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Communication

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There are preset rules for the following communication applications:

ICQ
IRC
Microsoft Chat
Microsoft NetMeeting
MSN Messenger
Odigo
Yahoo! Messenger
Yahoo! AutoUpdater

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ICQ Client Connection

There are two rules, one for Inbound and one for Outbound.

Protocol: TCP
Direction: Outbound
Remote Port(s): 1024-65535
Action: Allow It

Protocol: TCP
Direction: Inbound
Remote Port(s): 1024-65535
Action: Allow It

What it's for

These rules are used when sending from your client to another client and from another client to your client.

To optimize

If you find these port ranges to wide you can narrow the ports ICQ uses by following these instructions.
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ICQ Server connection

There are two rules, one for Inbound and one for Outbound.

Protocol: UDP
Direction: Outbound
Remote Port(s): 4000
Action: Allow It

Protocol: UDP
Direction: Inbound
Remote Port(s): 4000
Action: Allow It

What it's for

These rules are used to connect to the ICQ servers.
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ICQ Send Mail
Yahoo! Messenger Send Mail

Protocol: TCP
Direction: Outbound
Remote Port(s): SMTP (25)
Action: Allow It

What it's for

This rule is used whenever your chat client sends mail. It uses SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) to send the mail to your e-mail providers SMTP server which in turn forwards your mail to it's destinations POP server so that the recipient can then receive the mail.

To optimize

Add an Event for 'Remote Host' and specify the 'Remote Host' as your e-mail providers SMTP server. This is usually smtp.your_provider.com so, for example, if NTLWorld is your e-mail provider you would use smtp.ntlworld.com. You can either e-mail your provider for there SMTP server details or send an e-mail and check either your Allowed log or the DNS Cache log both of which should give you the IP number or host name of your providers SMTP server.
More about SMTP
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ICQ Receive Mail

Protocol: TCP
Direction: Outbound
Remote Port(s): POP3 (110)
Action: Allow It

What it's for

This rule is used whenever your ICQ client receives mail. It uses POP3 (Version 3 of the Post Office Protocol) to collect mail from your e-mail providers POP server.

To optimize

Add an Event for 'Remote Host' and specify the 'Remote Host' as your e-mail providers POP server. This is usually pop or pop3.your_provider.com so, for example, if NTLWorld is your e-mail provider you would use pop.ntlworld.com. You can either e-mail your provider for there POP server details or collect an e-mail and check either your Allowed log or the DNS Cache log both of which should give you the IP number or host name of your providers POP server.
More about POP3
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ICQ HTTP connection
Microsoft NetMeeting HTTP connection
Yahoo! Messenger HTTP connection
Yahoo! Messenger AutoUpdater

Protocol: TCP
Direction: Outbound
Remote Port(s): HTTP (80), 81-83, HTTPS (443), SOCKS (1080), 3128, 8080, 8088, 11523
Action: Allow It

What it's for

This rule is used by your chat client when it accessing chat rooms and displaying web pages. HTTP (Hyper Text Transfer Protocol) is the only port you really need for browsing the Internet, ports 81, 82, 83 are auxiliary web browsing ports and are rarely used. HTTPS (Hyper Text Transfer Protocol over Secure Socket Layer (SSL)) is used by secure sites. 11523 is used by AOL's browser.

To optimize

Remove the remote ports: 81, 82, 83 unless you know that you need them. If you don't use a SOCKS proxy server remove SOCKS. If you don't use a remote or local proxy remove 3128, 8080 and 8088. If you don't use AOL's browser remove 11523.
More about HTTP, HTTPS, SOCKS, PROXY
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mIRC connection

Protocol: TCP
Direction: Outbound
Remote Port(s): 6660-6670
Action: Allow It

What it's for

This is used for connecting to IRC chat servers and clients
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mIRC AUTH connection
Microsoft Chat AUTH connection

Protocol: TCP
Direction: Inbound
Local Port(s): 113
Action: Allow It

What it's for

This rule allows other clients to identify you using the AUTH service. Servers (like POP and SMTP) do this to identify of a user of a particular TCP connection. It can be used to retrieve your OS name and the character set you are using.
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Microsoft Chat connection

Protocol: TCP
Direction: Outbound
Remote Port(s): 6667
Action: Allow It

What it's for

This is used for connecting to chat servers and clients
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Microsoft NetMeeting Conference

Protocol: UDP
Direction: Outbound
Remote Port(s): 49600-49700
Action: Allow It

What it's for

This is used when you used when you invite other users to a conference session or so I believe.
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Microsoft NetMeeting LDAP connection

Protocol: TCP
Direction: Outbound
Remote Port(s): LDAP (389)
Action: Allow It

What it's for

This rule is for searching anonymous LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol) servers for e-mail addresses.

