Connection issues...

[Madelaine]

I recently installed FG on my notebook since I traveled over the ocean (from europe to canada) and wanted to keep going with my weekly FG game.
At home all worked well.. The connection test passed and everything.
Now I am in Canada (a private apartment not a hotel) and the connection test keeps on failing.
First I thought it must be a port forwarding issue but no. The problem seems to persist. I shut down all firewalls. Turned on the port forwarding. Even placed the computer IP in the DMZ. Nothing works. The connection test keeps failing.

The router is a Belkin router and I try to connect via wireless by the way.

Now I got told by a player of my group that it might be a license issue since I am using the same key on 2 different computers (not at the same time) and even traveled to a different country which could give the impression that the key was stolen/duplicated. He said a friend of him and he himself had that issue in the past as well already.

Now my question...

Does anyone have any idea what might be the problem with the network if there could be still any? Anyone made similar experiences with a Belkin router and wireless connection? Is any of the devs or staff members able to confirm the serial/license issue and if so is there any way possible to get this solved?

Sincerely yours

Madelaine

[Dershem]

Have you tries using hamachi? www.logmein.com if you and the host both run it and connect it's for sure a network issue.

[Phystus]

It sounds like you know enough to have already done this, but have you checked your internal IP to confirm it matches the IP to which you are forwarding the port?

Also, what version of Windows are you running? Have you checked that both the Windows firewall and any third-party firewalls are configured to allow FG traffic? I would suggest setting the firewalls to pass the traffic rather than shutting them off.

~P

[Madelaine]

The IP was correct.
I tried with all 3 firewalls disabled (Comodo Firewall, Windows Firewall (which I usually do not use anyway) and router firewall).
I had the computer IP even placed in the DMZ to get around the router firewall just in case.
Neither of those things worked.
The OS is Win7 x64.
I had the same configuration running at home before I traveled overseas with just another router and had no problems.



It sounds like you know enough to have already done this, but have you checked your internal IP to confirm it matches the IP to which you are forwarding the port?

Also, what version of Windows are you running? Have you checked that both the Windows firewall and any third-party firewalls are configured to allow FG traffic? I would suggest setting the firewalls to pass the traffic rather than shutting them off.

~P

[Griogre]

It is not likely the license key is a problem as long as someone is not using that computer at home to run FG.

It actually *is* likely a firewall problem. First, DMZ really doesn't work well on a lot of routers. Second, cutting off firewalls tends to freeze their settings so your port forwarding will not work since it it was not correctly set up and with the firewall(s) off will never be correctly set up. I'd cut back on the one of your windows firewalls that you were using before when you could pass the connection test.

If sounds like the problem is with the router firewall. You will need to configure it to forward 1802 to the local IP of your notebook. This local number may well be different from the one at home. You should also make that local IP number static if you are going to be there a while.

You might find this site helpful it has a long list of Belkin routers: https://portforward.com/english/routers/port_forwarding/routerindex.htm

[Madelaine]

The IP is static and it is forwarded to the right IP and it is using the right port.

Notebook IP: 192.168.2.99
Router IP: 192.168.2.1
Default Gateway: 192.168.2.1
TCP Port 1802 forwarded to 192.168.2.99

So I really do not see where the mistake could be.

[Griogre]

Yeah that looks pretty good. Try this.

Start FG then go to www.PCFlank.com and run the advanced port scanner here: https://www.pcflank.com/scanner1.htm Select a TCP scan, then Scan desired ports and input 1802. Run the scan. Do you get back closed or stealth? Stealth usually means a firewall is blocking, close means the port is not opened.

[Phystus]

Have you tried connecting your laptop directly to the cable or DSL modem, bypassing the router completely?

~P

[Madelaine]

It returns "stealthed".



Yeah that looks pretty good. Try this.

Start FG then go to www.PCFlank.com and run the advanced port scanner here: https://www.pcflank.com/scanner1.htm Select a TCP scan, then Scan desired ports and input 1802. Run the scan. Do you get back closed or stealth? Stealth usually means a firewall is blocking, close means the port is not opened.

[Madelaine]

I cant bypass the router. It would be no option.


Have you tried connecting your laptop directly to the cable or DSL modem, bypassing the router completely?

~P

[RKBrumbelow]

Madelaine,
I wonder if one of two tinges might have occurred. 1) you could be behind a proxy that the ISP you are using has in place. 2) you may have gotten a virus which has affected your machines routing by installing its own proxy and is only allowing certain ports to be forwarded properly.

To determine the first you can go to https://www.securitytoolsonline.com/request.php?op=proxy and see if it detects a proxy

If it does not is there another computer in the apartment you can install FG on? See if it can connect. Possibly use someone else's connection especially if it is a laptop.

[Madelaine]

Says I am not behind a proxy.
I am pretty sure I have no virus or trojan. Yes, I know you can never be 100% sure but neither AVG nor Malwarebytes shows any infection.
Also the system was just installed a few days before my travel. So it is not THAT old.

[Griogre]

Stealth probably means its probably a firewall or other security. I would first suggest you double check the router one more time. Make sure there is only one entry for you. After that check an make sure you don't have more than one software firewall actually active. The Windows Firewall in particular has been know to turn itself one if there isn't any firewall running which mean when you go to turn back on your preferred firewall you end up with two software firewalls on - which is bad.

The other thing to make sure of is the router the only thing between you and the Internet. Is there a cable "model" or DSL modem there as well? If so then you do have to port forward and open 1802 on each device down the line because almost every hardware device between you and the Internet has a firewall these days.

[Madelaine]

Yes.. I realized yesterday that there might be an issue with the modem not forwarding the port. I am working on that the moment. Thanks for all the help Griogre.



