Help allowing outgoing connections? (SSH, FTP, MySql server)

I've been having this problem for some time now and I'm not really sure what's caused it. I used to be able to ssh from my macbook to my school's servers using terminal, fugu, cyberduck, and filezilla.

I updated to snow leopard on a Macbook1,1 intel core duo (late 2007 early 2008 model) Now, it wont connect using any of the things above and including mySql workbench. I get "Connection refused".

I really need to use mysql for school (Sql development, not admin or modeling under the workbench), but I cant access the server. I keep getting this error:

Your connection attempt failed for user 'xxxx' from your host to server at xxxx.yyyyy.zzzzz.edu:3306:
Can't connect to MySQL server on 'xxxx.yyyyy.zzzzz.edu' (61)

The error is similar trying to ssh/sftp - the connection just refuses.

I've changed the names of the user/server to protect the innocent. The settings to access the server are correct (I've quadrouple checked spelling). It just wont connect. I think it has something to do with the firewall? I've tried accessing it with the firewall turned off and turned on with mysql allowing incoming connections. Under System Prefs > sharing > I have file sharing, web sharing, remote login, remote management.

Is there something else that I need to do? Maybe under system prefs > network? Under network > advanced > proxies, nothing is checked except "Use passive ftp mode" at the bottom.

Edit:
More settings. I just checked my router settings to see if that might be a problem (to be honest - I don't really know what I'm looking for? But I checked the "security" tab).
Linksys wrt54g2 router:
Under security > firewall >
Block anonymous internet requests CHECKED,
filter multicast CHECKED,
filter IDENT(port 113) CHECKED,
the only one not checked is filter internet NAT redirection.
Under application and gaming > port range forwarding/port triggering
Haven't touched these settings so they are the defaults
under application and gaming > DMZ/QoS
Disabled
Under Administration > management
Access server: HTTP Checked
HTTPS NOT CHECKED
Wireless Access web: Enable
Remote management: disable
Management port: (Grayed out but says) 8080
Use HTTPs: NOT CHECKED
UPnP: Enable

I can get on the internet fine (from a variety of devices - ps3, macbook, iphones, etc). I don't know if this will help, but I've also tried to set up PS3 Media server to stream from my macbook to ps3, but it never works either (gave up a long time ago but thought I'd throw that in for some extra info).
I'd really like to get this fixed so I don't have to go on campus every time I do my homework. Any help is much appreciated.

-Corey

Skyrim said:

The port may be blocked. Have you checked it?

Click to expand...

I have not. I actually don't know how? Would it be through the application (MySQL workbench) or something in my system prefs or the router?

The port from the workbench is 3306 (and works from campus computers/friends computers).

From cyberduck and the like, I try to ssh from port 22 (which, again, works from campus/other computers).

As far as allowing the connections in System Prefs > Security > firewall > advanced, I have added both MySQL workbench and the ftp programs. The only options, though, are "allow incoming connections" and "disable incoming connections". I need outgoing, thought, not incoming.

And how would I go about allowing it?

Do I type in the host server into the "enter an internet or IP address to scan for open ports" field? I did that and it returned nothing.

Funny thing is I pulled out the macbook air and logged into the server just fine. The macbook was wiped clean a few months ago and I haven't touched it till now. However, the settings were almost identical to my macbook that I'm currently using (that wont login to the server)...

Problem solved.

I booted in safe mode and ran the mysql workbench and it worked just fine. So... I thought I'd take it to apple to see if they could figure it out. After waiting for the genius do everything I had already done, he concluded that it was some 3rd party app that might be blocking the connections and that I do a complete wipe (no way, ALL my work wont fit on my external HDD), an Archive and install (which will put the settings back to normal (if it was a setting problem vs the third party app problem - so this might not have fixed the problem), or hunt for a third party app on my own.

So I hunted. I went through every third party app that I thought might block connections (like ps3 media server, air mouse server, sophos antivirus, etc). Deleted them one by one, rebooted each time to test if mysql worked and finally found the problem. It wasn't an app that even should be connecting to the internet... iStatPro. I would uninstall the app, test mysql, reinstall the app if the problem wasn't fixed (except for the antivirus, just completely got rid of that).

TL;DR - if you're having a problem with connections, check the login items or 3rd party apps. Mine was caused by the iStatPro dashboard widget.

Thanks, @Skyrim, for the help.