This message is simply letting you know that there is a piece of software or
hardware between your computer and the internet making communication difficult.
Sometimes this is intentional, sometimes it is accidental.
If you have a �router� on internet connection then this could be the culprit.
Most likely you are trying to use some kind of program that is not fully
compatible with NAT routers or you are trying
to run a game server. Sometimes this can be solved using port forwarding on the
firewall port. Other times the software will simply not operate through
a nat router. Programs like NetMeeting have big problems with routers.
If you don�t know if you have a hardware router causing the �behind a firewall�
errors there is an easy way to check. From the Windows start menu, type CMD and
hit run. On older windows computers you may have to use the word COMMAND. Once
the black command prompt comes up type IPCONFIG and hit enter. If you IP
address starts with 192 or 10 then you have a hardware router. If not, you are
likely directly connected to the Internet.
Another thing you can check for is a software
personal firewall. There is a
Windows XP
Firewall built into Windows XP. Other common firewalls include Tiny,
Norton Internet Security and ZoneAlarm. If you ARE behind a hardware
firewall/router try turning off your software firewall. If you are NOT behind a
hardware firewall / router I would not suggest turning off your
firewall protection. This would expose your computer to many forms of
attacks on the internet.
