NWN:
Multiplayer Help
ShadowGameWorld.net > Never Winter Nights Help Page > Multiplayer Help
NWN:
Multiplayer Help
Ok Firewall 101.
NWN is not broadcasting or sending or posting your Internal IP.
GameSpy gets your IP based on the TCP Packet of info you sent to GameSpy when NWN
started.
It does not use the IP listed in the top right corner of the NWN dedicated
server window.
The IP that GameSpy uses will be the same as the one you get when you click on this link
http:///www.myipaddress.com
The Packet of Info, sent to a Web Server on Port 80, is also sending along
your External IP address, not your internal.
This is all done automatically by your router.
This has to work this way or the Web Server
would have no idea how to send you the web page requested back to your
computer to display.
See Also
Help me setup my Linksys to host a NWN
server...
Help what are all the ports I need to open to host on
GameSpy...
Help in finding your External or WAN IP for your NWN
server...
Setting your Forwarding Page under a LinkSys...
*** Playing online with same IP (Router wise) Sync Issues
The problem is that each Client (your computer and your 2nd computer)
are using the Same IP and Port# from the server's point of view.
To fix this you need to change the Port# of 1 of your computers
to a different Port#.
To do this go into your NWN Game Folder and look for a file
called nwnplayer.ini. Open this file with notepad.
Look
for "Client Port=" under the [Profile] Heading. Change the
Port# from 5120 to 5119 or lower. Always go lower, never higher.
You only need to do this for 1 of your 2 computers.
Unless you have 3 computers then you need to change 2 computers.
Or if you have 4 computers then you need to change 3 of them.
You get the idea -- all Port#s must be different.
The best way to find your External, WAN, or Internet IP will be to use the following link.
Once you have found this you can just tell your buddies to log on using
Direct Connect
instead of posting your game to GameSpy.
NOTE
If you have changed your Server Port# under nwnplayer.ini then you
need to tell your
buddies about this also. When they type in your IP they need to also type
in your Port#.
Example (12.251.74.128:5122)
This tells NWN to log on to IP 12.251.74.128, but using Port#5122 instead of the
default
Port# of 5121.
5121 inbound UDP.
Yes that's right just 1 single Port. That is all NWN listens to so that
is the only Port# you need to allow in.
The NWN Read Me says
Ports 5120 through 5300
UDP, not TCP for its connections.
If you are wanting to make sure that your NAT is set up to allow the game
to play here are some details:
Outgoing packets: UDP
Source port: 5120-5129
Destination port: 5121-5300
Incoming packets: UDP
Source port: 5121-5300
Destination port: 5120-5129
According to the NWN Tech Help Forums
Ports 5120 through 5300
Port 6500
Port 27900
Port 28900
Here is the reason why these are all different.
When you start NWN Server it sends an outgoing Packet to GameSpy on
Ports6500,27900,28900.
Your router software opens these ports and allows traffic(info) to go between
your computer and
the GameSpy Server. So you see the GameSpy Ports are already open.
On some
routers, like a Raptor firewall,
you will need to setup a Script to allow these packets out in the first place
and to allow them back in.
However, I really doubt anyone is using a
Raptor firewall to play. If so, they don't need my help to setup a server.
Since the router is opening these ports for you, you don't
need to open them. The following
is an example of why I know this to be true. You are not
forwarding Port 80, but yet you can
get to WebPages; the router opened up the port for you since your internal
computer was making the call.
Now then, since NWN only listens to the PORT# setup in the nwnplayer.ini
settings there is no reason
to open any other port besides the one that NWN is listing to. The default
PORT# is 5121. This is the only one you
will need to forward in your Firewall software.
Once you create a firewall setup you cause a separation between your
network and
the internet. This separation causes your computer to now have
2 different IP addresses.
There is now an Internal IP, the one that your computer is known by on your internal
[local] network.
And then there is your External IP which is the IP address the rest of the Internet knows your
computer by.
Your Internal IP will usually start with something like 192.168.1.XXX where
XXX is some
number assigned by your DHCP server built into your Firewall.
Your External IP is assigned to you by your ISP service and can be found by
clicking on this
link. http:///www.myipaddress.com
See Also
How to find your
computers IP Address...
DHCP what is it?...
List of well known ports...
Game Server Ports...
Port Forwarding 101
Port Forwarding is a way to tell your Firewall software to send
certain info to a specific internal computer.
By doing this you are able to setup a server behind a firewall.
Here is an example: NWN uses by default Port#5121. So, when you try and contact a
server the Client sends a Packet
of info to IP XXX.XXX.XXX.XXX:5121. The firewall looks to see if 5121 info
is to be sent to a internal IP.
If this has been configured then the info is routed to the NWN Server and
everything is fine. If the router has not
been configured the Packet of info is dropped and the NWN Server cannot be
contacted.
How to Configure Port Forwarding
How to do this for every firewall on the market is well beyond the
scope of this FAQ. The best I can do is show
how this is done on a LinkSys firewall. It will be similar on all Firewalls.
Click HERE to check it
out.
Ok, well if you are this paranoid then I cannot help you. Sorry.
I really doubt that any hacker is just waiting around for you to open a NWN Port so they can steal all your stuff.
Ok, well what you need to do now is call your ISP and ask if you are allowed to setup a Quake Server.
There are ISPs that do not allow incoming packets of info. This
prevents you from setting up any kind of
server. It does not matter if the server would be behind a firewall or not behind a firewall.
Sorry, there is nothing you can do if this is the case.
[ShadowGame World Home] [Game Server IP Address] [Friday Game Info]
[NWN Multiplayer Server Help] [NWN Server/Firewall Setup]
Copyright © 2001 Shadow Software, Inc.
ShadowSoftware.net is a registered trade mark of Shadow Software, Inc.