# How to check a port to see if it is open?



## budp

I am trying to do a build-it-yourself website with one of the on-line services. I am supposed to have ports 8087 & 8088 open to access my control panel. Evidently they are not open for my desktop,which runs Windows 98 because I cannot access the control panel. However, I can access the control panel on my laptop which runs Mac OS 10. Both computers are wireless tunning through a Linksys wireless router. How do I check to see if my ports are open and how do I open them if they aare closed.


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## unknownguy18

Try going to the MS-DOS command line by doing this:
Start>Run
Then type: command

Now type "netstat -a" without the quotation marks. It works in XP, not sure about 98.


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## 10forcash

Ping the ports from inside your network, from another PC other than the one with the ports open, for example, 192.168.0.1:8088 Then from outside your network by your public IP followed by the port number, for example, 195.236.235.49:8088 This will tell you firstly if the public server has its ports open and secondly if your router is allowing traffic through. As far as 'how to' it depends on the model of router.....
Cheers,
10forcash


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## coulterp

Use http://grc.com/ to probe your ports.
Or download and install ActivePorts http://www.protect-me.com/freeware.html on the PC to monitor your ports.


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## Squashman

You shouldn't need a anyports open on your network to get out. Most home based routers do not block anything going out by default. Do you have a software firewall setup on your Windows 98 machine.


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