Help with XP

[Ming]

I just got a new computer with Windows XP running on it. I'm on a cable modem. I can't host games. I can join other people's games, but I can't host. This wasn't a problem before I got the new machine.

Any thoughts or suggestions?

[rah]

The standard Dr. Spike response to this question.

Originally posted by DrSpike
Eyes: You need to open and redirect packets arriving on port 4993 to your machine. Otherwise when you host the client will return data, it will get to the router, and it will be blocked, and not know where to go anyway.

You will need to know what IP the router has assigned your machine on the LAN, and the external IP of the router (this is probably static, but might change from time to time depending on your ISP). Then you need to go into the router configuration utility (probably browser based) and look for things like port redirection, or network address and port translation, anything that sounds like that. Then tell the router to forward all packets arriving externally on port 4993 to whatever the internal IP of your machine is.

In the meantime you can of course play games (when you are the client the connection is made outbound and the firewall will not block the packets, and will know exactly where to send them), you just cannot host.

[rah]

Show that to Benji when he comes over the next time.

[Ming]

Since I have no clue what he is talking about, I will indeed show to my wife and Alexia... I might have more questions... or I should say, they may have some more questions

[rah]

Originally posted by Ming
I will indeed show to my wife and Alexia...

Hmmmmmmmm.

[HawkHunter]

And you call yourself the Chief Minion of (the Grand Lord and True Emperor of Apolyton) ...... i just fixed mine by that

[Rasputin]

wow, explains why i couldnt host a game too...

just doenst make any sense to me in how to fix the damn thing..

if anyone has a laymans terms explanation i would be greatful

[deity]

This is what I did ages ago:

* Go to Network Connections in Control Panel
* Right click on your Internet Connection and select Properties
* Click the Advanced tab
* Down the bottom click Settings
* In the Services tab click Add and create the Civ2MP setting with 4993 etc

I think that's all but I might have forgotten something.

[Ming]

Originally posted by rah


Hmmmmmmmm.

I meant my wife and Benji

[DrSpike]

The guide above was to help Eyes, who had a dsl modem/router with a hardware firewall. It will help anyone else with that setup.

However some people here with problems may have a software firewall and a USB modem. XP has an inbuilt software firewall IIRC. In this case you just need to tell your software firewall not to block data arriving on port 4993. It looks like that was Deity's solution.

[rah]

About time you showed up.

[Ming]

Thanks for all the help. Our network guy was over last night and fixed all the problems. I know have connections for up to five machines in my basement to make those Apolyton/Civ meetings even more fun in the future. There will be no need for having to borrow my kids machines and stringing 50 foot cables to the switch.

[DrSpike]

Any time.

To be honest I doubt your network guy needed any instructions, excepting the port used. Curiously I have never seen it documented anywhere official. Of course in 1998 broadband and modem/routers with firewalls were uncommon, so I don't suppose they thought it necessary to mention it.

[rah]

We fiddled around a touch before we got it.
He wouldn't listen to me.

[Ming]

Yeah... but it works now, and that's all that matters.
The next time we have a Apolyton meet at my house, people should bring their laptops