Hosting Problems -not giving up

[hfp]

Hi, everyone. I know you're probably thinking that this is another stupid question from someone who is too lazy to read the posts of others, but after hours of research, I have not solved anything. My problem is I am unable to host a game that others can join on wormnet. I have been to http://www.nanacide.com/wahelp/wnguide-firewall.php , http://www.blamethepixel.com/f/t6587 , www.ligaworms.org, and many other sites. I have even created a static ip address, all to no avail.

I am determined to get this to work since I really enjoy playing online. I'll just tell you what I have and maybe someone will be able to help.

I'm using Microsoft Vista, a linksys WRT54G router and the software COMODO Firewall Pro. I have done all the port forwarding suggested in other posts and have taken off my router's firewall and comodo's firewall. I am missing something. What would you suggest?

I don't want to give up.

FBI - my name has nothing to do with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It's just the name I use on wormnet :)

[CyberShadow]

Is your "Force IP" option in the W:A network setup screen turned on?
If it is, turn it off. All guides that instruct you to turn it on (and enter your IP) are outdated.
You don't need to have an external static IP or get a DNS name in order to host.

[hfp]

Thanks, CyberShadow. I'll follow your instructions. You seem to be up to date with this subject. What directions would you give me to solve this problem, that is, which ports would you forward and what all would you do to allow me to host?

[Muzer]

He's one of the two developers of the updates, so he knows his stuff.

[CyberShadow]

The only port that you have to forward, with the default configuration, is 17011. (You can customize that port, but you usually don't need to.)

[hfp]

Ok, thanks. I will forward that port alone. What else would you do? I'm trying to think of something that I'm forgetting to do. I still can't host after forwarding that port.

[CyberShadow]

Aside configuring firewalls, nothing.
Incorrect port forwarding configuration is the most common problem with hosting.
Could you make us a screenshot of the respective router configuration page?

[hfp]

Sure. Here is a screenshot.

[franpa]

try hosting the image at "Photobucket" and link us to the image. it will remove the image rezizing.

http://photobucket.com/ (signing up is free!)

[CyberShadow]

Well, I think I can make out enough from that picture. Make sure that the IP you specify in the second-to-last column is actually your computer's local IP address. You can find your local IP address by typing ipconfig in a command prompt.

[hfp]

Ok. Thanks for advising me to use photobucket. I have now used it for your convenience, although I don't know if you can see the following screenshots very well.

Here is my port forwarding image from the last post.
http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg172/hfpardue/portfowarding.jpg

Here is the screen I get when I type ipconfig.
http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg172/hfpardue/ipconfig.jpg

And here is the screen I get when I type ipconfig/all, in case you need it.
http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg172/hfpardue/ipconfigALL.jpg

As far as I can tell, I am using the correct IP address. I still cannot host. This desktop computer is connected to the router via a CAT5 ethernet cable. There are two laptop computers that are connected to the router wirelessly. Thanks for your time.

[CyberShadow]

You're not using the correct IP address. You're supposed to enter your computer's local IP address in the router's port forwarding configuration, not the gateway address. (Change 192.168.2.1 to 192.168.2.100).

[hfp]

Ok. I just changed it. It still doesn't work.

[CyberShadow]

Try hosting a game, minimizing, then going to http://www.canyouseeme.org/ and checking if it can connect to you on port 17011.

[hfp]

Ok. I did that and canyouseeme.org says

"Error: I could not see your service on 68.18.170.28 on port (17011)
Reason: Connection timed out"

[hfp]

I disabled the port forwarding just to see what would canyouseeme.org would say, and it said this:

Error: I could not see your service on 68.18.170.28 on port (17011)
Reason: Connection refused

So, canyouseeme.org has not been able to see my service when the port is forwarded and when it is not.

[CyberShadow]

Do you have more than one computer on your network?
If so, can you play on LAN if you host on your computer?

[hfp]

I have 3 computers in total on my network.
1. My computer (this computer) connected directly to the router via a CAT5 ethernet cable
2. A laptop connected wirelessly to the router
3. Another laptop connected wirelessly to the router

I was able to play on LAN when I hosted a game from my computer.

[CyberShadow]

Okay. So your router is both an Ethernet and Wi-Fi router?
Just to make sure, did you try temporarily disabling software firewalls?
Check if your router has a DMZ setting, which may override port forwarding settings.

