How to host games, a guide

**Anilrgowda** · 25-Dec-2006, 09:06 PM

How to Host Games Being able to actively host a game is a wonderful ability, but some people are finding that, for reasons unknown to them, they are unable to host. This page will shed light on why that is and how to fix it. After using this guide properly you will have the ability to host with any game.
The hidden objective of hosting is to grant yourself the ability to listen for connections. If you are unable to host, something is preventing you from doing so properly. What that is depends on how your network and your computer is setup. This guide will aid you in figuring out what that something is, but ultimately you need to figure it out for yourself! If the process were as simple as "go to this, enter this, enter that and it will work", then there would be no problem. So, some good reading comprehension skills and thinking ability will be required on your part.
All of my examples use Warcraft III, so the port I will be using is 6112. If you are setting up hosting for a different game you must take that into account and use the proper port!
To solve the hosting problem we must examine all the possible causes of it. We will start by taking a look at any software firewalls you might have, move on to routers/NAT modems and finally touch on college firewalls. Most of the time, the problem is caused by routers/NAT modems.

STOP! Now you have a choice. If you have no software firewalls or if you are sure that any software firewall you do have is not causing the problem, you can skip down to routers/NAT modems [click] section. If you do, then proceed past the divider below to the software firewalls section.

Software Firewalls
A software firewall, in its efforts to protect you, might be inhibiting your ability to listen for connections. Examples of software firewalls include ZoneAlarm, Kerio, Norton Internet Security and Mcafee. To add an extra twist to this section, Windows XP comes with its own firewall. If you do have a software firewall, a few minor tweaks in configuration will fix the problem, assuming that the software firewall is your problem. Due to the somewhat easy-to-configure nature of software firewalls, they usually aren't the problem, but it is best to ensure that they are properly configured first to rule them out.
Windows XP Firewall (applies to all WinXP users) - To access it, go to the control panel and double click "windows firewall".

If you do not have another software firewall then I recommend you adjust settings to allow full permissions for your game, as shown in the picture directly below:

If you do have another software firewall, follow the pictures below to disable it:

Who the hell said that the Windows XP firewall was the easiest?! PEH!

ZoneAlarm - Go to the program control tab, click the programs tab, scroll down until you see your game and give it green checks for access/server rights in the trusted/internet zone.

Kerio - Go to network security and give the game checks for in/out in both trusted and internet. You can change a ? or X to a check by clicking on the ? or X itself.

Norton Internet Security - Go to stats & settings tab, click on "personal firewall", click the configure button and a new window will popup. Click the programs tab, scroll down until you see your game and change permissions to "permit all".

It is possible to open ports manually in any of the firewalls above. This is often unnecessary because granting the program full access rights will do the job. However, there are some circumstances where you have to have to create an expert rule or go into some advanced firewall configuration to open a port. You should keep this in mind, but this is almost never necessary.

Routers and NAT Modems Routers are all too often the problem that blocks your ability to host, that is, if you have one. If you have dialup you definitely don't. If you have DSL/cable, you might have a regular modem (bridge modem) connected to a router, a modem/router hybrid or a modem that does NAT.
Allright, chances are that I confused you a bit. Not everyone can tell the difference between a router and a modem and even less know what "NAT" (Network Address Translation) is and if the modem does it. To approch the problem effectivly, you will need to know enough to at least identify what a router is and tell if a modem does NAT or not.
How do you tell if the modem does NAT (Network Address Translation) or not? The modem manual should tell you and that is the easiest way to find out. Now chances are you don't have that manual and believe me, you aren't the last person to not have important manuals. You can always call your Internet Service Provider and ask if X modem model #X does NAT. If the modem only has a port for the cable/phone plug and one USB and/or one ethernet port (pictures of both below), then it probably is a regular (bridge) modem and, therefore, does not do NAT.

