Hosting a game on ubi.com via Linksys Router

[Rockymaru]

Hey, first time poster here and JUST set up my router. Looks very, very deep and informative here. Unfortunately the gaming help section of this page seems out of date (over a year and a half ago). So was wondering if anyone could help me out here.

I'll admit: I'm a total no0b to the router scene. I am nearly 100% clueless here. With my cable modem (w/o router) I could join and host games, no problem. Now when I host (and this seems common from my searches I've done) no one can join.
I am playing Tom Clancy's Sum of All Fears on ubi.com. My ISP is Comcast @Home and I'm using the Linksys 4-port router (BEFSR41). I am sharing the internet connection between 2 PC's.

If anyone has had similar problems, or knows a good source for configuring a network to work w/ games, please reply or e-mail me.

[Greenstead]

If you have read the gaming section help you will understand that many games and applications need to open ports to the PC with the game. A NAT router, like the BEFSR41 rejects all incoming connection requests.

So you have two options to solve this:
1. Find out what are the neccessary ports for the game and use the routers port forwarding to forward them to your game PC.
2. Temporarily place your Game PC in the router's DMZ (this is like having your PC connected directly to the internet). You should not leave it there or it is open to intrusion.

Good Luck

[LinkSys101]

Rockymaru,

:D There are alot of pointers that you have to consider, try the following steps that i would give you.

1. place your computer into a "STATIC IP" your IP should be
192.168.1.110
Subnet mask should be:
255.255.255.0
Gateway address should be
192.168.1.1
2. Access the web base utility of the router by hitting on your Internet explorer and type 192.168.1.1

3. Go to the advance TAB of the router set-up page and look for the DMZ
4. Place the IP address of the computer that you want to serve as a host and that is 192.168.1.110

5. hit apply and then continue

6. do a power cycle by powering off the computer, router and also your modem
7. wait for at least 1 minute before you power on everything.
8. after 1 minute power on the modem and make sure that you get a stable lights from the modem before you power on the router and also the computer
9. after getting a solid lights from the modem, power on the router and also your computer.

10. Youre all set!!!!

:D

[Rockymaru]

Originally posted by Greenstead

So you have two options to solve this:
1. Find out what are the neccessary ports for the game and use the routers port forwarding to forward them to your game PC.
2. Temporarily place your Game PC in the router's DMZ (this is like having your PC connected directly to the internet). You should not leave it there or it is open to intrusion.

Good Luck

Hmm, from what I HAVE read, it seems that DMZ can indeed be harmful. As you said it is "open to intrustion." I'm going to try opening ports for my game, as this leaves me more at ease.
I don't host that often anyway, so this option sounds more reliable.
OK, I can just leave the game port open all the time when I boot up and not worry about forgetting to close off the DMZ option. Definitely sounds better.


As for what you, LinkSys101, says in regard to having a "static IP" set up, doesn't this also compromise my security, like having DMZ on?
How does having a static IP differ from having one IP set automatically?


And I appreciate the quick follow-ups, I didn't think anyone would bother looking at a "no0b"s posting.
Thanks

[LinkSys101]

Rockymaru,

in hosting a game i would recommend to use the router's DMZ now in using the DMZ your computer should be placed in a STATIC IP. the difference between a static IP and an Dynamic IP is that in a DYNAMIC IP behind the router. your IP address will change from time to time thats because of the DHCP capabilities of the router. but on a STATIC IP there is a fix IP on your computer so that any users who would join your game will be able to identify the IP address that youve placed and it will not be change by the router because it is in a STATIC IP, but when youre going to place a DYNAMIC IP on the DMZ it will work "BUT" all the users whos going to join your server will be automatically get disconnected because the router already released a new bunch of IP'S.

I would recommend "Place your computer in a STATIC or FIX IP"

if your concern is with the security install a firewall in your computer "configure it on a way that it would only allow 1 specific port to be open and that is your game that you want to use. im not familiar with that kind of firewall but i would suggest try to look at www.google.com for this"


:D

[Rockymaru]

Originally posted by LinkSys101
I would recommend "Place your computer in a STATIC or FIX IP"

if your concern is with the security install a firewall in your computer "configure it on a way that it would only allow 1 specific port to be open and that is your game that you want to use. im not familiar with that kind of firewall but i would suggest try to look at www.google.com for this"


:D


Hey, wanted to give you an update. I was still using most defaults (such as "Obtain IP automatically") and found out how to open the necessary Ext. & Triggered ports. So I WAS able to host a game of Sum of All Fears on ubi.com!!

