured your software firewall (like Sleepless says, only use 1)?
Firewall setup

You'll find a heap of info about firewall/connection problems in this thread
Connection problems? Check here first!
High speed modems & routers have their own internal firewalls... see the sections about enabling UPnP & port forwarding.

If you're still stuck, post back with your details

OS(Win XP etc)
LW & Java version (help > about LW & you'll see)
Firewall you're using
Modem/router brand & model
ISP
Connection type (DSL etc)
Where you connect from (home, school etc)
Are you sharing a connection with other computers
Is this your first try with LW

yea man ive done the firewall thing, when i do it, the listening
port changes to a different number and the firewall thing on LW doesnt
go away
OS(Win XP etc)
Windows xp
LW Java version (help > about LW & you'll see) LW v 4.12.6
Firewall you're using mcafee
Modem/router brand & model i dont know what this is?
ISP comcast
Connection type (DSL etc) cable
Where you connect from (home, school etc) home
Are you sharing a connection with other computers nope
Is this your first try with LW no ive used it before but it didnt have the problems that it does now

I too have been using Limewire free for some weeks, and been amazed and impressed - however, since 5 or 6 days ago I can no longer connect [it showing half of the first bar only, bottom left, says (you are connecting to the network)]. I use WindowsXP home Serv Pack 2, and connect through a radio connection (with extra gain aerial installed Friday giving me 95-97% link and -67db - whatever that means but am told is good!). The Windows firewall is set up as per your tech advice to allow Gnutella in both TCP & UDP, and has both Limewire boxes checked. Even turning off the firewall makes no difference, so what the h**l is going on? Would it help to change the Port being listened to by Limewire, and if so, to what?
It is so frustrating when something works well, then just goes downhill or stops working. I would upgrade to Limewire Pro, but even that will not accept my credit card and insists on Paypal which I found untrustworthy when I used it for eBay.

Don't buy PRO until you get basic running. If basic doesn't work then PRO won't either.

If your listening port changes then just change it back

Also you say cableconnection. Doesn't that mean that you get connected through a router or modem ? You might need to portforward or turn on UPnP in the router

Have you changed any hardware lately ?

In limewire go to tools>options>firewall config and tell us what in checked (UPnP, Portforward or Nothing)

Also go to tools>options>bugreports and press view example bugreport then copy paste it in a reply here (use Ctrl+a and Ctrl+c since rightclicking doesn't work in limewire to get those options)

LimeWire version 4.12.6
Java version 1.5.0_06 from Sun Microsystems Inc.
Windows XP v. 5.1 on x86
Free/total memory: 784288/9498624

java.lang.Exception: Example Bug
at com.limegroup.gnutella.gui.options.panes.BugsPaneI tem$1.actionPerformed(BugsPaneItem.java:69)
at javax.swing.AbstractButton.fireActionPerformed(Unk nown Source)
at javax.swing.AbstractButton$Handler.actionPerformed (Unknown Source)
at javax.swing.DefaultButtonModel.fireActionPerformed (Unknown Source)
at javax.swing.DefaultButtonModel.setPressed(Unknown Source)
at javax.swing.plaf.basic.BasicButtonListener.mouseRe leased(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.Component.processMouseEvent(Unknown Source)
at javax.swing.JComponent.processMouseEvent(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.Component.processEvent(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.Container.processEvent(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.Component.dispatchEventImpl(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.Container.dispatchEventImpl(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.Component.dispatchEvent(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.LightweightDispatcher.retargetMouseEvent( Unknown Source)
at java.awt.LightweightDispatcher.processMouseEvent(U nknown Source)
at java.awt.LightweightDispatcher.dispatchEvent(Unkno wn Source)
at java.awt.Container.dispatchEventImpl(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.Window.dispatchEventImpl(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.Component.dispatchEvent(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.EventQueue.dispatchEvent(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpOneEventForHierar chy(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEventsForHierarch y(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEventsForHierarch y(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.Dialog$1.run(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.Dialog.show(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.Component.show(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.Component.setVisible(Unknown Source)
at com.limegroup.gnutella.gui.options.OptionsConstruc tor.setOptionsVisible(OptionsConstructor.java:295)
at com.limegroup.gnutella.gui.options.OptionsMediator .setOptionsVisible(OptionsMediator.java:98)
at com.limegroup.gnutella.gui.options.OptionsMediator .setOptionsVisible(OptionsMediator.java:80)
at com.limegroup.gnutella.gui.GUIMediator.setOptionsV isible(GUIMediator.java:624)
at com.limegroup.gnutella.gui.menu.ToolsMenu$1.action Performed(ToolsMenu.java:27)
at javax.swing.AbstractButton.fireActionPerformed(Unk nown Source)
at javax.swing.AbstractButton$Handler.actionPerformed (Unknown Source)
at javax.swing.DefaultButtonModel.fireActionPerformed (Unknown Source)
at javax.swing.DefaultButtonModel.setPressed(Unknown Source)
at javax.swing.AbstractButton.doClick(Unknown Source)
at javax.swing.plaf.basic.BasicMenuItemUI.doClick(Unk nown Source)
at javax.swing.plaf.basic.BasicMenuItemUI$Handler.mou seReleased(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.Component.processMouseEvent(Unknown Source)
at javax.swing.JComponent.processMouseEvent(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.Component.processEvent(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.Container.processEvent(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.Component.dispatchEventImpl(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.Container.dispatchEventImpl(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.Component.dispatchEvent(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.LightweightDispatcher.retargetMouseEvent( Unknown Source)
at java.awt.LightweightDispatcher.processMouseEvent(U nknown Source)
at java.awt.LightweightDispatcher.dispatchEvent(Unkno wn Source)
at java.awt.Container.dispatchEventImpl(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.Window.dispatchEventImpl(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.Component.dispatchEvent(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.EventQueue.dispatchEvent(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpOneEventForHierar chy(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEventsForHierarch y(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEvents(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEvents(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.run(Unknown Source)


