STARHUB = MASS PORT BLOCKER !!! :(

[06294086]

[THESE ARE PAST ISSUE, THE LATEST ISSUE IS AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS POST]

More than a week ago I had this port number blocking issue and after a long long talk, I finally got my ports opened...

Now guess what ? When I checked my port numbers starting several days ago, I found out that ALL my ports are AGAIN BLOCKED except the ones that I'm currently using...

I'm not lying here, you can check whether your ports are opened or not through tools or online resources.

Since they also like to BLOCK WEBSITES, I won't mention any websites for checking the ports, you can search them through yahoo or google...

Here is one more clear example of how starhub block ports :

I have a Megaupload premium account and for downloading I use the Mega Manager. Correct if I'm wrong - for downloading it can only use ports 80,800 and 1723.

Everything is OK until several days ago when all my downloads at Mega Manager suddenly stopped.

At first I though that the links are broken or already deleted and when I checked them closely, they turned out to be OK... Which confirmed that ports are blocked.

First the issue with Sandvine, after that MASS PORT BLOCKING, not to mention WEBSITES BLOCKING, low speed, and last but not least = HORRIBLE CUSTOMER SUPPORT !

I sent them emails regarding this issue 4 days ago and I didn't receive a single phone call. Is this how they treat the customers ???

I guess it's high time to seriously consider dumping Starhub...

If they treat the customers like trash then why don't I treat them the same ?

I've heard good things about Pacnet lately, could some Pacnet customers kindly share with me your experience ?

If possible through PM please, since it's very likely that some people from starhub are lurking around...

If anyone from Starhub is in this forum then why don't we settle this issue once and for all ? Post through this thread though, and don't PM me so everyone can see clearly what we are talking about !

I posted the same thread at VRZONE...

Just checked and found out that their forum is CLOSED...

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LATEST UPDATE (27-11-2008)

I'm now get really, really angry and sick with starhub, They're BLOCKING THE PORTS AGAIN; OK they're not really BLOCKING but they STEALTHING ports which are also BAD.

Stealth ports = ports rejecting incoming packets / with no response

This is my PC and connection status :

1. I'm able to PING to 127.0.0.1 and other websites
2. I'm able to use IPCONFIG and my IP exists,
3. I'm able to use NETSTAT and TRACERT
4. I'm able to use bit torrent although I need to enforce encryption
5. I have mentioned that I'm not using windows firewall, I'm using Zone Alarm FREE and
I always turn it off before I go to GRC SHIELD website to check my ports
6. I'm using avast and I have never heard anything about avast blocking ports
7. I'm not using a router, I'm on direct connection to my cable modem
8. I'm able to surf internet and download files from websites

I've been wondering why bit torrent is still able to download if used with encryption.

Perhaps bit torrent can force encryption, that's why it's still OK.

The other p2p program that I want to use cannot use encryption and it cannot go through stealth ports.

Here's the result of one stealth port (30284) on my STARHUB MAXONLINE checked using GRC SHIELD website :

http://img384.imageshack.us/img384/867/port30284cl8.jpg

For comparison, below is the result of the same port (30284) on my friend's SINGNET ADSL checked using the same website :

http://img201.imageshack.us/img201/4...singnetsh7.png

From the 2 results, it's clear that the port in question is being stealthed by STARHUB and it's an open port on SINGNET ADSL connection...

For more comparison, here are the comparison of common port results from both ISPs :

A. STARHUB

http://img444.imageshack.us/img444/8241/common1pi3.jpg

http://img444.imageshack.us/img444/5862/common2rq1.jpg

http://img135.imageshack.us/img135/9317/common3wu1.jpg

B. SINGNET

http://img509.imageshack.us/img509/6420/common1xr6.jpg

http://img145.imageshack.us/img145/5600/common2bb8.jpg

http://img509.imageshack.us/img509/888/common3zr1.jpg

http://img252.imageshack.us/img252/2196/common4vg8.jpg


What a difference ! Those A**h*l*s at STARHUB !!

Could anyone post results of common ports and 30284/other random ports from other
ISPs such PacNet ?

