Inbound Connections / Unrestricted APN (Now Testing!)

Do you want/need an APN that allows connections initiated from outside the APN?

  • No thanks, no idea what this means - don't think it applies to me

    Votes: 8 4.5%

  • No thanks, I know what it means and I will never need it

    Votes: 4 2.3%

  • Yes please, for [desktop or other] remote support

    Votes: 110 62.5%

  • Yes please, for hosting

    Votes: 49 27.8%

  • Yes please, for some other reason explained in my post in the thread

    Votes: 33 18.8%

  • I clicked a 'Yes' option above, and am prepared to accept the risk of being hacked

    Votes: 107 60.8%

  • I clicked a 'Yes' option above, and am NOT prepared to accept the risk of being hacked

    Votes: 9 5.1%
  • Total voters
    176
Base122 said:
Update:
Also tested TeamViewer6 controlling my Windows XP netbook from my Android HTC Desire HD. Fairly responsive.
Click to expand...

Teamviewer doesn't require an open port to work, last time I checked, so using that to test doesn't help. It's one of its big selling points, actually. Can you try using Windows' Remote Desktop (RDP) instead?

From its website:

Works behind firewalls

The major difficulties in using remote control
software are firewalls and blocked ports, as
well as NAT routing for local IP addresses.
If you use TeamViewer you don't have to
worry about firewalls: TeamViewer will find a
route to your partner.
 
SarelSeemonster said:
Teamviewer doesn't require an open port to work
Click to expand...

Correct, Teamviewer does not specifically require open ports as such to function.
My testing is not just about open ports though, I am also looking at availability, reliability, useability and overall responsiveness, of this Cell C unrestricted APN, in comparison to the Vodacom unrestricted APN and fixed line ADSL connections.

Unfortunately Remote Desktop does not meet my needs as I require the host machine front end to remain unlocked during the remote control session. Perhaps other Remote Desktop users could comment on their experience.

TeamViewer will find a route to your partner
Click to expand...
Not always....try getting Teamviewer around a capped local only TelkomInternet ADSL connection :)
 
Base122 said:
Unfortunately Remote Desktop does not meet my needs as I require the host machine front end to remain unlocked during the remote control session. Perhaps other Remote Desktop users could comment on their experience.
Click to expand...
Windows Server doesn't have this restriction.
Neither did Windows XP SP2 Beta, it's not too difficult to find that version of termsrv.dll and drop it on your PC.
Otherwise you can try RealVNC.
 
For the purposes of my current comparison tests, my focus is more on the CCTV system and GSM/GPS tracker system performance.
Not keen to make any changes to the test setup at this point as I have a good three months results and "feel" for the same setup on Vodacom's unrestricted APN and fixed line ADSL

Using Teamviewer specifically on my Android HTC (part of my test criteria), as I quite like the viewer interface and functionality.
I'll take a look at other Remote desktop control options at a later stage.

So, unfortunately, I can't comment specifically on Windows Remote Desktop issues and performance at this time.
Hopefully other unrestricted APN testers can do so.
 
Well, I just connected to the "unrestricted" APN, got assigned a 41.55.x.x IP like last time and once again tested with Port Detective. This was the result:

http://www.portdetective.com/cgi-bin/PortResults.exe?Index=20110820124459000

I also tested a few random other TCP ports (apart from the default Port Detective ones) and all of them tested 'open' as well, so it seems they've opened ALL TCP ports now, including 3389 (Remote Desktop), which is brilliant!!

I still can't ping my IP from outside though. Not too worried about that myself, although I can see how it might be a requirement for others.

Anyone know of a way to test UDP, which is a connectionless protocol?
 
SarelSeemonster said:
Anyone know of a way to test UDP, which is a connectionless protocol?
Click to expand...
The Azureus/Vuze bit-torrent client has a UDP listening mode and you can see incoming UDP data from remote hosts, even on the standard 'internet' APN.

Netcat (or nc for short) is a simple yet versatile BSD/Linux utility for reading and writing data over TCP/IP. There is a Windows port available here (untested by me).

Set up a simple server, or listener, on TCP port 1234 (do this on the PC that is connected on the 'unrestricted' APN):
Code: 
nc -l 1234
Set up a simple TCP client (do this on another PC with an internet connection, substituting 41.55.x.y with public IP address of your server):
Code: 
nc 41.55.x.y 1234
Now type something and press 'Enter' on either PC, it should appear on the other PC's screen.
Press Ctrl-C on either PC to terminate the connection.

Set up a simple server, or listener, on UDP port 5678 (do this on the PC that is connected on the 'unrestricted' APN):
Code: 
nc -u -l 5678
Set up a simple UDP client (do this on another PC with an internet connection, substituting 41.55.x.y with the public IP address of your server):
Code: 
nc -u 41.55.x.y 5678
Now type something and press 'Enter' on either PC, it should appear on the other PC's screen.
When using UDP, you'll need to press Ctrl-C on each PC to terminate the connection.
3289490968_7853917ed8.jpg
 
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@ginggs: Thanks for the detailed instructions. The Windows port seems to work fine, albeit with a slightly different command line than the Linux varient. I ran it as nc -l -u -p 5678 and picked up some stuff from my Mikrotik firewall broadcasting (port 5678/UDP also happens to be what RouterOS uses for its neighbor discovery feature).

Now I just need someone on the other side of the big wide open Cell C network divide to try and connect to my nc, now listening on port 4423/UDP...
 
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I can confirm that I'm able to receive incoming UDP packets as well on the "unrestricted" APN. I tested two random ports: 1598 and 2345.

