[tor-bugs] #3941 [Tor Client]: Windows users + firewalls having trouble with automatic port selection

[Tor Bug Tracker & Wiki]

#3941: Windows users + firewalls having trouble with automatic port selection
------------------------+---------------------------------------------------
 Reporter:  erinn       |          Owner:               
     Type:  defect      |         Status:  new          
 Priority:  major       |      Milestone:               
Component:  Tor Client  |        Version:  Tor: 0.2.2.32
 Keywords:              |         Parent:               
   Points:              |   Actualpoints:               
------------------------+---------------------------------------------------
 We've been seeing a lot of complaints from Windows users with firewalls
 who experience apparently random behavior in whether their tor in TBB
 connects successfully. It gets to Bootstrapped 100%: Done and then doesn't
 do anything else.

 After some minor experimentation -- having them turn off (or uninstall)
 their firewall, and having one revert the TBB settings back to pre-auto
 days -- I think Windows and firewalls simply can't handle the automatic
 port selection very well. Tor will connect to an open port (I think) and
 then not actually be able to send traffic. Since it doesn't connect to the
 network, but doesn't obviously error, users just wait and get frustrated.

 velope had an idea on IRC that there could be a client version of
 reachability testing for local ports.

-- 
Ticket URL: <https://trac.torproject.org/projects/tor/ticket/3941>
Tor Bug Tracker & Wiki <https://trac.torproject.org/>
The Tor Project: anonymity online