How do you tell between a modem/router hybrid and a NAT modem? A modem/router will have multiple ethernet ports, possibly one USB port and can be wireless. A NAT modem will have one ethernet port and/or one USB port and is never wireless. Again, the manual will tell you and that is the best way to find out if you are in doubt!
You absolutely must confirm which type of modem it is before going on. It could be a regular modem (bridge modem), a NAT modem or a modem/router hybrid. You also must confirm if you have any routers or if it is a modem/router combo.
When you have figured out what type of modem you have and if you have a router, compare it to the setups below and acknowledge which one is yours:

Once you have figured out what type of network setup you have in the picture, click the appropriate link below:
Setup One and Two Setup Three Setup Four Setup Five

Setup One and Two - With this network setup, your objective is to access your router's settings, then setup what is called "port forwarding". Port forwarding means the router will take all traffic on a specific port (which you want to be the port the game uses) and forward it to your computer.
First let's start by finding your computer's IP address. We will need it to configure port forwarding later. Press start, go to run..., type cmd and press OK. A black window will show up. Type in ipconfig and press the enter key. This will display information about your connection. Keep this window open, you will need the information that it has later for configuration. DO NOT JUST COPY WHAT IS IN THE PICTURE; YOU HAVE TO DO THE COMMAND YOURSELF! MY SETUP IS DIFFERENT FROM YOURS!

Now we must access the router's settings. To do this, we enter the IP address of the router in the browser (browser, as in Internet Explorer, Firefox, etc...) and then enter the proper username/password.

Now let's say you don't have your manual. I think 90% of the people who made it here will be in this situation. If you take a look at the router itself and lookup its name and model number on the company website, they have manuals and FAQ available for download. The router IP is often the same as the gateway. I marked mine in a yellow box in the picture of the command prompt I showed above.
Once you get into your router settings, I urge you change the router password to something other than the default one. This goes double for those with wireless routers.
"Port forwarding", "Games/Applications" and "Virtual Server" are common terms that you will want to look for. Avoid "port triggering", as it tends to not work. My Dlink router put it under "Firewall". In the picture below I have an example of a port being opened for warcraft III.

Under "protocol" it gives me the option of TCP, UDP, * (any) and ICMP. In your settings you should select "any". If "any" is not available, choose TCP and UDP. For the IP address I put my computers IP address, which I found out by looking at the information in your command prompt window. (Don't just copy my IP address, it is different from yours.) The port (or range of ports) is the one you need to open to allow the game to listen for connections. Warcraft III requires port 6112, so I entered that. Here are a few more examples:

Once you are done, save it. Your game should now work, assuming you entered the information correctly.

Setup Three - You might be able to configure the modem to do port forwarding in much the same way you would a router. Unfortunately not all modems have this functionality. Attempt to follow the instructions for Network Setup One and Two for your modem. You should, at the very least, be able to access the settings.
If you cannot find anything that pertains to port forwarding, then you must use a technique known as bridging. What makes this so difficult is each modem has it setup very differently. Here are some example pages of various modems I have found. Try looking through the page to get an idea of what you have to change. I also highly recommend going through the manual to see if it has any useful information on bridging.
Westell 2200 Bridge Guide

Setup Four - Congratulations, you have the setup that requires the most work. You have to configure your modem to bridge mode and configure port forwarding on your router. Let's start by setting the modem to bridge mode. What makes this so difficult is each modem has it setup very differently. Here are some example pages of various modems I have found. Try looking through the page to get an idea of what you have to change. I also highly recommend going through the manual to see if it has any useful information on bridging. (Note: you must be directly connected to the modem to configure it).
Westell 2200 Bridge Guide
After you successfully set the modem to bridge mode, you have to configure port forwarding on your router. To do this, reconnect yourself to the router and then go to Network Setup One and Two

Setup Five - If you have this setup then the hosting problem is not being caused by your network setup. In all likelyhood you made an error. If you are absolutely sure that the modem is a bridge then the problem lies elsewhere.

College Firewalls College Firewalls cannot be configured by you. You must consult your friendly network administrator and ask him to open the port(s) required by your game so that you may host. Unfortunately that puts you completely under the mercy of the school's network policy, so the result could be complete inability to host games. If the network administrator does comply, know and tell him/her exactly what port you need open. Warcraft III uses TCP port 6112.

