What does all this mean? What are you doing?

At Internode, we dislike email spam and the challenges often called 'network worms' as much as you do.

Because of this, we've gone to some effort to curb the potential of our network and customers contributing to, or being on the receiving end this world-wide Internet issue.

As a result, Internode HOME/Residential Broadband and Dialup customers get automatic network protection provided by our Network Port Filter.

Below you can find details of exactly what we block or filter, please note, this information may be of a somewhat technical nature. In general if you don't understand what is described below, you should leave the filter enabled at all times. If you think you need to turn it off, we'd suggest checking with our Helpdesk first.

Filtering Windows NETBIOS/SMB/CIFS ports

Access to some common Microsoft Windows file sharing service ports (commonly used by computer 'worms' and viruses to attack Windows PCs attached to the Internet) will be filtered out of your Internet connection. This will not block you using File Sharing on your Home computer network.

Outbound email via Internode mail server only

Outbound email (email that you send out to other people using the SMTP protocol) will need to be sent via the Internode mail server.

Sending email via the normal Internode mail server (mail.internode.on.net or securemail.internode.on.net) will continue to work as normal, with no changes needed to do this.

However, using other email servers to send email (which is not the usual or recommended way to do so) is not possible whilst the filters are in place.

Note: this does not affect incoming email (email that you receive from other servers, places and people).

I'm not sure if this will affect me...

If I use GMail or Hotmail or Yahoo mail via my web browser

No, this filtering does not affect the use of web-page based email access (some times known as webmail).

If I receive email from another server (POP3 or IMAP)

No, this will not affect you, the filter only affects outgoing email (email that you send out), and it only impacts that if you decide not to use the Internode mail server for your SMTP mail sending.

Also, sending email via any form of webmail system is completely unaffected by this filtering.

I have an Internode "SOHO" or "Business" connection

The filtering applies by default to Dynamic IP customer account types only. This is typically only customers on HOME services.

If you are using any Static IP type plan or service from Internode (SOHO, Business, Corporate, etc.), this filtering will not affect you.

You can however choose to enable the filtering if you so wish. This can be done through My Internode.

I have a Static IP address

If you are using any Static IP type plan or service from Internode (SOHO, Business, Corporate, etc.), this filtering will not affect you.

I use an email address from another provider and I send and receive email using their mail servers from my mail client

Yes this will affect you, you have two options:

1. Turn off the filtering.
2. Configure your outgoing mail server setting to send via Internode's email server (mail.internode.on.net)

Note that if you use a webmail system to access email this is completely unaffected by the filtering and you will not need to disable the filtering to use webmail services with any provider. There is absolutely no impact on any services using http or https (ports 80 and 443).

I run an Email server on my Dynamic IP (HOME) connection

If you run your own SMTP email server, you have two options:

You can do one of two things:

1. Turn off the filtering, if you feel the urge to send email direct to remote Internet hosts via SMTP, instead of using the Internode mail server as your outbound relay, or
2. Simply configure Internode's email server (mail.internode.on.net or securemail.internode.on.net ) as an outgoing 'smarthost' (configure your mail server to send all email out via Internode's mail servers).

I run an Email SMTP server on my Laptop/Notebook computer to send email.

First, make sure you really are running an SMTP email server on your laptop.

If you are just using your laptop to send SMTP email to the Internode mail servers from your chosen laptop mail client, you have absolutely no problem to solve.

If you definitely run an SMTP server on your laptop, you can do one of two things:

1. Turn off the filtering on your Internode connection if you need to send outbound to arbitary remote hosts direct, or
2. Configure your outgoing email client to use our 'securemail' server with authentication, this will allow you to send email from any connection, anywhere regardless of whether you're connected to the Internode network or not. We highly recommend this option.

We run a Windows SUS server

No, this should not affect your Windows SUS server. If it does happen to affect it in some unforeseen way, simply disable the filtering.

I VPN into my company/work network

No, as long as your traffic passes over the VPN connection, these filters will not affect you.

This means, for instance, that if you VPN into your company network and send email via the company mail server, that will continue to work fine without any need to disable this filtering.

I use P2P applications such as Bit Torrent

No, this filtering has absolutely nothing to do with, and does not impact, P2P applications.

I send email out with a FROM address set to something other than my Internode address

No, as long as the email is sent via the Internode email server it will not affect you.

I use "some other program" - any problem likely?