These were sent from a VPS.net server using netcat like ginggs described, and they arrived at my PC like so:

Code: 
C:\Users\Me\Desktop\netcat4win>nc -l -u -p 1598 -vv
listening on [any] 1598 ...
83.170.x.y: inverse host lookup failed: h_errno 11004: NO_DATA
connect to [41.55.x.y] from (UNKNOWN) [83.170.x.y] 58882: NO_DATA

test
^C

C:\Users\Me\Desktop\netcat4win>nc -l -u -p 2345 -vv
listening on [any] 2345 ...
83.170.x.y: inverse host lookup failed: h_errno 11004: NO_DATA
connect to [41.55.x.y] from (UNKNOWN) [83.170.x.y] 49727: NO_DATA

test2
^C

Sweet :D
 
Feed Back- Unrestricted APN for Xbox Live

Good Morning Gents,

First off I would like to thank Cell C for pushing forward on the Unrestricted APN issue it is most welcome,good job guys!

As for the Open NAT on Xbox Live it seems to be stable, no reverts to moderate or strict NAT, the matchmaking process is quick even with GOW2 I get open lobbies, again thanks guys it is much appreciated.

However being on the unrestricted APN as with anything new, there are two glitches that I am consistently picking up which are very strange.

First Glitch:-On my speed-tests during the day(6am-5pm) I have noticed I am getting an average of 4.5 Mbps down and 1.5 Mbps up with a ping of 55 and it is pretty consistent, which is acceptable(could be better). However in the evening I am getting an average of 1.8 Mbps down, 1.3 Mbps up and a ping of 95. (Steady RSSI -79dbm and locked to one base station)

Most of the gaming I do takes place in the evening and the connection misbehaves erratically.The NAT is still open however some of the guys running a Helkom ADSL lines or different ISP providers I cannot join or it joins, then in mid-lobby it disconnects again.

I know this is not ideal, however it is an indicator, COD Black Ops it gives you a bandwidth reader, NAT type etc etc, on the bandwidth reader during the day I get an average of 1005Kbps at night I get an average of 188Kbps, what is causing this?

The second glitch would be, the Cell C modem on most days, thinks it is in Durban!!!!?

My question to you is how can I or we resolve this inconsistentency, during the day it is an absolute pleasure, at night frustrating and I would think it would be the other way round!

Sorry last bit of feedback, as I mentioned earlier NAT is Open, feed back from a security stand point using Shields UP, all ports are still in stealth mode which is a real positive considering the concerns of hacking was an issue.

Again thanks for the time and effort being put forward to the Unrestricted APN

Kind regards

Disiza
 
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disiza said:
First Glitch:-On my speed-tests during the day(6am-5pm) I have noticed I am getting an average of 4.5 Mbps down and 1.5 Mbps up with a ping of 55 and it is pretty consistent, which is acceptable(could be better). However in the evening I am getting an average of 1.8 Mbps down, 1.3 Mbps up and a ping of 95. (Steady RSSI -79dbm and locked to one base station)
Click to expand...
Your signal strength looks good, that just sounds like congestion. You could try locking your modem to 900MHz or 2100MHz only, it made a huge difference for me.
disiza said:
The second glitch would be, the Cell C modem on most days, thinks it is in Durban!!!!?
Click to expand...
Not an issue, see here.
(PS: Those girls aren't really in Durban, waiting to meet you!)
 
ginggs said:
Your signal strength looks good, that just sounds like congestion. You could try locking your modem to 900MHz or 2100MHz only, it made a huge difference for me.

Not an issue, see here.
(PS: Those girls aren't really in Durban, waiting to meet you!)
Click to expand...


All the above was done when I got the modem with regards to the congestion: Base Station Level or Network Level?

The non issue of the modem thinking I'm in Durban well .....now I live in Durban girls or no girls!!

Thanks for the response

regards
 
i'm not unrestricted yet, but oddly enough this morning I was able to play on xbox Live for an hour or two. . . . . Glitch in the system or trial phase to general consumers? because it isnt allowing xbox live anymore.

WRT 8ta...... you guys think they will remain unrestricted indefinitely? seriously considering switching to them.
 
ginggs said:
..Say what?
Click to expand...

It's my brother's setup, but I think he gave me the wrong info. He uses a 3G WiFi sharing router. He connects the Cell C USB stick via the router. So I guess he won't be able to change between 900MHz or 2100MHz. Thanks for the info.
 
Having a strange problem on one of my CCTV test sites.

CCTV system - TP-Link MR3220 router - K3765 modem - Cell C unrestricted APN

Somehow I end up with an IP address of 41.55.x.1

When this happens, there is no inbound access to the CCTV system, but there is outbound, as the router does register this address with my dynamic DNS provider.

This has happened three times in the last 2 days, where each time I end up with an address ending in .1
Each time I reset the router, I get a new address, which is not a .1 and the system works normally, with ping response.

After a period of time however, this address changes to a .1 and the system fails on inbound connections, with no ping response either.

Normally .1 is used as a gateway address for a range (maybe not always), but I am not sure how Cell C is allocating addresses to this unrestricted APN range.

Anyone else having an issue with a 41.55.x.1 address on the unrestricted APN?

Edit: 2011-09-01
After visiting the test site, I found the TP-Link MR3220 router allowing me to make a WiFi connection, but the Web UI not responding. 3G Modem flashing and disconnected. I think the .1 IP address issue was coincidence, as the last time this happened it was not the case.

Odd though that I was getting a ping response to my dynamic dns registered host name.
I think what had happened is that the IP address had already been reallocated to another user and I was actually pinging another active connection, not my own, which was causing confusion.

Long story short, it turned out to be, that the 110418 version of the MR3220 firmware was not happy with either my ZTE MF-190 or Vodafone K3765 modems. Updated router firmware to 110617 and I haven't had the problem since.
 
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