25-Dec-2006, 09:06 PM	#1 (permalink)
Anilrgowda Administrator Posts: 18,695 Join Date: Jan 2006 Rep Power: 10 IM:	How to host games, a guide How to Host Games Being able to actively host a game is a wonderful ability, but some people are finding that, for reasons unknown to them, they are unable to host. This page will shed light on why that is and how to fix it. After using this guide properly you will have the ability to host with any game. The hidden objective of hosting is to grant yourself the ability to listen for connections. If you are unable to host, something is preventing you from doing so properly. What that is depends on how your network and your computer is setup. This guide will aid you in figuring out what that something is, but ultimately you need to figure it out for yourself! If the process were as simple as "go to this, enter this, enter that and it will work", then there would be no problem. So, some good reading comprehension skills and thinking ability will be required on your part. All of my examples use Warcraft III, so the port I will be using is 6112. If you are setting up hosting for a different game you must take that into account and use the proper port! To solve the hosting problem we must examine all the possible causes of it. We will start by taking a look at any software firewalls you might have, move on to routers/NAT modems and finally touch on college firewalls. Most of the time, the problem is caused by routers/NAT modems. STOP! Now you have a choice. If you have no software firewalls or if you are sure that any software firewall you do have is not causing the problem, you can skip down to routers/NAT modems [click] section. If you do, then proceed past the divider below to the software firewalls section. Software Firewalls A software firewall, in its efforts to protect you, might be inhibiting your ability to listen for connections. Examples of software firewalls include ZoneAlarm, Kerio, Norton Internet Security and Mcafee. To add an extra twist to this section, Windows XP comes with its own firewall. If you do have a software firewall, a few minor tweaks in configuration will fix the problem, assuming that the software firewall is your problem. Due to the somewhat easy-to-configure nature of software firewalls, they usually aren't the problem, but it is best to ensure that they are properly configured first to rule them out. Windows XP Firewall (applies to all WinXP users) - To access it, go to the control panel and double click "windows firewall". If you do not have another software firewall then I recommend you adjust settings to allow full permissions for your game, as shown in the picture directly below: If you do have another software firewall, follow the pictures below to disable it: Who the hell said that the Windows XP firewall was the easiest?! PEH! ZoneAlarm - Go to the program control tab, click the programs tab, scroll down until you see your game and give it green checks for access/server rights in the trusted/internet zone. Kerio - Go to network security and give the game checks for in/out in both trusted and internet. You can change a ? or X to a check by clicking on the ? or X itself. Norton Internet Security - Go to stats & settings tab, click on "personal firewall", click the configure button and a new window will popup. Click the programs tab, scroll down until you see your game and change permissions to "permit all". It is possible to open ports manually in any of the firewalls above. This is often unnecessary because granting the program full access rights will do the job. However, there are some circumstances where you have to have to create an expert rule or go into some advanced firewall configuration to open a port. You should keep this in mind, but this is almost never necessary. Routers and NAT Modems Routers are all too often the problem that blocks your ability to host, that is, if you have one. If you have dialup you definitely don't. If you have DSL/cable, you might have a regular modem (bridge modem) connected to a router, a modem/router hybrid or a modem that does NAT. Allright, chances are that I confused you a bit. Not everyone can tell the difference between a router and a modem and even less know what "NAT" (Network Address Translation) is and if the modem does it. To approch the problem effectivly, you will need to know enough to at least identify what a router is and tell if a modem does NAT or not. How do you tell if the modem does NAT (Network Address Translation) or not? The modem manual should tell you and that is the easiest way to find out. Now chances are you don't have that manual and believe me, you aren't the last person to not have important manuals. You can always call your Internet Service Provider and ask if X modem model #X does NAT. If the modem only has a port for the cable/phone plug and one USB and/or one ethernet port (pictures of both below), then it probably is a regular (bridge) modem and, therefore, does not do NAT. How do you tell between a modem/router hybrid and a NAT modem? A modem/router will have multiple ethernet ports, possibly one USB port and can be wireless. A NAT modem will have one ethernet port and/or one USB port and is never wireless. Again, the manual will tell you and that is the best way to find out if you are in