Required Ports

[nvrslep303]

What ports need to be opened for the Create Server, so that it appears to other people over the internet? I opened the 2 that needed to be opened as said on the steampowered support which are

27015 - 27020 UDP
and
27015 TCP

but it still doesn't appear..........

 

[DragonDude]

You still aren't getting your server to appear? You don't need to make a new thread each time. It'd be best if you kept it all to the same thread, so it's easier to follow. x_x

The ports you listed are the ones you need (though it's UDP 27015 AND 27020, not 27015 through 27020). The ones listed above that are only required by clients.

If nothing else, you could try applying DMZ to that particular computer's internal IP address. That basically allows all traffic to a computer on your network, as if it wasn't behind the router at all. Your router should support that, most current ones do. I wouldn't recommend you keep it on, though. Try hosting with it enabled, and see if your server appears. If it does, then your problem lies in your router settings. If it doesn't, then your problems are coming from somewhere else (game settings), so turn it off.

This might sound stupid, but are you trying to see the server listed with the rest of the online servers? It's only going to appear under LAN servers, even if it isn't a LAN-only server. Since you're on the same network as the computer, you see it and connect to it by its local IP address (192.168.0.x), anyone outside your network (everyone else) does the same, but by your external IP address. That got me at first when I was experimenting with HLDS, I figured it'd show up in the same list as the other servers. It does, of course, but only for everyone else.

 

[nvrslep303]

how do i apply it to the IP internally? i do not know all these technical things..

 

[DragonDude]

Well, first you're going to need to get to your router's configuration page. Then, you're going to have to find DMZ settings (if your router supports it, it probably will). On my router, all I do is type in the internal IP address of the computer I want DMZ'ed, and hit "save settings."

On your network, each one of your computers has an internal IP address, 192.168.0.something. They're usually assigned randomly by your router upon connecting (via DHCP, you're going to have to configure a static IP address for your server once you get it set up). These internal addresses are how your router identifies each separate computer on your network. Other people can't access your computers through these addresses, because it's only your local network. As far as the outside world sees you, you're just your external IP address, no matter what PC on your network you're using.

In a nutshell, your router takes your external IP address, and splits it across as many computers as it supports on your network. This is all fine and good, until you want to do something that requires special ports. The computer on your network sends the request to your router, which sends it off to wherever on the Internet. It gets a response back, but where on the network is it supposed to go? The router doesn't know which computer to forward the traffic from this port to (hence, port forwarding)! So, what you're doing by port forwarding is telling the router, "Hey, when traffic comes in from port x, I want you to deliver it to the computer located at 192.168.0.x!"

*disembodied voice* Now you know! That's DD's bit on basic general networking.

So, find your computer's internal IP address. I think on Windows it shows it when you look at your network connection's status (right click on the icon of the two computers on your system tray). That's the IP address you tell your router you want the ports forwarded to, or DMZ'ed.


Have I referred you to this website yet? It's a good, helpful resource, and it has everything you need to get you up and running. My fingers are gonna start cramping if I have to type up another post like this. D;

 

[Spunky]

Here are the ports that I opened to host my server.

UDP and TCP: 27000-27030

Worked like a charm for me.

 

[nvrslep303]

I am getting very frustrated and confused, ive done the ports everybody has given me and nobody can join. There has to be something im doing wrong.