HELP - Port forwarding on O2 router

[Mr Ono]

Ever since I went onto O2 for broadband and been using their wireless router/modem, I have been unable to connect over the Network (or Lan) option on games such as Red Alert 3 or Kane's Wrath between my PCs at home. Was perfectly fine with my old Netgear.

I've tried to appropriate port forwarding from http://portforward.com/english/route...585v7index.htm and it still doesn't work.

When I set up the PF and it asks me to assign a device - does this mean the Device that is connecting (ie. a laptop) or the Host machine (ie. my main desktop)?

Driving me nuts to be honest as I think I've done everything correctly.

[J0e Musashi]

Are you using the O2 Wireless Box II?

[Number45]

It'll be wanting the IP address of the machine that you're trying to connect to the service with. If you think it's setup properly and it's still not working, try disabling uPnP (Which will dynamically map ports) - just beware this might give you issues with other applications that rely on its use.

[EvilBoris]

I may be wrong but I believe port forwarding is more often used for games connecting to online services. I think you are forwarding ports from the outside world to one specific machine on your network.


Have a scoot about the settings and make sure UNP is enabled and maybe try turning the firewall off.

[smouty]

I agree with EB. Port forwarding in only between the WAN (broadband) port and LAN ports. Normally a router does not filter any internal traffic. This is much more likely to be a firewall on the PCs.

[Number45]

I may be wrong but I believe port forwarding is more often used for games connecting to online services. I think you are forwarding ports from the outside world to one specific machine on your network.

This is what I said.

Assuming uPnP is enabled by default and it's not working then I still suggest switching it off and trying to manually forward the ports necessary. Not everything plays nicely with uPnP.

Good call on desktop based Firewalls though, definitely worth shutting them down to test.

[abigsmurf]

Ono:

The O2 wireless box will by default use the computer name to identify the devices on the network. If it doesn't and only does IP addresses, open command prompt and do "ipconfig /all" and look for your local IP address (will be 192.xxx.xxx.xxx, won't be the one called the gateway). It should match with one of the ones listed by the router.

I've forgotten the name of the menu in the O2 box but there's a section where you can assign applications to a user on the network. Create a new application with the ports you want to forward, save it, then go back to the main 'assign an application' screen and assign it to the Device you want to forward it to.

[Mr Ono]

Thanks guys- let me have a play tonight with it.

[J0e Musashi]

I bet you say that to all the boys.

[Mr Ono]

OK, it looks like the problems was Windows Vista Firewall.

One question then, if I disable it, am I still protected by the Router FW which is on?

[abigsmurf]

The router firewall is only a last resort, it only protects against common attacks against the network and things using ports in a weird way. It won't protect you from most malware

Try Comodo personal Firewall

[Mr Ono]

OK thanks. What gets me is that Win Vista FW allows exceptions and I have all my games marked as such but I guess this is for onlione play only. Is there no way of making exceptions for LAN connections?

[Mr Ono]

Tried everything. Even uninstalled and repatched both PCs with the same files just in case I got out of sync versions.

Turned off Firewalls on both PCs and still it Times out.

I'd have given up ages ago if but for C&C4 being so crap so I really wanted to play Kane's Wrath.

[abigsmurf]

Looked up the port that Kane's Wrath uses?

[Mr Ono]

I'm getting totally confused. I am playing on LAN (wireless) - do I need to look at Ports on my router??