doubt! You absolutely must confirm which type of modem it is before going on. It could be a regular modem (bridge modem), a NAT modem or a modem/router hybrid. You also must confirm if you have any routers or if it is a modem/router combo. When you have figured out what type of modem you have and if you have a router, compare it to the setups below and acknowledge which one is yours: Once you have figured out what type of network setup you have in the picture, click the appropriate link below: Setup One and Two Setup Three Setup Four Setup Five Setup One and Two - With this network setup, your objective is to access your router's settings, then setup what is called "port forwarding". Port forwarding means the router will take all traffic on a specific port (which you want to be the port the game uses) and forward it to your computer. First let's start by finding your computer's IP address. We will need it to configure port forwarding later. Press start, go to run..., type cmd and press OK. A black window will show up. Type in ipconfig and press the enter key. This will display information about your connection. Keep this window open, you will need the information that it has later for configuration. DO NOT JUST COPY WHAT IS IN THE PICTURE; YOU HAVE TO DO THE COMMAND YOURSELF! MY SETUP IS DIFFERENT FROM YOURS! Now we must access the router's settings. To do this, we enter the IP address of the router in the browser (browser, as in Internet Explorer, Firefox, etc...) and then enter the proper username/password. Now let's say you don't have your manual. I think 90% of the people who made it here will be in this situation. If you take a look at the router itself and lookup its name and model number on the company website, they have manuals and FAQ available for download. The router IP is often the same as the gateway. I marked mine in a yellow box in the picture of the command prompt I showed above. Once you get into your router settings, I urge you change the router password to something other than the default one. This goes double for those with wireless routers. "Port forwarding", "Games/Applications" and "Virtual Server" are common terms that you will want to look for. Avoid "port triggering", as it tends to not work. My Dlink router put it under "Firewall". In the picture below I have an example of a port being opened for warcraft III. Under "protocol" it gives me the option of TCP, UDP, * (any) and ICMP. In your settings you should select "any". If "any" is not available, choose TCP and UDP. For the IP address I put my computers IP address, which I found out by looking at the information in your command prompt window. (Don't just copy my IP address, it is different from yours.) The port (or range of ports) is the one you need to open to allow the game to listen for connections. Warcraft III requires port 6112, so I entered that. Here are a few more examples: Once you are done, save it. Your game should now work, assuming you entered the information correctly. Setup Three - You might be able to configure the modem to do port forwarding in much the same way you would a router. Unfortunately not all modems have this functionality. Attempt to follow the instructions for Network Setup One and Two for your modem. You should, at the very least, be able to access the settings. If you cannot find anything that pertains to port forwarding, then you must use a technique known as bridging. What makes this so difficult is each modem has it setup very differently. Here are some example pages of various modems I have found. Try looking through the page to get an idea of what you have to change. I also highly recommend going through the manual to see if it has any useful information on bridging. Westell 2200 Bridge Guide Setup Four - Congratulations, you have the setup that requires the most work. You have to configure your modem to bridge mode and configure port forwarding on your router. Let's start by setting the modem to bridge mode. What makes this so difficult is each modem has it setup very differently. Here are some example pages of various modems I have found. Try looking through the page to get an idea of what you have to change. I also highly recommend going through the manual to see if it has any useful information on bridging. (Note: you must be directly connected to the modem to configure it). Westell 2200 Bridge Guide After you successfully set the modem to bridge mode, you have to configure port forwarding on your router. To do this, reconnect yourself to the router and then go to Network Setup One and Two Setup Five - If you have this setup then the hosting problem is not being caused by your network setup. In all likelyhood you made an error. If you are absolutely sure that the modem is a bridge then the problem lies elsewhere. College Firewalls College Firewalls cannot be configured by you. You must consult your friendly network administrator and ask him to open the port(s) required by your game so that you may host. Unfortunately that puts you completely under the mercy of the school's network policy, so the result could be complete inability to host games. If the network administrator does comply, know and tell him/her exactly what port you need open. Warcraft III uses TCP port 6112.

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