Detail: Example

-- listing session information --
Current thread: AWT-EventQueue-0
Active Threads: 15
Uptime: 5:24
Is Connected: false
Number of Ultrapeer -> Ultrapeer Connections: 0
Number of Ultrapeer -> Leaf Connections: 0
Number of Leaf -> Ultrapeer Connections: 0
Number of Old Connections: 0
Acting as Ultrapeer: false
Acting as Shielded Leaf: false
Number of Active Uploads: 0
Number of Queued Uploads: 0
Number of Active Managed Downloads: 0
Number of Active HTTP Downloaders: 0
Number of Waiting Downloads: 0
Received incoming this session: false
Number of Shared Files: 27
Guess Capable: false
Received Solicited UDP: false
SIMPP version: 52
Port Stable: true
FWT Capable: false
Last Reported Port: 19061
External Port: 19061
IP Pongs Received: 0
Number of Content Response URNs: 0
Number of CreationTimeCache URNs: 28
VF Byte Cache Size: 0
VF Verify Cache Size: 0
VF Queue Size: 0
ByteBuffer Cache Size: 0
Number of Waiting Sockets: 0
Number of Pending Timeouts: 0

-- listing threads --
HttpClient-ReferenceQueueThread: 1
NIODispatcher: 1
QueryUnicaster: 1
Java2D Disposer: 1
TimerQueue: 1
Thread-7: 1
MulticastService: 1
HttpClient-IdleConnectionThread: 1
AWT-Shutdown: 1
AWT-Windows: 1
AWT-EventQueue-0: 1
ContentProcessor: 1
Timer-0: 1
QRPPropagator: 1
DestroyJavaVM: 1


-- listing properties --
WINDOW_Y=56
FORCE_IP_ADDRESS=true
WINDOW_X=100
PORT=19061
TOTAL_CONNECTION_TIME=673434
UPDATE_DELAY=431999998
UPDATE_GIVEUP_FACTOR=49
FILTER_HASH_QUERIES=true
INSTALLED=true
LANGUAGE_DISPLAY_ENGLISH_ENABLED=true
AVERAGE_UPTIME=2359
TOTAL_UPTIME=14157
MIN_CONNECT_TIME=7
CONTENT_AUTHORITIES=fserv1.limewire.com:10000
LAST_SHUTDOWN_TIME=1157218580109
APP_WIDTH=1088
SESSIONS=6
FORCED_PORT=19061
LAST_ACCEPTABLE_BUG_VERSION=4.12.0
FRACTIONAL_UPTIME=0.00955415
UPDATE_RETRY_DELAY=1800001
CONNECTION_SPEED=350
LAST_EXPIRE_TIME=1156906760341
TOTAL_CONNECTIONS=18
UPDATE_DOWNLOAD_DELAY=14400001
RUN_ONCE=true
AVERAGE_CONNECTION_TIME=37413
APP_HEIGHT=811
EVIL_HOSTS=BearShare 5.2
DAAP_ENABLED=false
CONTENT_USER_MANAGEMENT_ACTIVE=true
MAX_SIM_DOWNLOAD=8
UNSET_FIREWALLED_FROM_CONNECTBACK=true
CLIENT_ID=E374696955F88A76A8E17348182FF000
CONTENT_MANAGEMENT_ACTIVE=true
FLUSH_DELAY_TIME=256
IDLE_CONNECTIONS=2


this is the bug report and i havent changed any hardware and i have maual port forward on

don't you have a router/modem that you connect through ?

If you do have a router then you need to set up portforwarding and get a static IP on your computer

www.portforward.com

BTW a static IP would be a good idea even if you don't have a router