topic Re: Re: Port forwarding in Broadband & Landline

Re: Port forwarding

Bobtom — Tue, 04 Jun 2024 08:47:56 GMT

Hi, I've just joined EE (from Sky) and I'm having the same issue with an EE Smart Hub Plus. I can't open certain ports to enable Sage Accounts software to work across my wifi network. It's fine with a wired connection.

Two out of the three required ports for the Sage Data Service open correctly but the third one is always closed. Despite what I've been told by EE support, there is no option on the hub manager to turn off its firewall - even temporarily for test purposes.

I've also been told they don't support issues with the firewall for consumer customers!

Anyone found a solution to this?

Re: Re: Port forwarding

XRaySpeX — Tue, 04 Jun 2024 09:31:05 GMT

@Bobtom :

I find it hard to believe that Sage Accounting Software requires any incoming ports to be opened. You are not accessing it from remotely, but only locally aren't you?
Does Sage's instructions actually tell you to port forward? Yes, it uses ports but that's only locally between components of itself. Those do not need port forwarding.
Even so, if certain ports work over Ethernet then they will also work over WiFi. Again it's all local access.
Have you raised this issue with Sage themselves.

Re: Re: Port forwarding

JimM11 — Tue, 04 Jun 2024 09:55:33 GMT

@Bobtom Are you trying to run a business from home? EE are correct that they are unable to assist in getting your software to run if you cannot. Why do you suspect it is the router firewall that has the issue?

Re: Re: Port forwarding

Bobtom — Tue, 04 Jun 2024 11:18:18 GMT

Hi. Thanks for your reply. The error is only when I try to access the accounts across my network using wifi - it's all fine with a wired connection.

The error is that "it's not possible to contact the Sage 50 Accounts Service". Looking at the Sage troubleshooting guide, it states that:-

To ensure that your firewall doesn’t block the Sage Accounts Data Service, please ensure the following ports are open:-

Version Sage 50 Data control service Sage 50 Data service

Sage Accounts v30 TCP 34230, 32330, 32230

I cannot open port 32230 via the Hub Manager port forwarding option. It allows the entry but the port remains closed. The other two are fine.

All of this was working correctly with my Sky router but stopped working with the EE Smart Hub Plus.

Re: Re: Port forwarding

XRaySpeX — Tue, 04 Jun 2024 11:21:39 GMT

From where & on what device are you accessing the Sage Accounts Data Service?

On where & on what device are you running the Sage Accounts Data Service?

Re: Re: Port forwarding

Bobtom — Tue, 04 Jun 2024 11:22:59 GMT

Thanks for your reply.

Was working fine with Sky Router. Stopped working with EE Smart Hub Plus. Cannot turn firewall off to check further and cannot open one of the 3 ports. See my reply to XRaySpeX for more info.

Re: Re: Port forwarding

Bobtom — Tue, 04 Jun 2024 11:32:27 GMT

Thanks again for getting back so quickly.

The Sage Accounts software and data are on my main desktop computer and the data service is running on this machine too.

I've got Sage Accounts installed on my laptop, also with the data service running. I'm only trying to access the main computer Sage data from the laptop over the local network. This all worked fine with the Sky hub, but since I switched to the EE hub my laptop only connects to Sage using a wired connection. If I try using wifi, I get the error immediately.

Browsing and accessing other data on the main machine using wifi on the laptop works as expected.

Re: Re: Port forwarding

XRaySpeX — Tue, 04 Jun 2024 11:49:32 GMT

Then it's all local. I stand by my original reply.

If you have the data service running on both the desktop & the lappy isn't there a conflict?

I ask you again, has Sage ever said in its documentation that you need to port forward?

Re: Re: Port forwarding

Bobtom — Tue, 04 Jun 2024 12:26:21 GMT

Agreed, I am not trying to access Sage from outside the local network.

The Sage troubleshooting guide states that the data service must be running on all machines that need access.

The Sage documentation says the 3 ports must be open. One of the Sage error messages on the laptop actually says "this error is due to port 32230 being unavailable".

Only thing that I've changed on the network is the EE Smart Hub - it was all working fine before that, and the issue remains that the EE firewall (or something at their end) is blocking this port!

Thanks again for your help.

Re: Re: Port forwarding

JimM11 — Tue, 04 Jun 2024 12:32:31 GMT

@Bobtom You have posted that everything is fine when connected via ethernet laptop and desktop both connected to the router? Is this correct?

Re: Re: Port forwarding

XRaySpeX — Tue, 04 Jun 2024 12:33:56 GMT

Having ports open isn't port forwarding. You're on the wrong track there. All applications that are not entirely self-contained use ports to communicate with others.

Port forwarding is only needed when you want someone outside to make an unsolicited access from externally to a service running on your own LAN.

Re: Re: Port forwarding

Bobtom — Tue, 04 Jun 2024 15:05:04 GMT

When the main computer and laptop are connected on the ethernet network with the router also connected all is well. If the laptop is connected to the network using the router's wi-fi, then I get the problem.

Re: Re: Port forwarding

XRaySpeX — Tue, 04 Jun 2024 15:33:06 GMT

I should raise this issue with Sage themselves.