What is a firewall?
A firewall is a device that people and companies use to protect their networks from hackers and unauthorized access, by filtering the incoming and outgoing traffic with a set of rules. Software firewalls are applications that act in a similar way; a program that restricts connections from and to your PC. Software firewalls are becoming increasingly common and Windows XP has a software firewall built in. Since either type of firewall prevents incoming connections, it will reduce your download speed and the number of search results, unless you configure it for eTomi.
What is a router?
A router is a device that allows several computers to share an Internet connection. Some ISPs will provide you with a router, so you may connect several computers to the Internet over one line. Since the router can be connected to several PCs, it will not know how to handle incoming connection request and thus it will deny them by default. (Most routers also act as a firewall.) It's not possible for a PC behind a router to accept incoming connections, unless the router is specially configured to allow this. This is called port forwarding. If you are using a computer on a local area network (in an office, school or college), then it is possible you may not have access to the device or computer that needs to be configured. In this case, you should talk to your network administrator and ask them to configure it for you. But it's possible that they won't do it, because not every administrator wants you to use eTomi (or other p2p Software) on its network. If there's really nothing you can do about it, then you must uncheck the "I can accept incoming connections" box in the settings under Internet > Connection.
Can I download from someone that is behind a firewall or router, which is not configured correctly?
Being behind a firewall or router is like having a phone line that can only make outgoing calls - you can call other people, but they cannot call you. If the user you want to download from is behind a firewall, you should be able to download from them as long as you are not firewalled yourself. If you are both firewalled, then neither of you can accept a connection from the other, and you will not be able to download from each other. If you correctly configure your firewall or router (by setting up port forwarding), eTomi will be able to pass through it, and it will no longer interfere with your downloading. You can then experience eTomi 's full performance.
How do I test if my firewall or router has been configured properly?
If your firewall or router is not set up properly, then you're likely to get bad performance with eTomi. This especially includes slow downloads, few sources and few search results.
How do I configure my firewall to work with eTomi?
Open the settings dialog (Menu Tools > eTomi Settings) and go to Internet > Connection. Write down the port number because you'll need it for this section. Also be sure to uncheck Random. Also check the box which says "I can accept incoming connections" after you've properly configured port forwarding and configure your firewall/router properly.
Click below for a guide on how to configure the firewall you use.
Note: In case your firewall is not listed here, but you know how to configure it, be sure to unblock eTomi a's port for both protocols, TCP and UDP.
What port I need to forward in my router?
Open the settings dialog (Menu Tools > eTomi Settings) and go to Internet > Connection. and forward that port.
How do I configure my router to work with eTomi?
Remember to configure your PC with a static IP
To correctly set up port forwarding, you will need to know the IP your machine has and what port eTomi is using. To get your IP use a Command Prompt and type in "ipconfig" for Windows NT, 2000, or XP and type in "winipcfg" for Windows 95, 98 and ME (someone check the ME). The line with "IP Address" is your computer's IP address. Write that down and then continue on by choosing your router.^
Click below for a guide on how to configure different routers.
