Connection failure and port forwarding

[bennis1980]

Can someone please help me before I pull all of my hair out?

I have had FG2 two weeks with a full licence and a lite for my laptop. This lite licence is connecting with no problems over the internal ip (can't over the external). Our other players are trying to connect via external ip and also cannot. I have done a connection test in Fantasy Grounds and it fails every time.

I have also:
1. Allowed FG2 through my bit defender and windows firewalls
2. Set up a static IP address using port forwarding software
3. Forwarded port 1802 on my router using above IP address (which is the same listed as external in FG2)
4. Tried using Logmein Hamachi VPN (which worked for one external player but messed up all our network settings)
5. Tried using v2.8.1 and v2.9
6. Sacrificed a virgin to the dark one

None of the above worked. I can connect to other GMs games so why can't I host a game?

I am refuse to let this beat me so can anyone please help me out and you will be rewarded richly in roleplay heaven.

[Griogre]

It looks like you have two software firewalls running. That's usually a problem, try cutting off one of them. Also I don't see anything where you say you opened the firewall on your router.

[bennis1980]

It looks like you have two software firewalls running. That's usually a problem, try cutting off one of them. Also I don't see anything where you say you opened the firewall on your router.

Thanks for the quick reply

I've turned off my Bit defender firewall. Plus the Router has no firewall options turned on. That said, there are so many options you would want to work in IT to have any hope understanding half of it

Still no joy :-(

[khersheyjr]

try a program called simple port forwarding? can google to find it. Used it as well as several of my current players to get the necessary ports working flawlessly.

[bennis1980]

Thanks. I figured it out though (the hard way)

I actually woke up this morning with a renewed determinance (is that even a word) - determinacity - whatever. But I got it working so for those in a similar situation, please be persistant and don't lose hope.

I want to share my experience (instead of saying "problem fixed thanks" - which is tempting but no use to anyone else). Please bare in mind I am not massively technical

This is how I did it:

First I made sure all my firewall options allowed FG2 through and didn't block port 1802

I found out my router's IP address (in network and sharing, network map, hovering mouse over Gateway)

I entered this ip into my browser and entered the default username and password for my router (found in the manual)

I think everyone will see something different here, but what you want to look for is Forwarding or Port Forwarding, and and option to enable UPnP (whatever that is, but you need it)

The UPnP tick box was under Advanced -> Options for me

Under that in Advanced was Forwarding:
here I was shewn Port Forwarding for Internal and External addresses. Since internal players could connecting fine, i ignored Internal. Under External there were the following fields: Remote host address, Start port, End port, protocol and an enable tick box. I put the external IP from FG2 into the remote host address field, start and end protocol was 1802, protocol left at "both" and ticked the enable box. IMPORTANT: click Apply

The UPnP is the part I missed so look very carefully for it in your router options. this was the key to my success.

remember, everyone's router settings will probably look a bit different.


Anyway, hopefully no one else's heart is broken like mine was with this problem. But now I've moved on and am very happy now