Data Card Alltel-to-Verizon

**aeblank** · 08-06-2012, 11:48 AM

So I got my new (required) data card last week and put it into use this weekend. Pretty boring.

However, I went to check on my DVR recordings (Remote Potato/Windows MediaCenter) and couldn't. I went to check my router settings and couldn't. All worked fine last week with my Alltel data card. I can, however, connect to my MediaCenter computer via logmein, so I know the computer is up and the connection is active.

Does Verizon block incoming traffic on their data cards? Is there a way around it? I'm already using non-standard port numbers.

I will be friggin' ticked if they do. I'm sure they don't want people running servers, but I am running a couple tiny personal-use things that I want access to.

Thanks,
Andy

**zowwie85** · 08-06-2012, 10:18 PM

Originally Posted by aeblank

...All worked fine last week with my Alltel data card. I can, however, connect to my MediaCenter computer via logmein, so I know the computer is up and the connection is active.

Does Verizon block incoming traffic on their data cards? Is there a way around it? I'm already using non-standard port numbers.

I bet the external address your router is showing is 10.x.x.x. The Alltel data card had a public-routed "real" IP address, but if you just switched over to a Verizon one, your data card is on a private Verizon network and you share a real IP with lots of other users. A service like logmein would work fine since it has a service on your computer that's constantly in contact with a remote server - it brokers the connection. But if you're trying to connect to whatever port you have mapped to whatever device on your home network - no-go because of that 10.x.x.x address.

I've never looked into whether it was possible to make direct socket connections to any ipv6 address that the data card has assigned - that has a much better chance of being the direct connection to the outside world that you're accustomed to.

**aeblank** · 08-06-2012, 10:25 PM

Thanks for the reply!

Interesting thought.
My ip was 70.194.x.xx. Honestly, i don't know if that it's a public ip or not.

Thoughts?

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

**zowwie85** · 08-07-2012, 08:08 PM

Originally Posted by aeblank

Thanks for the reply!

Interesting thought.
My ip was 70.194.x.xx. Honestly, i don't know if that it's a public ip or not.

Thoughts?

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

Was, or is currently? That's a public IP on the surface, albeit subject to any firewall the carrier has between you and the internet.

Sent from my ADR6400L using HowardForums

**aeblank** · 08-07-2012, 10:01 PM

That's what it is now, with Verizon. Does not work though, with any of my stuff.

Not sure what to do......

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

**zowwie85** · 08-08-2012, 01:22 AM

Originally Posted by aeblank

That's what it is now, with Verizon. Does not work though, with any of my stuff.

Not sure what to do......

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

How are you determining that that's the address? Is your router telling you that that address is assigned on the WAN interface, or are you using a whatismyip dot com type of website to determine it?

If that's really the IP on your WAN interface, then VZW is blocking the inbound traffic (firewall). If you're using a website to find your IP, there's probably a 10.x.x.x private ip somewhere in the mix (like assigned to your WAN interface of your router).

**firemandan9** · 08-09-2012, 08:41 PM

Given your grandfathered status it might be worth asking if they can add the "static IP" feature or something similar to your line. I'm doubtful they would.

**aeblank** · 08-09-2012, 10:23 PM

Originally Posted by zowwie85

10.x.x.x private ip somewhere in the mix

Sure as poop is.

So now what can I do so I can still get to my websites?
Only thought right now is logmein hamachi, and I'd have to read about exactly how it even works. Certainly not easy as it was. AND it costs money.

Does something exist for people like me?

**music4praise** · 08-09-2012, 11:04 PM

I haven't had time to test this but it looks like a possible solution: http://www.gbridge.com/

**E_tron** · 08-10-2012, 10:10 PM

Verizon put you behind a network address translation? That's odd; what modem did they give you? I'm an acquired Centennial Wireless customer; they gave me a USB760 in July 2011. Ironically Verizon took me out of a NAT, Centennial put aircards in the 10.x.x.x space.

Verizon is blocking some of the common ports on my account, but the higher range seems wide open.

**AT&T Snatcher** · 08-11-2012, 09:41 AM

With the random ip addresses assigned by VZW, to view cameras or a remote network at your home, etc. you could try a service like dyn dns, which assigns you a static ip address. Dyn dns then forwards any data requests to the static ip to the ever changing VZW ip. Certainly not perfect, but you really don't have a ton of choices, unless you want to get into a satellite situation. Until the new Hughes satellite (upcoming) or Exede's (existing) start offering static ip addresses, you have a short list of choices. The existing Hughes service is not adequate and the 12 mb Exede service does not offer it yet.

**E_tron** · 08-11-2012, 11:47 AM

Another option if your behind a network address translation (10.x.x.x address space): subscribe to a VPN service. That way all your connections through Verizon's NAT terminate on a different network that you have more control over (i.e. a real IP address at your VPN provider). Most VPN providers leave all the ports wide open.

**zowwie85** · 08-12-2012, 10:53 PM

Originally Posted by AT&T Snatcher

you could try a service like dyn dns, which assigns you a static ip address. Dyn dns then forwards any data requests to the static ip to the ever changing VZW ip.

That's not how dynamic DNS works. No static IP is assigned or involved. It's a DNS server that provides a static name for an address that's dynamically assigned and subject to change. The response is tagged with a short TTL (time to live) so that its looked up frequenty by the client.

It works great with a public dynamically assigned IP. It does nothing with a 10.x.x.x IP, 10.0.0.0/8 is not routed on the public internet.

**aeblank** · 08-27-2012, 04:33 PM

I don't see that Gbridge is a solution. Looks like remotely controlling a computer, which I already have with logmein.
I can, go into logmein and then once inside my network browse the information I want to. However, it is incredibly inconvenient. What I have now is Windows Media Center running Remote Potato and then I have a client on my phone. I can, er I used to be able to, hop on there and in 5 seconds be looking at my channel guide. The logmein process would take 5 minutes and be a much slower/data intensive process.

I have and am familiar to dynamic DNS. My router supports it, etc., etc., and life was great till I lost my public IP.

So to the VPN service. Any service suggestions? Then I'd have to run a VPN client on whatever machine I wanted to see my WMC guide data on. Also not convenient.

I just keep thinking that I need an open connection initiated by the client (me) to a server somewhere in real-IP-address-land. When I request something, it routes it through that existing/open connection to my router, which then works like it used to and always has.

Am I the first person to want to do this? I sure can't search it for diddly. Looking/hoping someone just knows what to do.

Thanks,
Andy