Connection Test Failure

[ddavison]

If you use McAfee, we just had someone else who recently had the same problem where it stopped working suddenly and McAfee had for some reason decided to start blocking the FantasyGrounds.exe program. Please double check that you have FantasyGrounds.exe added as an exception, along with the updater.

[Andraax]

You are connecting to port 80 on the server. Your originating port is some random, unused port that your browser picked. Many ISPs block incoming requests for port 80, but none that I know of block outgoing requests for port 80 on another server. Unless you are running your own web server on an internal computer, you have no idea if your ISP is routing port 80 to your home network.

For example, my current connection for this forum is 192.168.2.5:58384 to 104.20.17.205:443. 192.168.2.5 is my computer's internal IP address, and port 58384 is the random port opened on my end for this connection. I am connecting to 104.20.17.205 as the forum's IP address, and port 443 (which is the "secure" hypertext port, used by https). My ISP is routing port 58384 to me, but only because I *originated* the connection. They are free to block incoming port 443 (or 80), without affecting my connections to web services, and many do because most likely your agreement with your ISP contains a clause that you will not run servers on a "personal" account.

This is why *players* do not need to open port 1802 for Fantasy Grounds - because when they make a connection to the GM's server, they are making an outgoing connection (which just about every ISP allows on every port) and the port they're using is some random port in the very high ranges. However, for the GM to get a success, the ISP must route *incoming* connections for 1802 to your router, and your router must forward those connections to your computer.

[RaTath]

If you use McAfee, we just had someone else who recently had the same problem where it stopped working suddenly and McAfee had for some reason decided to start blocking the FantasyGrounds.exe program. Please double check that you have FantasyGrounds.exe added as an exception, along with the updater.

I am not running McAfee and I have disabled my virus protection to trouble shoot this issue. Thanks though.

Ra

[RaTath]

You are connecting to port 80 on the server. Your originating port is some random, unused port that your browser picked. Many ISPs block incoming requests for port 80, but none that I know of block outgoing requests for port 80 on another server. Unless you are running your own web server on an internal computer, you have no idea if your ISP is routing port 80 to your home network.

For example, my current connection for this forum is 192.168.2.5:58384 to 104.20.17.205:443. 192.168.2.5 is my computer's internal IP address, and port 58384 is the random port opened on my end for this connection. I am connecting to 104.20.17.205 as the forum's IP address, and port 443 (which is the "secure" hypertext port, used by https). My ISP is routing port 58384 to me, but only because I *originated* the connection. They are free to block incoming port 443 (or 80), without affecting my connections to web services, and many do because most likely your agreement with your ISP contains a clause that you will not run servers on a "personal" account.

This is why *players* do not need to open port 1802 for Fantasy Grounds - because when they make a connection to the GM's server, they are making an outgoing connection (which just about every ISP allows on every port) and the port they're using is some random port in the very high ranges. However, for the GM to get a success, the ISP must route *incoming* connections for 1802 to your router, and your router must forward those connections to your computer.

I just spoke with my ISP. They do block all incoming port 80 traffic as a security risk. If the client request doesn't come in on Port 80 then why the need to port forward Port 80 to 1802? and then what port is the FG client request going out on? or is it any number of random ports?

[damned]

RaTath I think you are completely missing how this works... but thats ok. FG has nothing to do with TCP Port 80 for the Success Test or the Hosting process. If everything was working and you had made no changes to the router to do so then your system was using UPnP and had autoconfigured. If so - reboot your router and retest. Do you have a WiFi Router and a Modem (like a Cable Modem)? If so - reboot them both. If that doesnt work send me a PM.

[Andraax]

I just spoke with my ISP. They do block all incoming port 80 traffic as a security risk. If the client request doesn't come in on Port 80 then why the need to port forward Port 80 to 1802? and then what port is the FG client request going out on? or is it any number of random ports?

Why are you forwarding 80 to 1802? You should forward 1802 coming in from your ISP to 1802 on your local computer. And yeah, the clients just use a random, unused port on their end for the outgoing connection...

[SteerableLemur]

Hi all, I've been running my dnd games for my group on fantasy grounds I problem for months. Now all of a sudden it's saying failure to connect. Has anyone experienced it suddenly stopping to connect?

Any help would be greatly appreciated! thanks!

[LordEntrails]

Hi all, I've been running my dnd games for my group on fantasy grounds I problem for months. Now all of a sudden it's saying failure to connect. Has anyone experienced it suddenly stopping to connect?

Any help would be greatly appreciated! thanks!

A couple of possible things;
- Check to make sure your internet connection is still set to private (home or work). Windows Updates have been reported to change this.
- If you setup port forwarding on your router, make sure your computer hasn't been assigned a new/different IP
- If you didn't do port forwarding, it's possible UPnP is no longer working on your router and you may have to start port forwarding. Try rebooting your router and your computer first.
- Your anti-virus might have started blocking FG, make sure FG is whitelisted in your A/V, and any other firewalls you have.
- Your ISP could have started to aggregate your connections with your neighbors. from a command line, run tracert 8.8.8.8 and report the first 5 lines here.

[ddavison]

A couple of possible things;
- Check to make sure your internet connection is still set to private (home or work). Windows Updates have been reported to change this.
- If you setup port forwarding on your router, make sure your computer hasn't been assigned a new/different IP
- If you didn't do port forwarding, it's possible UPnP is no longer working on your router and you may have to start port forwarding. Try rebooting your router and your computer first.
- Your anti-virus might have started blocking FG, make sure FG is whitelisted in your A/V, and any other firewalls you have.
- Your ISP could have started to aggregate your connections with your neighbors. from a command line, run tracert 8.8.8.8 and report the first 5 lines here.

Those pretty much cover everything. I would suggest that the most common issue would be that your router has reset and reassigned IP addresses. In that case, edit the port forward setting and point it to the local IP address that is shown within Fantasy Grounds. You can also delete it and recreate it. The router should prevent multiple entries for the same port forward automatically.

[Nate Grey]

Had the same problem of previously being able to connect then not (though it'd been months since in my case). I checked out the troubleshooting tips for Port Forwarding, but it seems my modem-router doesn't have advanced settings for NAT/Virtual Server, so I'm currently stumped.

(I recently changed my internet connection, but already had the problem with the old one (that used to be working).)