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Multimedia

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There are preset rules for the following multimedia applications:

Ashampoo Media Player+
QuickTime
RealPlayer
WinAmp
Windows Media Player

Ashampoo Media Player+ Info Channel
QuickTime Player HTTP Connection
RealPlayer HTTP Connection
WinAmp MiniBrowser Connection

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 media player for browsing the Internet. This will probably be to get web pages that are incorporated into your media player as features like Media Guide in Windows Media Player. It may also be used for transfers of some media. 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 your e-mail when connecting to secure sites. It's used for when you read your web based e-mail (such as Hotmail). SOCKS is only needed by people using a SOCKS proxy server. 3128, 8080, and 8088 are common ports that proxy servers use. If your e-mail client needs to use a proxy server for HTTP connections then it will probably be on one of these ports. 11523 is used by AOL's browser.

Ashampoo Media Player+ uses this rule to check for updates based on the options you specify in the Info Channel options.

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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QuickTime Player Connection (TCP)

Protocol: TCP
Direction: Outbound
Remote Port(s): RTSP (554)
Action: Allow It

What it's for

This rule is used for downloading various streaming mediums using RTSP (Real Time Stream Control Protocol) from streaming servers. This is the default streaming port QuickTime is setup to use. You can change the default streaming port to another port by opening QuickTime's settings and selecting 'Streaming Transport' where you can choose another port. If you do this be sure to change the port used in this rule to the same port.

To optimize

If you want to reduce the number of rules you can get QuickTime to receive streaming data via HTTP in the same settings window. Streaming will then be done via the HTTP rule.
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QuickTime Player Connection (UDP)

Protocol: UDP
Direction: Outbound
Remote Port(s): 2001
Action: Allow It

What it's for

This rule may be for sending data to streaming servers, to be honest I'm not sure what this rule is used for, if anyone knows please let me know too!
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RealPlayer Connection

Protocol: TCP
Direction: Outbound
Remote Port(s): RTSP (554), 7070, 7071
Action: Allow It

What it's for

This rule is used for downloading various streaming mediums using RTSP (Real Time Stream Control Protocol) from streaming servers. These are the default streaming ports RealPlayer is setup to use.

To optimize

You can force RealPlayer to receiving all streaming by TCP by editing RealPlayers settings, you can then remove the UDP rules (the HTTP rule will still be needed for media guide and so on). Alternatively you can if you want to reduce the number of rules still further you can get RealPlayer to receive streaming data via HTTP, streaming will then be done via the HTTP rule and you can delete this TCP rule as well as the UDP rules.
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RealPlayer Inbound UDP Connection

Protocol: UDP
Direction: Inbound
Local Port(s): 6770-32000
Action: Allow It

What it's for

This rule is used by RealPlayer for receiving of streaming media when RealPlayer determines that UDP is the best transport for the media in question.

To optimize

You can specify a single port to use for UDP streaming in RealPlayers settings, if you do this you will then be able to narrow the range of ports used in this rule.
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RealPlayer Outbound UDP Connection

Protocol: UDP
Direction: Outbound
Remote Port(s): 6770-32000
Action: Allow It

What it's for

This rule is used by RealPlayer for receiving of streaming media when RealPlayer determines that UDP is the best transport for the media in question.

To optimize

You can specify a single port to use for UDP streaming in RealPlayers settings, if you do this you will then be able to narrow the range of ports used in this rule.
Back to Multimedia

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WinAmp Connection

Protocol: TCP
Direction: Outbound
Remote Port(s): 8000-8900
Action: Allow It

What it's for

This rule is probably used for downloading various streaming media. To be honest I'm not sure what this rule is used for as I don't use WinAMP. If anyone knows please let me know too!
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Windows Media Player Conenction

Protocol: TCP
Direction: Outbound
Remote Port(s): HTTP (80), 3128, 8080, 1755, 8000, 8001
Action: Allow It

What it's for

This rule is used by Windows Media Player for browsing the Internet (to display Media Guide etc.) and for receiving streaming media.
More about HTTP
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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