Whats the difference between the two? I cant open this game called Gunz and a P2P program called Shareaza...

After researching the topic on google, I found out that changing from my dynamic IP to a static IP might fix the problem. I know how to change the option in my router settings but i dont want to mess anything up. Should I try static Ip and if so, what should I type my static Ip to be? Theres already something in white letters in the box but its not enabled for static IP. Maybe I should just use that?

Anyway. thanks for any help.

This is from your ISP, you can't change it by yourself.
Each time I connect to the net, my ISP attribs a dynamic IP address (changes at every new connection). Some ISP and connection types attribs a static IP address (it never changes).

On a lan, you can attrib static IPs to each system (recommended), or let the systems get a dynamic IP (this may cause some freezes though). By default, Windows try to assign a dynamic IP to a local computer that is hooked on a lan, unless you don't change this on its LAN properties.

By the way, GunZ and Shareaza does not need a static IP to work.

Chris

DHCP is short for Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol. This protocol (language) assigns dynamic (not static or fixed) addresses to devices on a network. With dynamic addressing, a device can have a different IP address every time it connects to the network. I think Chris pointed this out.

Internet Service Providers (ISPs) using software associated with DHCP, automatically assign Internet Protocol (IP) addresses to their customers who logon to a TCP/IP network. DHCP eliminates manually assigning permanent IP addresses. DHCP software typically runs on ISP network servers for home users. DHCP is also used in network devices such as routers, allowing multiple users access to a Local Area Network (LAN) and a Wide Area Network (WAN / the Internet), each with a different and dynamically assigned IP address.

Newer DHCP servers dynamically update the Domain Name Service (DNS) servers (another story) after making IP assignments. The bottom line . . . if your Internet Service Provider uses a DHCP style server, then you must use the DHCP protocol on your network equipment that gets out to the internet. It seems to be common practice for ISP's to use DHCP (dynamically assigned) addresses for home users, and Static (permanently/fixed assigned) IP addresses for corporate users.

Oh ok. After some more research, I found out it might have to do with port forwarding or something. How exactly do I enable this? I have a NetGear Super G router...

Hmm. I got shareaza to work by adding the port number on my Router thing. But I dont know which part Gunz uses. How do I find this out anyway?

You would have to get that info from your game manufacturer.

Just a word of caution: Shareasa is one of the better p-p file sharing programs, but ALL P-P sharing sites are prone to a Very high degree of virus and malware. These idiots try to add a virus grenade to the download you bring onto your harddrive. Beware, you are walking through a mine field! At the least, have a very, very good antivirus program running, and hope that you don't load spyware/adware (AV programs will not detect spyware/adware/browser hijackers).

Thanks for the warning ranch. Shareaza has a built in search thing. Its not like the torrents where you go to website for hashes. Do you know for sure if the application itself comes with anything bad?

By the way, I have Norton Antivirus with latest definitions, Microsoft Antispyware, Spybot and Lavasoft Adaware. Is there still anything I should worry about? By the way, I almost never download .exe files. Mostly I download video or music types. Can music/video files have ****ware in them anyway?

Unfortunately, they can... the major problem I see in a p2p program is that it opens ports that can be used by hackers to gain access to your system.

Probably a stupid question but why would hackers enter my computer...

Also, can firewalls stop these hackers from entering through these ports?

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why would hackers enter my computer

Top grab some sensitive informations like your banking access code and password, if they are stored on your system, for example... or just to bother you by reformatting your hard disk or killing your system

QUOTE

Also, can firewalls stop these hackers from entering through these ports?

If the port is open for inbound traffic, the firewall is also open to it and it will never know if what is coming in is legitimate or not.