[tlug] routers and port forwarding

[Charles Muller <acmuller@example.com>]

My Bittorrent downloads have recently come to a virtual halt for reasons 
I don't quite understand, but the error messages in the various client 
apps that I have been using tend to indicate that I need to do 
"port-forwarding" to my router. I have spent a fair amount of time 
googling and trying to understand this, but unfortunately have not come 
very far. Anyway, I downloaded a program called Portforward that claims 
to do set this up automatically (but it costs 24.95), but before I take 
this step, I want to ask a basic networking question:

I am hooked up with optic fiber via e-Mansion, which is basically an ISP 
foisted on/provided to people who buy new manshons in Tokyo. Obviously I 
have no router in my own room--I have a wall outlet that I plug into. 
But am I right in guessing that there must be a router either somewhere 
in my building, or somewhere else nearby, to which this port forwarding 
might be applicable?

Regards,


Chuck


-------------------

Charles Muller

Toyo Gakuen University
Faculty of Humanities
1660 Hiregasaki, Nagareyama-shi
Chiba 270-0161 JAPAN
Mobile Phone: 090-9310-1787

Web Site: Resources for East Asian Language and Thought
http://www.acmuller.net

<acmuller[at]jj.em-net.ne.jp>