To optimize

If you can specify in Calypso what LDAP server to use, specify that server as a 'Remote Host' Event.
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Default MSN Messenger Connection

Protocol: TCP
Direction: Outbound
Remote Port(s): 1863
Action: Allow It

What it's for

This rule is used by MSN messenger to connect to the messenger servers.

To optimize

This is ALL you need to use the chat function of MSN Messenger, including checking for new Hotmail and and reporting alerts and new e-mails. However Messenger will try and connect on other ports for downloading adds, so run in Block Most mode or add a block TCP rule after this one. You may need to disable this rule or switch to Rules Wizard mode to send and receive files.
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Yahoo! Messenger Login

Protocol: TCP
Direction: Outbound
Remote Port(s): 23, 5050
Action: Allow It

What it's for

This rule is used to login to Yahoo!'s chat servers.
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Yahoo! Messenger Conference TCP connection

Protocol: TCP
Direction: Outbound
Remote Port(s): 5000, 5001
Action: Allow It

What it's for

This is used when you use the Invite to Conference... option of Yahoo! Messenger.
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Yahoo! Messenger Conference UDP connection

Protocol: UDP
Direction: Outbound
Local Port: 5000
Action: Allow It

What it's for

This is used when you use the Invite to Conference... option of Yahoo! Messenger.
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Yahoo! Messenger Call Center

There are two rules, one for Inbound and one for Outbound.

Protocol: UDP
Direction: Outbound
Remote Port(s): 6801
Action: Allow It

Protocol: UDP
Direction: Inbound
Local Port(s): 5000, 5055
Action: Allow It

What it's for

This is used when you use the Call option of Yahoo! Messenger, or so I believe.
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Yahoo! Messenger Call Center (TCP)

Protocol: TCP
Direction: Outbound
Remote Port(s): 7800-7825
Action: Allow It

What it's for

This is used when you use the Call option of Yahoo! Messenger, or so I believe.
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Yahoo! Messenger WebCam

Protocol: TCP
Direction: Outbound
Remote Port(s): 5100
Action: Allow It

What it's for

This is used by Yahoo! Messenger for broadcasting pictures from your WebCam. Yahoo! Messenger may tell you that you can't use the WebCam because of your firewall. Ignore this crap. Keep 'No Proxies' toggled in Messengers settings, you can use WebCams with Outpost running.
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MSN Messenger voice communications

Protocol: UDP
Direction: Outbound
Remote Port(s): 6501
Action: Allow It

What it's for

This is used when you use the Start a Voice Conversation... from Messenger's 'Actions' menu.
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MSN Messenger file transfer

Protocol: TCP
Local Port: 6891-6900
Action: Allow It

What it's for

This is used when you use the Send a File or Photo... from Messenger's 'Actions' or 'File' menu.
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MSN Messenger Remote Assistance

Protocol: TCP
Direction: Outbound
Remote Port(s): 3389
Action: Allow It

What it's for

This rule is used by Messenger when you select Ask for Remote Assitance from the 'Actions' menu. I believe this feature is only available for the XP version of the messenger. It enables someone to "view" and even take control of someone else's computer. It is used when you ask a friend to help you fix problems with your computer, the person performing the assitance gets to control the computer.

Thanks to Denis for submitting information about this rules purpose.
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MSN Messenger Application Sharing and Whiteboard

Protocol: TCP
Direction: Outbound
Remote Port(s): 7800-7825
Action: Allow It

What it's for

This rule is used by Messenger when you select Start Whiteboard from the 'Actions' menu. This is quite a useful feature, it allows displays a 'white' board on both users computers and you can then see in real time what the other is drawing, quite useful when words fail you and you need to describe something.

Thanks to Denis for submitting information about this rules purpose.
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MSN Messenger RTP connection

Protocol: TCP
Direction: Outbound
Remote Port(s): 5100
Action: Allow It

What it's for

RTP (Real Time Protocol) is the Internet-standard protocol for the transport of real-time data, including audio and video. It can be used for media-on-demand as well as interactive services such as Internet telephony
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Outpost and the Outpost logo are ©Agnitum Software

This is an unofficial guide, the information expressed here may differ from Agnitum's. There is a support forum (no longer run by Agnitum, but by users) if you need more help this is a good place to start. Where information here conflicts with what Agnitum have told you always go with the information given to you by Agnitum.

Guide/site and images ©Stephen Cox