However, when I tried using mIRC I could not connect!!
Linksys' pdf guide recommends what you are suggesting - set up a static/fixed IP, if mIRC doesn't work "out of the box" - which, as I said, didn't.
Well, before I even attempted this (as prior to reading your msg, I wasn't sure if it would be more prone to hacking my PC), I tried opening the ports listed at mIRC.com and from other msg boards. STILL didn't work.

Looks like I'm going to have to set this up into static IP mode. Before I do this, I have 3 more Q's (please excuse me :D):

1. By setting a static/fixed IP, does this make me more vulnerable to hack attacks? How/what makes it easier/harder (?) to hack?

2. When I checked Linksys' support site, it went thru a different process in setting up a static IP, than what you, Linksys101, suggested. It tells the user to go into your Network settings in the Control panel and do it there. So if I decide to go this route, would I follow Linksys' suggestion? Or BOTH (from what you also described)?

3. What makes it easier, if applicable, to host games w/ a static IP rather than the default setting (obtain one automatically)?

[LinkSys101]

:D Rockymaru


You dont have to place all of your computer into a FIX ip; only the computer that you want to use as a server. but for security reasons ill give you one other solution:

Lets not use the DMZ; but were going to use the Port forwarding, now the basic function of this is that it would only open a specific port. lets just say you want to have a FTP server which has the port number of 20 to 21. as soon as you put the port on the router. The router would only allow people to access your FTP and not any other application; it's just the same with your game server.

I would recommend try to know or try to research the port number of your game here in www.practicallynetworked.com i know they have some pointers about the ports of all application.

But in using the port forwarding thru game hosting you still have to place your computer (the one that you want to function as a server )into a FIX ip

As soon as you know the port put it in the forwarding tab of the router and place the Ip of the PC that you want to use as a server.

enable the protocol TCP and UDP and apply the IP address of the PC and hit on enable check box.

and youre all set. the NAT will only allow users to pass through the port that you have opened.


:D

[Rockymaru]

Originally posted by LinkSys101
But in using the port forwarding thru game hosting you still have to place your computer (the one that you want to function as a server )into a FIX ip

As soon as you know the port put it in the forwarding tab of the router and place the Ip of the PC that you want to use as a server.

enable the protocol TCP and UDP and apply the IP address of the PC and hit on enable check box.

and youre all set. the NAT will only allow users to pass through the port that you have opened.
:D


Thanks for the quick follow-up, once again. However this really didn't answer my question. In regards to port forwarding/triggering, I already said I was fortunate enough to host a game, so that area is taken care of. I'm more concerned about a fixed IP and if it's similar to being on cable modem w/o a router (i.e. if it's THAT easy to host games, web servers, FTP, etc by just going static IP route).

In a fixed/static IP mode, why/how is it more vulnerable to being attacked?

Secondly, is there a way to get on IRC w/o having to set a fixed IP? I've tried opening up the required ports, but I still can't get on. Do I have to bite the nail and go w/ a fixed IP just to log onto IRC?

[LinkSys101]

:cool:

Actually youre right placing your computer in a static ip makes your computer open to hackers. however there are some ways on which you would avoid this. by using the port triggering you dont need to place your computer in a static ip. by using port triggering it would work whether it is in static or dyanamic ip.

with regards to your irc you could use port triggering. make sure you get the right ports and dont forget to power cycle.

the port for irc is 113 to 113 use this in port triggering

[Rockymaru]

Originally posted by LinkSys101
:cool:

Actually youre right placing your computer in a static ip makes your computer open to hackers. however there are some ways on which you would avoid this. by using the port triggering you dont need to place your computer in a static ip. by using port triggering it would work whether it is in static or dyanamic ip.

with regards to your irc you could use port triggering. make sure you get the right ports and dont forget to power cycle.

the port for irc is 113 to 113 use this in port triggering


Yes, I have those ports open in both forwarding and triggering, yet I still cannot connect. So I'm saying, must I go set a static IP just to connect to IRC?