Does the program you use:

1. Send email out using the SMTP protocol on port 25, directly to other email servers (not via Internode's email server), or
2. Use the Windows NETBIOS, SMB or CIFS protocols across the Internet?

If it doesn't do any of the above, then its extremely unlikely that it will affect your program. If it does, then you can just turn the filtering off.

I use Microsoft Windows Remote Desktop

The Windows Remote Desktop ports are not filtered and will not be affected.

Will this have any effect on what I do on my own local network?

Absolutely no effect whatsoever. The filtering only applies to traffic sent and received from the Internet, and has nothing to do with your own local network in your home or office.

Further general questions

Can you make other filtering options available?

Not at this time.

We may revise the options available in the future, but for the time being, the only options are "Default" or "Off".

Its important to appreciate that this is not an 'Internet Firewall' facility.

It is simply a filtering process to reduce the incidence of some very common forms of network 'attack' from systems compromised by viruses and worms, and the outbound SMTP path filtering is intended to reduce the impact that virus-compromised hosts sending spam are able to have on other Internet users (and on you, due to load on your machine and your network connection).

It is designed to have zero impact for the overwhelming majority of Internode customers (other than helping to stamp out worm attacks and spam!).

There are only very limited instances (as noted above) where anyone would need to disable the filtering facility.

In those rare circumstances, it very simple to disable the facility using the online web page provided by Internode to do so.

Can I just have the port filtering but not the mail blocking or vice versa?

Not at this time, see above. Neither aspect of the filtering system impacts typical Internet users in any negative way.

In the event you have specific requirements that mean that either of these things does impact you, just turn the filtering off and make your own arrangements to protect yourself from these network ports and from being compromised by spam-sending worms.

What specific ports are you filtering?

Outbound

• Port 25 (SMTP) to anywhere but mail.internode.on.net

(Note that email to securemail.internode.on.net is completely unaffected, and this is our recommended way to send email if your mail client supports it)

• Port 135 (RPC)
• Port 137 (Netbios)
• Port 138 (Netbios)
• Port 139 (Netbios)
• Port 445 (SMB/CIFS)

Inbound

• Port 135 (RPC)
• Port 137 (Netbios)
• Port 138 (Netbios)
• Port 139 (Netbios)
• Port 445 (SMB/CIFS)

Anything else filtered?

No.

Internode may occasionally revise the list of ports that this facility filters by default, should other ports become a specific and common attack vector for widespread, malicious worm/virus software.

Any permanent updates to the filtering list will be noted here and on web page for the interface that controls access to the filtering system, which is here:

https://secure.internode.on.net/myinternode/

Any temporary additions to the filtering list (necessary to deal with a specific virulent new network 'worm' or similar) will be notified in an outage advisory article on the Internode web site, here:

https://secure.internode.on.net/webtools/advisories/

I don't want you to filter anything, can I turn it off?

Yes, of course you can, just go to the My Internode section on the Internode website (click here), select the Network Port Filter menu item, and then turn it off.

Please note: It may take up to 2 hours for changes to this filtering setting to take effect. If you don't think the filter settings have taken effect after 2 hours, please just reset your ADSL router/connection once, and this should pick up the updated configuration for your connection.

When I log into My Internode, I don't see the option to change my filter settings, where is it?

If you don't see the option, then this facility is not applicable to your service, and it does not affect you at all - you don't need to do anything at all.

Note that you can configure your decision to enable or disable this facility separately for HOME broadband accounts, and for any Dialup accounts that you use.

When you log in to My Internode, just choose 'Dialup' or 'HOME/SOHO' as appropriate.

Technobabble

What kinds of services are Dynamic IP and what does that mean?

A Dynamic IP service means that your 'Internet address' is not fixed. It may occasionally change. Internode services which are typically Dynamic IP include the following:

• HOME Dial, ISDN and Broadband services
• Older PADSL Broadband services
• Casual and other older non-Business Dialup services (including Merlin)

What kinds of services are Static IP and what does that mean?

A Static IP service means that your 'Internet address' is fixed and 'static'. It will not change. Internode services which are typically Static IP include the following:

• SOHO Dial, ISDN and Broadband services
• BUSINESS Dial, ISDN and Broadband services
• Older BADSL Broadband services
• Corporate/Permanent Dial and ISDN services
• All Corporate grade permanent connections (Ethernet, Fibre, iPOP, WTX/PAPL, IBC, etc.)