Frustrating Firewalls & Pompous Pings

[Wizard55]

This is no longer a game, it is a QUEST to see if my computer can play CIV3-PTW.
My friend (THE_FATHER) and I have tried all day yesterday to play CIV3-PTW to no avail. I hosted a game, my friend joined. We were happy we made it to the Staging screen. I launched, I waited, No Father.
I went back to the Lobby and contacted Father. He said he got
the message about being behind a firewall?? We didn't understand this message since we have played Age of Empires and Star Wars Battlegrounds numerous times before at Zone.com
and with Direct IP link up.

Father then hosted and I joined. Once again we are at the Staging Screen. He launches and waits, I got the message about the Firewall. Puzzling!!! We try playing with other people but they politely ask us to leave because they say our ping is to high. Frustration is setting in !!

Back at the lobby Father and I are conversing about our probelm when Ajerzguy jumps in and tells us about his thread at Aployton. We thank him and journey off for data.

The_ Father has Windows ME and AOL. No firewall software.
I have Windows98 and an Independent server. I have Zone Alarm which I disabled before I went to play.
We both use dial up with 56k modems.

We spent hours researching this data and sites and we thought that we had it solved to the best of our ability Which is not much.
We tried once more to play the game. No luck!!

Totally Frustrated with "NOT KNOWINGNESS" we retired for the day. Is this our fate to never to be able to play CIV3-PTW.
I would hope not, because we truly love the game.

If any good soul out there could enlighten us to understand the data that is before us, it would be greatly appreciated.

Excuse us for our ignorance. Thanks for listening.

[notyoueither]

Are you sure that ZoneAlarm opened the required ports when you shut it down? It might work better to leave it up and tell it to allow access to the net and to function as a sever for PTW. Have you tried that?

[ChaotikVisions]

ZoneAlarm is really bad with leaving its grubby hands on everything. I had unistalled it once before and it was still blocking some things from stuff left over. Also had a friend of mine who couldn't play WC3 online with ZoneAlarm disabled, found out it was still blocking it for him also. I'd do what nye said and try giving it all the allowances, is that doesn't work try unistalling(and making sure all of it is gone) it.

[Swissy]

You have a couple of problem. First, the Zone Alarm is very unfriendly to some online games. I had the Win ME/ZA on my computer last year and couldn't plat CTP online. I didn't quite block the game totaly. I could get into the server lobby, but couldn't join, create or even leave the lobby. I could only chat. Next, I have heard some grumbling about PTW and AOL being a bad mix. I think AOL may be blocking some ports at their servers. I have heard people with AOL/DSL are having similar problems as you. Your best bet is to investigate getting some sort of broadband connection, either DSL or cable. If that is not possible at this time, perhaps a different dial-up provider.

[Wizard55]

I left Zone Alarm on with the allowances and was able to get into 2 games this afternoon.
The host of the first game decided that the pings were too high and stopped the game after 15 minutes.

The 2nd game (2 other players and I) lasted 1 hr 45 minutes before both players left the game and I got an out of sync error.

Therefore I know I can play, even though it is slow. One player was from Canada and the other was from San Francisco.

Thanks for your help notyoueither

[ChaotikVisions]

Figures, it was ZoneAlarm blocking stuff again even while disabled. Though it isn't needed now since you got it working, if you want a good firewall that'll do what its told i'd suggest Sygate Personal Firewall. www.sygate.com to download it.

[Dis]

I'm too lazy to change firewalls.

I did get a game going when I shut down zone alarm. And that was before the latest patch. I just haven't had a chance to see if I can get in another game since the patch.