Blocks not downloading with 14 connections.....

[deepceleron]

Microsoft Security Essentials can block proper Bitcoin connections, you should check to see if you have installed this.

What you need to configure in your router is port forwarding - port 8333 should be forwarded to the IP address of the internal computer running bitcoin (and you should make sure this computer gets a static IP address too). This may be the problem if you are only seeing eight or fewer connections.

I have posted something relevant here, you can manually download the blockchain and put it in your Bitcoin install: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=51456.0

[Bemtje]

Maybe try updating your firmware too.

[Joseph sterns]

Hey thank you for the replies,

I have set my port forwarding to 8333 and currently am downloading blocks once again, my wallet.dat file is backed up on a usb, and i am currently at 136xxx blocks downloaded, figure im close enough and will just let it download

what does it mean to run bitcoin using the rescan command line? I know that obviously i have to use cmd prompt but what do i type in and what directory do i have to be in c:\program files\bitcoin? im not a techy when it comes to cmd but dont want to lose my bitcoins as i did have quite a few sitting in this wallet

I hope my bitcoins arent lost but from what i am hearing as long as i backed up my wallet.dat recently my coins should still be in my wallet once the blocks are downloaded up to current,

thank you for all being so kind and helping me out in a time of need,

[DeathAndTaxes]

On recan.  Yes you need to be in the folder where Bitcoin is installed.

Remember the bitcoin program is actually called bitcoind  so it is:
bitcoind -rescan

[Joseph sterns]

ok so i only have to do that if i downloaded a blockchain from somewhere else correct? if i just let it download my coins should show up as the associating blockchain is downloaded?

[DeathAndTaxes]

ok so i only have to do that if i downloaded a blockchain from somewhere else correct? if i just let it download my coins should show up as the associating blockchain is downloaded?

Yes.  If for some reason they don't even when block count is at current block you can use rescan option to force a rescan of entire block chain.

[deepceleron]

Remember the bitcoin program is actually called bitcoind  so it is:
bitcoind -rescan

Not quite correct, there are two seperate executables included in the distribution - bitcoind is the daemon that has no user interface, and bitcoin is the program that 99% of people use.
C:\Program Files\Bitcoin\bitcoin.exe -rescan is the command to put in Start Menu -> Run for just about everybody.

The rescan option is used when you wallet file doesn't indicate the correct balance because transactions were missed somehow (usually database issues).

Maybe try updating your firmware too.

What??

[DeathAndTaxes]

Thanks for the correction.