This is the website of GRC SHIELD to check your ports :
https://www.grc.com/x/ne.dll?rh1dkyd2

Does anyone also know other softwares having problems with this stealth ports ?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On several days before 17 Dec 2008, I went to one of Starhub's customer service center and I lodged a complain accompanied by printings of the stealth ports and those of Singnet. I asked them to get their technical department to call me back the next day.

The next day, one of their staff call me back and we talked about the stealth ports issue. She still insist that nothing was wrong with the ports and after a long talk, she told me that she will call me back later in the night.

There was no call back until the next morning so I call starhub again and this time asked them to send one of their technician the next day.

On 17 Dec 2008 at around 2-3 AM, I was checking the ports status using GRC shield again when suddenly the ports change from "STEALTH" to "CLOSE" several minutes later and later on to "OPEN".

At around 11.45 the technician came and I showed him that the problem has been solved. The technician mentioned to me that Starhub do some maintenance from time to time and I also agreed with him saying that there might be some misconfiguration and these "stealth ports" are the side-effect of these misconfiguration.

My conclusion from this problem is that some starhub engineer might misconfigured the network but he didn't want to admit that it happened OR they might deliberately set the ports the stealth; I won't be able to know the truth.

The point is that it's no use to debate with the staff over the telephone over certain technical problems and I should have asked them to sent the technician
right away so that I can show them the proof.

The problem is SOLVED for now but I will keep a look out and should similar problem happen again in the future I know what to do...

[liangtam]

Ports for BT or HTTP traffic??

[calvin_]

Originally Posted by liangtam

Ports for BT or HTTP traffic??

he say megaupload premium account.

i guess maybe SH doing maintenance to their servers.

[suntzu]

Think you can forward this complaints to IDA together with all your evidence.


Write to them info@ida.gov.sg

Originally Posted by 06294086

More than a week ago I had this port number blocking issue and after a long long talk, I finally got my ports opened...

Now guess what ? When I checked my port numbers starting several days ago, I found out that ALL my ports are AGAIN BLOCKED except the ones that I'm currently using...

I'm not lying here, you can check whether your ports are opened or not through tools or online resources.

Since they also like to BLOCK WEBSITES, I won't mention any websites for checking the ports, you can search them through yahoo or google...

Here is one more clear example of how starhub block ports :

I have a Megaupload premium account and for downloading I use the Mega Manager. Correct if I'm wrong - for downloading it can only use ports 80,800 and 1723.

Everything is OK until several days ago when all my downloads at Mega Manager suddenly stopped.

At first I though that the links are broken or already deleted and when I checked them closely, they turned out to be OK... Which confirmed that ports are blocked.

First the issue with Sandvine, after that MASS PORT BLOCKING, not to mention WEBSITES BLOCKING, low speed, and last but not least = HORRIBLE CUSTOMER SUPPORT !

I sent them emails regarding this issue 4 days ago and I didn't receive a single phone call. Is this how they treat the customers ???

I guess it's high time to seriously consider dumping Starhub...

If they treat the customers like trash then why don't I treat them the same ?

I've heard good things about Pacnet lately, could some Pacnet customers kindly share with me your experience ?

If possible through PM please, since it's very likely that some people from starhub are lurking around...

If anyone from Starhub is in this forum then why don't we settle this issue once and for all ? Post through this thread though, and don't PM me so everyone can see clearly what we are talking about !

I posted the same thread at VRZONE...

Just checked and found out that their forum is CLOSED...

[06294086]

Originally Posted by suntzu

Think you can forward this complaints to IDA together with all your evidence.


Write to them info@ida.gov.sg

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thanks for the honest comment.

I see that you're a Starhub supporter but you still reply to my post objectively and I really appreciate that.

I would rather posted this around first and let as many people know about this matter...

The main reason why I would rather not sending email - I believe all of you know that all the blocked websites display "IDA blocking page" which means that Starhub is very likely to get backing from IDA.

It will be pointless to write email to IDA as it will go through their left ear and out of their right ear... Not to mention that they can link this issue to BT and p2p, if you get my meaning...

Regarding the port blocking itself is not urgent, since I still can use my current unblocked ports, and I can log in megaupload and after that manually click the megaupload links and download the files.

I'll see how thing's going before deciding to move to other ISP...

Everyone is welcome to give their comment

[Visitor]

pacnet is no good!, thier cable internet disconnect every 15min if u are not active.