Thanks

[LinkSys101]

Dood,

It's your call rockymaru, but since you have chosen to used both applications (Port Forwarding and Triggering) you must choose only one.Because if your running two application on the router then deffinitely it wont work.

If youre going to use port triggering delete all the values that you placed under port forwarding.

because if you use both application it would create a conflict.:D if you want to use port forwarding then place your computer in a static IP and dont use port triggering. now if you want to use port triggering you can set your IP in a dyanamic one and dont use port forwarding.:D

and by the way if you have any personal firewall installed in your PC remove them because you already have the NAT firewall on the router


Just use one application.

[chow7352003]

HELPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I dont have the same router, but the setups will be very similar as the linksys one. I own a SMC barricade router model smc7004ABR.

I really screw up with the setup of the port forwarding and trigger, since i have no experience with them before. I am using two computers, one my bro and one myself, with no firewall on, means file sharing enabled. BOth are windows xp professional OS.

Thecomment on above stated that i cannot use port forwarding and triggering all together or it will have conflict for sure. but what about if i set ftp with port 21 in forwarding , and set port triggering for my irc program, with that be a conflict also, since they are actually not related??/?????

Its also stated on above comments that if port forwarding is on, i need to set a fix/static ip, do i set this both on the router setup page, and the computer?????? For my router this is a page setup that asks for what type of ip and i set it to dynamic.

For my computer, under winxp, i set a fixip under tcp/ip, and once i am done and click ok, the internet wont work anymore, but my bro computer has no problem/.......what have cause this????

Fortunately, i have two windows installed , win 98 and xp. Somethign really weird is once i switch to win98, connection works perfectly, what the hell is the problem with xp ??? is it my router????

What about you ppl stated above that for portforwarding , you have to use fix/static ip?????

how come one computer work and the other (mine) doesnot ???

I want to set this mainly for my irc dcc to work, but ive looking everywhere for a solution,

As you can see i m a newby in port stuffs,

Places i have looked at are: www.practicallynetworked.com
and all teh search engines, (www.google.com which is the best place for resources, which i still dont get it :( )

If anyone able to solve my problem or have info, please reply me A.S.A.P.

[LinkSys101]

dood,

just to make sure like what i have told to rockymaru place your computer in a static ip, if your router has a DMZ capability use it. it would deffinitely open up all the ports.

Now if you dont have any, you can use only 1 application that is port forwarding or triggering. you can always open up several ports using 1 application wheather its forwarding or triggering.

my advice is just use only 1 application eventhough they have diffrent ports

[chow7352003]

Reply :

I have two computers, with ip 192.168.2.25 and 192.168.2.37.

How do i EXACTLY exactly exactly how to setup this on the router setup page with two computers,

work with the programs: irc, ftp, half-life, etc....
PLEASE note that i know all the corresponding ports for each program, but a little bit confused with irc ports, since it have
dozen of ports such as 113, 59, 6667, 1080.

[LinkSys101]

okay now lets try to configure first your FTP, hit on your internet explorer and type in the address of your router that is 192.168.1.1 and go to the advance tab hit on the forwarding and specify the ports for your FTP and the corresponding ip that is your 1st pc right?enable the protocol TCP and the UDP and check on enable. then your half life input the ports under port forwarding and the IP of the computer (the one that you want to use as a server or the computer that you want to use) enable the TCP and the UDP also and check the enable box. and for your IRC just do all the steps that i have mentioned and you will be fine.

but if you want to use only 1 computer, i would recomend try to use the DMZ.:D

[chow7352003]

Sorry , but my router is an SMC7004ABR model, not a linksys,

very sorry i didnt mention that....but please give me step by step, since i am a n00b of the world..

dont ask me again to read the manual , since i did 1000x already

still..dont really understand...

once again my two computers ip are: 192.168.2.25, 192.168.2.37

and my router setup page is 192.168.2.1

Application i would like to setup for are: half-life cs, mirc, ftp, all this for both computers!!!!!!!!!!

[LinkSys101]

dood,

i bet that router of yours has a forwarding and triggering capabilities. try to check the web base utility of this router and explore the page and see if there's any port forwarding