cannot access windows update when behind a firewall (was Re: IE in XP cannot connect to Windows Updates page)

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From: H. S. (g_reate_xcalibur_at_yahoo.com)
Date: 10/15/04 

Date: Fri, 15 Oct 2004 13:27:37 -0400

Apparently, _Hans-Georg Michna_, on 10/15/04 04:57,typed:
> On Thu, 14 Oct 2004 19:51:19 -0400, "H. S."
> <g_reate_xcalibur@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
>
>>Now right after intallation, note that *nothing* has been done yet, only
>> a couple of users have been created, I used the Dell driver's CD to
>>install the driver for the network card. Then connected the CAT5 cable
>
>>from my home network to the laptop and tried to do windows update by
>
>>going to windowsupdates.microsoft.com.
>
>
> Wrong URL. The correct one is: windowsupdate.microsoft.com
>
>
>>IE reported "page cannot be displayed" and just couldn't access or
>>connect to the updates page. It also failed to connect to the
>>microsoft.com main page.
>
>
> Please check http://www.michna.com/kb/wxnet.htm for the solution
> if this problem persists.
>
> Hans-Georg
>

Thanks. I just did that but either I missed something or just couldn't
find anything relevant. However, I made some other progress.

In our apartment we have a small home network. There is a Linux machine
which is the router and though which we share one high speed connection.
I am connecting from my laptop to that machine (through a switch). Since
I was having problems browsing to only windows updates sites and
microsoft sites, I tried connection my laptop directly to the ISP'
modem. IT worked and I was able to update my laptop without any
difficulty. After updating everthing, I disconnected and let them
reestablish the connection though the Linux machine. I again tried
accessing the windows updates site from inside the network hoping that
the updates might have helped, but obtianed exactly the same behavior.
So it seems it has something to do with the firewall at the router.

Do we need to open any specific ports in our firewalls to make windows
updates work?

->S

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