[suntag881]

Originally Posted by Visitor

pacnet is no good!, thier cable internet disconnect every 15min if u are not active.

so we're only left with the RED? i better start stocking up their shares.

[liangtam]

Originally Posted by Visitor

pacnet is no good!, thier cable internet disconnect every 15min if u are not active.

Why does ur story sounds so diff from other PacNet Cable users??

[Greentea81]

can i check whether is port 21 shutdown. I cannot do 21 for few week liao. Last time is ok then suddenly cannot use. Internal no problem but external got problem

[gundamz]

I think this port blocking seriously do not help the consumer. With such high speed internet..don't tell me we can only use to surf net and chat?

[blacklotus]

Best option is to vote with your wallet. Once your contract has ended, terminate the service. Then consider if you still need paid up Internet access compared to free wireless@sg. If you still need the paid-up service, I suggest you sign up for the cheapest option, since the so-called high end premium service also sucks big time.

[Greentea81]

that why they alway come out some good freebie for you to continue his service. Unless u can resist the good freebie

[06294086]

Originally Posted by gundamz

I think this port blocking seriously do not help the consumer. With such high speed internet..don't tell me we can only use to surf net and chat?

You know what ?

I think that exactly what they have in their mind !

I'll tell you why :

When I talked with customer service regarding port blocking for the 1st time, the guy that I talked to keep pretending that starhub don't do mass port blocking and he kept acting dumb and avoided talking about the port blocking and instead talking about internet surfing and such !

Frustratingly I told him that there is no BLOODY problem with website surfing and that I pay monthly for FULL broadband access and not just surfing and such and I want my ports opened, no need to talk about other bull**** !

I bet that this guy was told to do so by his superior to deal with customers which are aware of their "technical issues". To what ? To act dumb and act as if nothing happened.

After talking for a long time, he told me to wait. Suddenly my ports which were previously blocked were opened and I told him that I have known they blocked my ports and now they just opened it - He keep saying that Starhub don'd do port blocking.

If not, how come suddenly my ports opened ? Are you doing some magic at the back ? I really want to laugh at these people...

Another thing : my download speed when I use Mega Manager since I have megaupload premium account is considerably not bad (can reach hundreds of kB/s).

After a while as in my story, Mega Manager suddenly stop downloading since they BLOCK everything !

I don't know what's in their mind, but my guess is they want to limit your download and upload speed as much as possible and they also want to make it as difficult as possible to download anything from internet using BT and p2p.

It looks like they're getting more and more stingy with bandwidth and they gave promotions and such to get customers attention away from these matters...

What a disappointing ISP !

[calvin_]

Originally Posted by 06294086

You know what ?

I think that exactly what they have in their mind !

I'll tell you why :

When I talked with customer service regarding port blocking for the 1st time, the guy that I talked to keep pretending that starhub don't do mass port blocking and he kept acting dumb and avoided talking about the port blocking and instead talking about internet surfing and such !

Frustratingly I told him that there is no BLOODY problem with website surfing and that I pay monthly for FULL broadband access and not just surfing and such and I want my ports opened, no need to talk about other bull**** !

I bet that this guy was told to do so by his superior to deal with customers which are aware of their "technical issues". To what ? To act dumb and act as if nothing happened.

After talking for a long time, he told me to wait. Suddenly my ports which were previously blocked were opened and I told him that I have known they blocked my ports and now they just opened it - He keep saying that Starhub don'd do port blocking.

If not, how come suddenly my ports opened ? Are you doing some magic at the back ? I really want to laugh at these people...

Another thing : my download speed when I use Mega Manager since I have megaupload premium account is considerably not bad (can reach hundreds of kB/s).

After a while as in my story, Mega Manager suddenly stop downloading since they BLOCK everything !

I don't know what's in their mind, but my guess is they want to limit your download and upload speed as much as possible and they also want to make it as difficult as possible to download anything from internet using BT and p2p.

It looks like they're getting more and more stingy with bandwidth and they gave promotions and such to get customers attention away from these matters...

What a disappointing ISP !

lol... you aren't the first person that starhub treated as computer idiots. starhub treats all their customers as idiots, try to lie smoke and cheat their way through.

[mikeeeey]

how to check what ports are closed?