About a month ago my ports stopped being "open", I thought upgrading to a newer DOCSIS 3.0 modem would help that issue, but apparently not. I tried the Eastlink 30, but it's totally useless as to what I wanted to use it for (wink wink), so I downgraded back to 15 (and got my long distance plan changed as well, heh) after a whopping 3 days of use.

I would like to find out if anyone could try some online port scanners to see if any of your ports are open. None of the 3 computers (XP & 7) that are connected DIRECTLY to the cable modem (via switching hub) show any ports as being open. No router, no Windows Firewall in use. The only port that is open is on my Jesusbox, and it's for remote desktop.

I asked Halinewf to try it and he said it didn't work for him either (shows no ports open).
The person in tech support at Eastlink tried on 2 of her computers there at work and it also showed no ports open.

Eastlink says there is no port filtering on their cable modems...there are shenanigans afoot somewhere.

The only reason I really give a crap is that a private tracker (ratio) I use for torrents really really doesn't like me not having any open ports. Sites like TPB have no issues and I can happily upload all day to the unwashed masses.

It was kind of strange and liberating talking to the rep on the phone about BitTorrent downloading crap all day.

her - "Do you download a lot"
me - "I'd like to think of myself as not being a heavy user"
her - "On my Bittorrent client at home..." blah blah blah

So basically download whatever you want, however much of it, until Harper throws us all in the slammer.

There are TONS of port ranges that Eastlink blocks. I experienced the same problem as you in the past, finding almost no open ports. I can only assume Eastlink maintains a blacklist of questionable ports, and they change them often. Port 21 on FTP will almost always be open, so try that.

when you're disabling your windows firewall; are you also going to the Advanced tab and removing the check box next to "Local Area Connection" "Wireless Connection" etc.?

that question only applies to windows XP/Vista.

for windows 7 i just disable the Windows firewall service entirely.

Ports used ot be open, now they are not. I didn't change anything, at one point the ports just all started being closed and never reopened.

Eastlink custmore rep said "we do not close any ports"...obviously that wasn't toally true since they would block 25 and whatnot, since they don't want rediential users running SMTP servers.

I've had 25 open on eastlink about 4 years ago, but it's no longer accessible.

seems that the torrent port i use is open no problem. but 25 and others like that are closed off. pretty much whatever i manually forward through my router works just fine.

Phonix said the answer. Uber filtering.

Eastlink lies, I guess we can come to that conclusion.