How to Troubleshoot an Ethernet Port 80 Timeout

If you are using a third-party firewall, temporarily disable the program to see if it's the cause of the timeout.

Networks use port numbers to manage data and processes. Port numbers range from 0 to 65535, but ports 0 through 1023 are reserved and referred to as "well-known" ports. One of the most utilized of these is port 80, which facilitates the hypertext transfer protocol that powers the Web. If a timeout occurs on port 80 when connected to an Ethernet (wired) network, numerous applications or services could be involved. Troubleshooting the computer's firewall and network configuration is necessary to pinpoint the cause of a port 80 timeout.

Instructions

1. Click “Control Panel” from the Windows Start menu. Select "System and Security" from the categories and then click "Windows Firewall."

2. Choose "Advanced Settings" from the left pane. Select "Inbound Rules." Choose "Local Port" from the categories at the top of the cell table and then scroll to "80."

3. Double-click the associated rule. Select "Allow the Connection" from beneath the Action section if "Allow the Connection If It Is Secure" or "Block the Connection" is selected.

4. Go to the "Computers" tab and uncheck "Only Allow Connections From These Computers." Click "OK."

5. Close "Advanced Settings." Click "Allow a Program or Feature Through Windows Firewall." Confirm your Web browser is checked under "Private" and "Public." Click "OK."

6. Open the Start menu and type "%windir%\system32\drivers\etc" into the search box. Press "Enter" to open the "etc" folder in Windows Explorer.

7. Right-click "hosts" and then click "Open." Select "Notepad" from the list. Click "OK." Your hosts file should look like the following:

   # Copyright (c) 1993-2009 Microsoft Corp.
   #
   # This is a sample HOSTS file used by Microsoft TCP/IP for Windows.
   #
   # This file contains the mappings of IP addresses to host names. Each
   # entry should be kept on an individual line. The IP address should
   # be placed in the first column followed by the corresponding host name.
   # The IP address and the host name should be separated by at least one
   # space.
   #
   # Additionally, comments (such as these) may be inserted on individual
   # lines or following the machine name denoted by a '#' symbol.
   #
   # For example:
   #
   # 102.54.94.97 rhino.acme.com # source server
   # 38.25.63.10 x.acme.com # x client host

   # localhost name resolution is handled within DNS itself.
   # 127.0.0.1 localhost
   # ::1 localhost

8. Edit your hosts file so that it looks identical to the above. Click "File" and select "Save As." Select "All Files (*.*)" from the "Save as Type" drop-down menu and then click "Save."

9. Return to the Control Panel and click the "Back" button to exit to the main page. Click "Network and Internet" and then click "Network and Sharing Center."

10. Choose "Change Adapter Settings" from the left pane to see a list of connections. Right-click "Local Area Connection." Choose "Properties" from the context menu.

11. Uncheck "Internet Protocol Version 6 (TCP/IPv6)." Check "Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4)," if applicable. Click "OK."

12. Click "Start." Type "cmd" into the search box and then press "Enter." Type "ping google.com" into the prompt and press "Enter."

13. Type "ping 74.125.65.104" at the prompt when the above process completes. If ping times out when issuing the above command but not when issuing the command in this step, browse to OpenDNS.com to set up a static IP address. If both operations fail, contact your ISP for assistance.

References

• Microsoft: TechNET – Command-line Utilities: TCP/IP
• Microsoft: How Can I Reset the Hosts File Back to the Default?
• Microsoft: Open a Port in Windows Firewall

Resources

• OpenDNS: Home Page