KB174199 - XFOR: How to Change the NNTP Port

Article ID: 174199

Article Last Modified on 10/26/2006

Microsoft Exchange Server 5.0 Standard Edition
Microsoft Exchange Server 5.5 Standard Edition

This article was previously published under Q174199

IMPORTANT: This article contains information about modifying the registry. Before you modify the registry, make sure to back it up and make sure that you understand how to restore the registry if a problem occurs. For information about how to back up, restore, and edit the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

256986 Description of the Microsoft Windows Registry

SUMMARY

The Services file, located in the %SystemRoot%\System32\Drivers\Etc folder, contains a list of well-known port numbers for TCP/IP services. Microsoft Exchange Server uses the Services file to determine which TCP port is used for accepting or initiating NNTP connections. This article tells you how to change the NNTP port used.

MORE INFORMATION

For connections using Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), the port number associated with the SNEWS service is used; for all other connections, the port number associated with the NNTP service is used.

To change the port number used by the server, edit the Services file and change the port number associated with these services. The default port numbers for the SNEWS and NNTP services are 563 and 119, respectively.

You can also force the Internet News Service to connect to a specific port number you when make an outbound connection for a news feed. This is useful when traversing a firewall that can map port numbers to different destination hosts on the Internet. To specify the port number for outbound connections, you need to edit the registry.

WARNING: If you use Registry Editor incorrectly, you may cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that you can solve problems that result from using Registry Editor incorrectly. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.

To specify the port number for outbound connections:

Create the news feed.
Create the following REG_DWORD registry value, and set it to a value between 1 and 65535:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\MSExchangeINS \Parameters\Newsfeeds\Newsfeed Test\PortNumber

The Newsfeed Test registry value should be replaced with the name of the news feed you want to customize. If this registry value exists, it overrides the value in the Services file for any outbound NNTP connections for that news feed. It does not affect the port number used for accepting inbound NNTP connections. That is always obtained from the Services file.

If you plan to specify a custom NNTP port, you may not be able to download the active newsgroup list from your news provider with the Newsfeed Configuration Wizard because the registry value does not exist at that point. Instead, you should import it from a file or download the active file after you have set the registry value.

Keywords: kbhowto kbusage KB174199