Knowledge Base

Windows 95 TCP Clients Run Out of Ports

Article ID: 170791

Article Last Modified on 11/15/2006

APPLIES TO

This article was previously published under Q170791

SYMPTOMS

When you are running programs in Windows 95 that use excessive numbers of TCP ports (more than 3976 simultaneously), Windows may run out of TCP ports before the TCP/IP protocol releases closed connections.

CAUSE

The TCP/IP state dictates that when a connection is closed, the connection is not released until two maximum segment lives (MSLs) have passed. This state is defined as the TIME-WAIT state. One MSL is defined as 120 seconds, and it takes four minutes for a closed connection to be released in TCP/IP.

RESOLUTION

STATUS

This problem no longer occurs in Windows 98. To resolve this problem, install the current version of Windows. For information about the current version of Windows, visit http://www.microsoft.com/windows.

MORE INFORMATION

Keywords: kbnetwork KB170791


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