How to: see/connect-to/host SERVERS!

Published on January 31, 2008 By the_Monk In Technical

I have already posted this information to several other forums including the World in Conflict forums where it has received much attention and helped many people with posts such as "I can't connect to servers" , "I can't see all the servers" , "my friends can't see/connect to my server" etc. I have decided to post it again and hopefully it'll be made into a sticky!

I work in IT (design complex NAT/network structures for coporate clients) so that's how I know what I'm talking about. Second, I've had my server the Monk's [PROVING GROUNDS] running a dedicated server for most multiplayer games released since HW1/Operation Flashpoint, so anyone with game hosting issues, ask away! NAT and the misconceptions/inability to configure it are the single largest cause for people not being able to see/connect to/host internet servers today!

A quick lesson on NAT:

NAT (Strict) - Port AND Address-restricted NAT (the router/firewall insists that the packet return from both the same IP Address AND Port the packet was originally sent out to)

NAT (Moderate) - Port-restricted NAT (the router/firewall insists that the packet return from the same Port the packet was originally sent out to but doesn't care if the IP Address isn't the same)

NAT (OPEN) - Port AND Address independent NAT (the router/firewall doesn't care which Port OR IP Address the return packet comes from and simply forwards the data packet on to the internal IP you will have specified in your "port-forwarding") Obviously OPEN-NAT is the least secure and also by extension the most flexible for hosting/connecting-to games.

MOST games will work having TCP set to STRICT and UDP set to MODERATE. ALL games will work setting both TCP and UDP NAT filtering to OPEN. (your routers may or may not even let you modify NAT filtering, many SOHO routers do not!) I have "real" routers/firewalls (very expensive also ) so I have granular control over many things that many SOHO routers don't even reference such as the above.

If your router DOES allow NAT control then my suggestions above willwork! Plain and simple. NAT, when not implemented with any sort of controls (like on many SOHO routers, and crappy retail anti-malware/firewall software) is the single biggest reason for sour gamers!

Happy gaming/hosting, monk out!

xfire: the1monk

EDIT: here is a link a "networking guide for the gamer" I wrote which may also come in handy the "[url=http://www.themonk.ca/Monk/Networking_for_the_Gamer_by_the_Monk.pdf]Networking for the Gamer[/url]" guide I compiled of all the "generic" networking information I posted to various forums.

EDIT:

Here is the link to my SINS-specific guide "Networking and SINS" (version 1.0 written Feb 14/2008) which contains all information necessary in order to play/host SINS!

http://themonk.ca/Monk/Networking_and_Sins_by_the_Monk.pdf

Comments (Page 7)

Skarphy

on Apr 15, 2008

YES!!!!!!. I have never even thought of this as a possibility until I read monk's guide. Ok I have not been able to host wc3 / sins games for over a month. I had tried everything and I mean EVERYTHING. If port forwarding is not working for you and you know its not a firewall, check your modem. My modem is a westell wirespeed. The 'expert mode' button did not work in ie7, so I never pushed the issue. When I found a work around it turns out what was happening was exactly what monk said 'double NAT'. The modem I have acts like a router. This is why when i would unplug my router and directly plug my modem in I still couldn't host.

For me I had to go under NAT in my routers settings and forward all my ports to my router (listed by it's mac address). Then I forwarded those same ports to my computer and not it works like a champ. I can't believe that untill now I have never even heard of the possibility of modem port forwarding. Hopefully by spreading this I will reach at least a few of you who were just about to give up.

the_Monk

on Apr 15, 2008

You're welcome. I'm glad I could help!

the Monk

Per Ole

on Apr 16, 2008

Ok I got the service working and everything, but when I try to host no one can join. I thought to myself "hold on, I never saw a sins.exe in C:\Program Files\Stardock\TotalGaming\Sins of a Solar Empire , I see sins_Launcher.exe, Sins of a Solar Empire.exe (yes, with spaces) but no "sins.exe", does this have anything with me not being able to host a server? (I can join just fine)

Hollow Man

on Apr 16, 2008

The executable is "Sins of a Solar Empire.exe"

Per Ole, what "service" are you speaking of?

-HM

Per Ole

on Apr 16, 2008

the one monk tells you to make, where you edit that .ini file

Hollow Man

on Apr 16, 2008

Ok, I guess you've gone to his overall network guide, not the Sins specific one.

