use Perl

On my local net, only a couple machines are "visible" from another coupled intranet, which means
that a client PC is subject to arbitrary connection
severing after a relatively short time...sic

it is clear that I need a port forwarder, and I need it fast (as usual)...this means perl and first CPAN to make sure I don't reinvent the obvious.

So I came across the Net::Server framework which has a multiplexer incarnation that seems promising; on the client side it is normally VERY protocol-oriented so as a basis I will use some code from Lincoln Stein's network book.

ok network code is only half the story, as I soon discover, the true question is when do I close a client connection? there are some obvious cases,
server closes its read end (or both) client says it's done; but what about mis-behaving or real slow clients etc....Humm need more thinking