[hfp]

Correct--My router is both an Ethernet and Wi-Fi router. I did try disabling software firewalls. I checked the DMZ setting on my router and indeed it was disabled; however, after I enabled it, I still was unable to host.

[Muzer]

This sounds like me. The only way I can get my WA to work , and the same thing has to be done on two different routers which is very odd, is to go into the IP setup area (the bit where you unclick force IP), click force IP, enter my router's local IP address (192.168.2.1), exit out of that page, go back into it and uncheck force IP again. Sounds illogical, I know, but it's the only way I could get it to work. Weird.

[hfp]

Muzer, I tried that and it didn't work, but you may be onto something. What settings do you have on your router?

Cybershadow, do you have any more suggestions?

[CyberShadow]

Is the port in the W:A network options set to 17011?

I'm not sure how to diagnose this problem further.

[hfp]

The port in the W:A network options is set to 17011. Take a look at the following screenshots of my router and let me know if you see any settings that are unnecessary or incorrect.

My router security page:
http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg172/hfpardue/routersecurity.jpg

My Applications and Gaming page:
http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg172/hfpardue/routerportforward.jpg

My router DMZ page:
http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg172/hfpardue/routerdmz.jpg

We are going to figure this out! I am optimistic :)

[Muzer]

Make sure you definately don't have Windows Firewall running; it can often start without telling you in my experience. You may have never actively enabled it but it may still be so.

[hfp]

Windows Firewall is turned off.

[hfp]

Is anyone out there using a linksys router and able to host? If so, post some screenshots or send me a message on msn: goncsuwolfpack@hotmail.com

It seems like half of all the players on wormnet for worms armageddon are unable to host. If this continues, many people will quit.

[MrBunsy]

Is anyone out there using a linksys router and able to host? If so, post some screenshots or send me a message on msn: goncsuwolfpack@hotmail.com
Me. I've got a WRT54GL, though, but the screenies look identical. I've got the firewall enabled, but only the Filter Multicast option ticked. DMZ is turned off, and port 17011 (TCP) is forwarded to my internal (static) IP.

I also run Windows firewall, with WA allowed through.

[hfp]

Thanks, MrBunsy. Could you tell me how you set up your static ip address? I tried to set up a static ip address, but was unsuccessful because I only had one dns server. Maybe I did something wrong.

[MrBunsy]

I'm not that great at explaining things, so I'd take a look somewhere like Port Forward's page (http://portforward.com/networking/staticip.htm).

The two DNS servers you need should be on the router's status page, if there's only one I think you can put it twice. (I can't remember which windows version won't let you do that, though). You might even be able to put the router's IP.

You don't actually need a static IP, but it means you don't have to change which IP port 17011 is forwarded too every time you restart if it is static.

[CyberShadow]

To narrow down the problem, could you try setting up another static IP for a different computer on your LAN, forwarding the port 17011 to that computer's new local static IP and trying to host?

[hfp]

Ok, I now have created a static ip on this computer and have applied it correctly (to my knowledge). Below are screenshots to show my current configuration when I try to host.

http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg172/hfpardue/staticip.jpg

http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg172/hfpardue/routersetup.jpg

http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg172/hfpardue/dmz.jpg

http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg172/hfpardue/applications.jpg

http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg172/hfpardue/status.jpg

Something must be wrong.

[CyberShadow]

Is your router itself connected to another network device? From the last screenshot you posted above, it seems that you have a double NAT configuration.

[hfp]

My router is connected to a dsl modem.

[Muzer]

And that modem has the IP of 192.168.1.254?

[hfp]

How do I find out the ip of the modem?

[MrBunsy]

Usually it's the router's external IP, which in your case is still an internal IP. That suggests the router is plugged into another router, or you have some screwed up ISP who doesn't give you an external IP address.

[CyberShadow]

If your DSL modem has more than one Ethernet port, then it's a router also. You must forward incoming connections on W:A's port from the modem to the router, and from the router to your computer. Try opening http://192.168.1.254/ in your web browser (it should open the modem configuration). If that doesn't work, you must connect your computer directly to the modem.

[Muzer]

I did see a router with only one ethernet port and no WLAN or USB (as in, it needed configuring to allow WA through). IT was really odd, it acted exactly like a router, it had its own internal IP system and all that, but with only one way of connecting a computer.