I'm going to leave it to him as to why you're using this guide. Because I would think in at least 8 cases out of 10, simply forwarding TCP ports 6000 and 6112 to your local machine will do the trick for hosting a game. And in most other cases, the whole "cascading NAT" thing is the culprit (I would've never known some cable/DSL modems had routing features; go figure).

-HM

the_Monk

on Apr 16, 2008

@ Per Ole

As Hollow Man already pointed out, you should be using the guide "Networking and SINS" not "Networking for the Gamer" (Networking for the gamer was written with any/all client-server games in mind, SINS is P2P). That's why I wrote a special SINS-only guide.

Per, look for the link under the GREEN writing at the top of this page!

That's the guide you'll want to use.

thanks,

the Monk

Jephir

on Apr 18, 2008

I have a router that doesn't seem to have NAT controls (NETGEAR WGT642 v3). Is there any way to be able to host through this router? I've already tried forwarding the required ports, but it still doesn't work.

the_Monk

on Apr 18, 2008

@ JephirDromulus

You need to follow the steps in my guide "Networking and SINS" (linked-to under the GREEN writing in my OP).

Everything in my guide is in there for a reason. Go through it step by step. If you've forwarded the ports to the correct IP, it could still be an SPI/router firewall issue, Double-NAT (your cable/dsl modem is also working as a router) etc. Don't skip pages/steps in my guide and you'll be fine!

the Monk

100

Per Ole

on Apr 19, 2008

Argh, I'm really annoyed... I tried everything in your guide, but nothing worked, so I decided "*insert bad word* it" and set my router to allow any and all traffic directly to my computer. I disabled the windows defender processes you said (I had both), turned off windows firewall, and it STILL won't work! I need some help, bad

101

the_Monk

on Apr 19, 2008

Per Ole,

You are missing a step (not following my guide step-by-step) or it would be working!

It's that simple really.

As my guide states, you're probably in a "double-NAT" situation (where your cable/dsl modem is also setup to be a "router" at the moment) so as I've stated in my guide you'll have to verify if that in fact is happening. If that is the case, then you'll need to do what I instructed the other's who were in the same boat to do (ie. forward the ports from your cable/dsl modem to your router, then from your router to your PC).

It doesn't matter a whit if you're forwarding traffic from your linksys/dlink to your PC if the traffic isn't even getting to the linksys/dlink because your cable/dsl modem is stopping it.

If you're frustrated/annoyed that it's still not working, think that I'm frustrated/annoyed when people don't follow the guide step-by-step and are actually wasting more of my time when I have to re-iterate everything time and again!

If you would like to set up a time to get onto my TS Server so that I can talk you through the steps I would be willing to spend time doing that for you. Contact me via xfire (the1monk) to set up a time.

the Monk

102

Per Ole

on Apr 25, 2008

Still not getting it to work. My network map is like this:
WAN (internet) - Firewall/router - Switch - Switch - PC

I've not managed to figure out what my firewall/router is called, but it uses something called "Safe@Office 500WP" which stands on the top left side of the screen when I go to 192.168.0.1 and log in, also there's a number on the right hand side; 7.5.48x Maybe you'll make more sense out of this then me.

It has no option to turn firewall off, but it's got a lever that you can adjust between different security levels (Block All, High, Med, Low). tried putting to low, still not working. Low security description says: "Low security
Enforces basic control on incoming connections, while permitting all outgoing connections"

There is a tab called NAT here, but I see no option to turn it off or anything like that. There are 4 address translation thingies here, for LAN, DMZ, WLAN and gjest (guest). I've tried forwarding ports (you can do that on it) but it still doesn't work. I'm really stuck here

My father works in IT (Network solutions) and even he can't figure it out...

I've tried your guide and it doesn't work for me, maybe becouse one of the things I've described above. Can you please help me? I know it must be annoying, but I've tried everything I can think of and it still doesn't work

Regards

103

the_Monk

on Apr 25, 2008

Per Ole,

I'll be glad to help you through the steps in my guide.

Please contact me via xfire (the1monk) and I'll give you my TS Server (TeamSpeak) information so that we can talk.

thanks,

the Monk

104

Nemesis626

on May 21, 2008

Sry to be sooo noob but i was reading ure directions and i got stuck in the begining. I cant find my ip address because u say type ipconfig in the "command prompt". Where the hell is the command prompt? thanks.

105

Hollow Man

on May 21, 2008

Start - All Programs - Accessories - Command Prompt

-HM

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