Firewall Problem or Overenthusiastic ISP ?

[Twinkletoes]

A month or so ago Kerio sent out a newsletter which contained the following:
Kerio Personal Firewall 2.1 stops Blaster worm
================================
Microsoft recently listed Kerio Personal Firewall among the firewalls
recommended to prevent the spread of the Blaster worm. To prevent a
system infected with the worm from connecting to your PC, install Kerio
Personal Firewall and add the following rule using the advanced
administration option:
Under Protocol, select "TCP". Under Direction, select "Incoming". For
Local Endpoint, choose port 135 for "Any Application". For Remote
Endpoint, choose "Any" address and "Any" port. The rule should always be
valid. Set Action to "Deny".

I have ADSL, and being an obedient fellow I followed the above recommendation only to discover from the Firewall Log that since then my ISP has been and still is sending TCP packets to Port 135 (which Kerio has blocked) at sometimes 30 second, sometimes 2 minute intervals ever since.

Is this normal ? (I have reported it to my ISP's abuse department - "contact by email only" - but no reply is forthcoming.)

TT

[mickwish]

It's probably a "heartbeat" signal, to see if you are connected or not. Lot's of ISP's do this as a method of checking to see whjo is active. My ISP uses it as an authentication method as well.

Just wait for the ISP's reply, but it will probably be just that.

BTW, if I try to block my ISP heartbeat, I get booted off. :eek: Sounds like your ISP doesn't rely on it if you don't lose your connection.

[Twinkletoes]

RFLMAO. You ! Are you following me around to make sure I don't get up to any tricks ! BTW I tried to put your clown smilie in my sig - see Testing Forum - just to keep you happy, but couldn't manage it...???

TT

[mickwish]

Check your PM. I have instructed you how to do it. :p

Actually, I ain't following you around. You posted a question - I answered. I'm a helpful kinda guy. :rolleyes:

[Mntsnow]

Fyi......Images are not allowed in Sigs....They just get linked too..

[Twinkletoes]

Sorry Mntsnow. I'm getting a bit doddery...old age, you know !

TT