Stealth probably means its probably a firewall or other security. I would first suggest you double check the router one more time. Make sure there is only one entry for you. After that check an make sure you don't have more than one software firewall actually active. The Windows Firewall in particular has been know to turn itself one if there isn't any firewall running which mean when you go to turn back on your preferred firewall you end up with two software firewalls on - which is bad.

The other thing to make sure of is the router the only thing between you and the Internet. Is there a cable "model" or DSL modem there as well? If so then you do have to port forward and open 1802 on each device down the line because almost every hardware device between you and the Internet has a firewall these days.

[Arlanthe]

Hello- I am having this EXACT problem right now (I just bought SIX licenses for my entire game group, I bought the computer ten days ago). My OS is also Win7 x64, and I am in more or less the same boat. I get "stealthed" in PCFlank utility just as you do, no matter what I do.

Computer IP: 192.168.1.99
Router IP: 192.168.1.1
Default Gateway: 192.168.1.1
TCP Port 1802 forwarded to 192.168.1.99

Linksys WRT54GS Router
Motorola SBG900 Cable Modem

• Static IP Assigned with the correct settings.
• Port 1802 forwarded to my static IP on cable modem and firewall (though I keep the cable modem firewall off).
• Windows Firewall and all Antivirus off.
• Static IP Assigned with the correct settings.
• Port 1802 opened on cable modem and firewall (though firewall turned off cable modem).
• Windows Firewall and Antivirus off.
• Tried will all firewalls off- fail
• Tried in DMZ- fail
• Tried with only router firewall on/forwarding 1802- fail
• Confirmed NOT behind an ISP proxy
• Scanned for virus & Trojans- I have none

I basically am at the same step as you Madelaine. However, I use only my router firewall in general, and with ALL firewalls off, or router-on modem-off, still no dice. So at this point I do not think it is being blocked at the cable modem.

So it seems we are in the same, boat, stuck at the same point. Please let me know if you find a solution to this problem. I would hate to think I bought six licenses for naught.

[Griogre]

You're welcome, Madeline.

Arlanthe, your most likely have to turn your software firewall on to open the ports on it. Turning off a modern software firewall doesn't open ports so 1802 is likely blocked at the software firewall. You can turn it off again after you open the port but then there will be no reason to do so.

[Arlanthe]

Hello. I turned all firewall software on and still it did not work, even though port forwarding is enabled. Tried mucking around with all of that but still no dice :(

[Madelaine]

Sounds very familiar to me Arlanthe...
I realized that there is a cablemodem but even routing the 1802 through the modem firewall (no matter if turned on or off) did not do the trick.
I am pretty out of ideas now.

[ddavison]

A couple ideas of things to check:

1. There may be a problem with something else using port 1802.
a. Open a command prompt: Start | Run | cmd
b. type netstat -a while Fantasy Grounds is not running.
c. Confirm that nothing is using port 1802
d. Launch FantasyGrounds.exe and check netstat -a again. It should show TCP traffic on 0.0.0.0:8080 as listening

2. You could try a different port.
a. try 1809 by launching fantasy grounds with FantasyGrounds.exe -p1809
b. open your firewalls for port 1809
c. port forward 1809 to your laptop

3. Try a more generic port that will likely not be blocked by normal firewall setups
a. try port 8080 by launching fantasy grounds with FantasyGrounds.exe -p8080

[Arlanthe]

Hm, I opened a command prompt, navigated to the FGII folder and launched the .exe with the -p8080 port as well as 1809 and it didn't work.

I haven't actually convinced myself the modem is forwarding correctly to the router, however. Does anyone know how to confirm my modem-router IP? My modem lives at 192.168.0.1 and router at 192.168.1.1. I port forwarded 1802 from my modem firewall settings, over to 192.168.0.2. However, I am not certain this is the "path" to my router. Does anyone know how to find that?

What is the proper term for that path?

(Oh, my modem is a Motorola SBG900 and my router is a Linksys WRT54GS; other than knowing the IP address of each, I don't know where the modem needs to forward to get to the router, nor how to find out).

[ddavison]

You might have problems if your router and modem are on different subnets. Most default subnets are 255.255.255.0, which means they have to share the first three numbers (or octets.) Can you change your router to live on the same subnet as your modem and PC?

[Griogre]

You both have effectly a double router setup if the cable modem has a firewall, so you might find this helpful. https://portforward.com/help/doublerouterportforwarding.htm

I would suggest you try one step at a time starting with the modem. Disconnect the router, and plug your PC into it directly. Next open the port 1802 TCP on the modem and then port forward 1802 to the internal IP of the computer. Use this list here: https://portforward.com/english/routers/port_forwarding/routerindex.htm Turn on your preferred software firewall on the PC. Configure the firewall to allow FG, if you use the Windows Firewall then just start FG in windowed mod and the Windows Firewall will ask if you want to allow FG as a server - just say yes.

Start FG and check connection. Once you get a connection, unplug the computer from the modem and plug in the router. Re-port forward the modem to the *external* IP of the router instead of the computer's local IP. Then have the router port forward to the computer's local IP address.

[Arlanthe]

Ok, I will try this after work, good suggestions. By the way, thank you everyone for your help and I am sorry I am plagued with so many problems. I have a feeling I will eventually figure it out...

[Arlanthe]

I thought I would update this thread and let everyone that helped know I got in.

What I ended up doing was disconnecting from my wireless router, and went to the Motorola SBG900 Surfboard wireless modem connection. I changed my adapter gateway to go through the modem, though I had some trouble with DNS settings. I don't exactly know how I fixed those, but after setting the DNS to what I saw in ipconfig, it all seemed to work.

I could never get the modem-router-PC port forwarding chain done, but I am just happy I can connect now.

My sincere thanks to everyone with suggestions!