hi there, could someone advise on this curious nicotine problem:

i can login and be 'online', search for files, but cannot download anything.. it says 'cannot connect' in the download status. also, the greater part of the search results are offline... but maybe this has nothing to with my connection. i'm being forced to use lime wire, which i dont like at all, but it works just fine.

is this a firewall problem? that would be strange as limewire works fine without having to configure the firewall, or other network settings, at all. as far as i'm aware, there is no firewall at all on this system.

thenicotine faq says:

I can't browse / download from / etc user X, why?

Assuming the user is online, the most likely cause is that you both can't receive direct connections. This is usually because you are both behind an NAT-router that isn't set up correctly and/or a firewall. The latter thing is kind of hard to give a simple answer, but check your firewall rules and make sure the client port you are using (usually port 2234) can receive incoming connections (TCP).

In the case of an NAT-router, go to the "port-forwarding" or "virtual server" settings of your router, and enable port forwarding for your client port (again, TCP) to your local / LAN IP (this can be somewhat bothersome if you use DHCP).

what program would you recommend to setup the 'firewall rules' and how do i allow 'incoming connections'? assuming this is the problem, why does limewire work?

thanks

First of all, if you're absolutely positive that you do not use a router for your highspeed connection AND you don't have a software firewall, then there is no problem at your end.

Second, if you are connected and searching than you should be able to d/l from other users.

Understand this about Soulseek: The true Soulseek client for Windows is released in two versions right now. A test and a final. The test release is connecting to a TEST server and although you (residing on the main server) can SEE another user on the test server, you cannot d/l from them.

Browsing users files directly is hit or miss. Some users do not allow browsing unless you are in their friends list. Some users are behind firewalls and are not configured properly. Some users do not allow browsing at all.

Now, if you all of a sudden realize that you do have a firewall (either software or hardware) you need to configure it according to the Soulseek FAQ and forward the correct ports to your machine you are running Nicotine from.

Scott

PS: There is a Nicotine forum on the SlskNet Forums. Just FYI.

Just fired up nicotine to check for a network problem. It's working as usual here.

Go through the settings to make sure the download and incomplete directories are setup. Also make sure these directories actually exist. These settings can also be read in /home/you/.nicotine/config.
To download a file left click on it to select,then right click and choose download. Now click on the downloads tab and, if all is well, you should have some kind of result.

Sorry if I'm pointing out the obvious but sometimes these things are overlooked.

Edit: Soulseek is a different type of community than Limewire. If people refuse a connection you will see this reported in downloads and the monitor at the bottom of the screen. If you are not sharing it is not unusual to be refused a download.
Also test on files highlighted in darker print. These files should be available immediately (no one waiting in line)

well i've tried all of this 'obvious' stuff already. i think it must be a firewall problem because i cant seem to find any other problem. i'll have a look at the slsknet forum, and see what i can find. any pointers to a good firewall configuration guide? i've never setup a firewall on linux so i dont know where to start... perhaps there's a tutorial somewhere here, i'll have a look..

Go to https://www.grc.com/x/ne.dll?bh0bkyd2 and select "common ports". If no firewall is being used you will be seeing open ports.

Limewire has universal plug and play ability, meaning it has the ability to open ports in a device with this feature. Nicotine will not do this for you.

Afaik a default install of ubuntu does not include a firewall. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong on this.

If you have no software firewall installed and grc shows the ports are closed (or stealthed) check the hardware supplied by your ISP. If you are on highspeed check if the modem has a builtin firewall.

btw, running with zero firewall protection is a very bad idea.