Windows SP2 and TCP connection limit

[Nemesis]

Windows XP SP2 limits TCP connection attempts to 10 (quite small ). If there are more concurrent TCP connection attempts, Windows generate a warnning: EventID 4226: TCP/IP has reached the security limit imposed on the number of concurrent TCP connect attempts. Since XP SP2 there are only 10 concurrent TCP connection attempts possible, while in SP1 it has not been limited. (A connection attemp is a query to a computer, if it accept the TCP connection or not. If the computer is for example no more existent, it will be waited for a few seconds, until a timeout occurs and the connection attemp get canceled. )

The thrid-party patch [Download (http://www.lvllord.de/)] for tcpip.sys to fix that SP2 issue is recommended.
Download:

http://www.lvllord.de/?lang=en&url=downloads (http://www.lvllord.de/?lang=en&url=downloads)

[princec]

You've got to be joking if you think I'm installing a replacement for the tcpip stack from some "dude off the net!"!!!! Please, sanity, folks!

Cas :)

[Nemesis]

I've posted it for info really. It's a snippet passed on to me today.. I'd like to look into it further before installing anything of the sort myself! Was anyone aware of this SP2 limitation?

[James C. Smith]

To clarify, this restriction is for HALF OPEN TCP connections only, not the total number of TCP connections your PC can or will make. I believe you can have more than 10 concurrent connections as long as the 10th one is done connecting before you start the 11th. I don’t see why this would be a problem.

[Nemesis]

The restriction was apparently implemented for the sake of security but I think it affects users of P2P software and applications like GetRight since they may be concurrently opening and closing connections all the time.