Yet another Port-Forwarding Thread

[Gestosad]

Hey having some issues with connectivity with my player group, they get the Could not connect to the Host error

I've given them the External IP
I've given them the 4 word alias
I've opened 1802 for TCP/UDP on both WAN and LAN
I've opened 1802 on my firewall

The in-game network test returns ''Success''
canyouhearme returns Timed Out

and although I could find a solution for my particular issue in the thread, i did see a somewhat similar issue raised a few years ago where this information was relevant so just incase

command prompt returns these first 4 values on tracert 8.8.8.8

1 <1 ms <1 ms <1 ms
2 7 ms 7 ms 7 ms
3 7 ms 7 ms 7 ms
4 18 ms 18 ms 18 ms

[damned]

please read this post and then post the answers to the Qs at the bottom: https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/showthread.php?47051-Fantasy-Grounds-Connections-Explained

[Zacchaeus]

The tracert isn’t telling us much without the IP addresses.

Can you post a screenshot please. Not entirely sure what you mean by opening Port 1802 on WAN and LAN. Ports are opened only on your router. Make sure that you only have a rule in your router for port 1802, and also that your network is set to private and that you also have a rule for FG in your Anti Virus.

[Gestosad]

My LAN ip is 10.0.071
The first two sets of my WAN is 84.202 (displayed both in Fantasy Grounds and my router)
I am using a Wired connection
My Adapter is set to Private
Adding my tracert 8.8.8.8 as a jpeg along with this post

The changes i have made are:
Gone into my router under ''NAT'' setting and added a protocol with the name Fantasy Grounds, Protocol TCP/UDP; WAN port from/to 1802; LAN port from/to 1802 and with the LAN ip of 10.0.0.71

I have also gone into my router under ''Firewall'' and added a protocol named Fantasy Grounds, Protocol any, IP version IPv4, Source IP any; Source port from/to 1802; Destination IP any; Destination port from/to any

26299

26300

[damned]

Hi Gestosad did you read the post I linked you to?

Your second hop is another 10.address
What Ip address are you typing into your browser to configure your router?
What happens if you go to https://10.146.0.1 ?
The NAT rule should be TCP only
The firewall rule should list the SOURCE ports as ANy and the DESTINATION as TCP 1802
Please post a screenshot of that screen too.

[Gestosad]

Hello again - yes damned i did indeed, sorry i only thought you were after the questions at the bottom not the hops information (a word you just taught me is a thing within networking)

The IP adress i am typing in to configure my router is 10.0.0.138
When i go to 10.146.0.1 it simply times out
I have changed the NAT rule to be TCP only
I have altered the firewall rule, but i am adding a screen of this as well per request, and incase this is where i mess up

PS - After those alterations, the connection issue persists

26302

[damned]

Ok in the post it talks about Private Ip address ranges.
10.anything is a private Ip address range and requires NAT.
As you cannot access this router it is not something you can fix.

Are you at a school campus, some sort of shared accommodation, on a wireless/satellite connection, somewhere that you have only one choice of internet provider and possibly they have cabled up the entire complex?

You will need to contact your ISP and tell them:

"Im playing a game that requires me to accept incoming TCP 1802 connections. I have port forwarded my router but there is this device 10.146.0.1 that probably needs to have port forwarding set up on it. Can you do that for me? Can you forward TCP 1802 to my router so I can forward it to my computer?"
You might get lucky. Dont be afraid to push a little. If the person you are talking to doesnt understand - ask them to escalate it to someone more senior.

Otherwise you will need to look at the Port Forward Alternatives thread.

Good luck!

[Gestosad]

I am in my own home, with multiple choice for internet providers, and the complex i live in uses multiple

I am using NAT am i not? with the TCP protocols i am making?

And what is the router i cannot access? have i misunderstood something? if you are referring to 10.146.0.1 surely it is ment to time out as my router configuration page is 10.0.0.138? i have had routers in the past with different 10.*.*.*

Nevermind, i just realized you got 10.146.0.1 from the tracert, i'm dumb.

[damned]

Its something you have never had to deal with or learn about before.

Not knowing something you never needed to know about before isnt dumb.

If you have checked all those other things off - fixed the firewall - oh I just saw your snip then - please change the protocol to TCP if its an option and destination IP to your 10.0.0.71 if its an option.

If you have checked everything else on that list then call your ISP and explain that the game you are playing needs tcp 1802 mapped/forwarded to your computer and you have setup the router already - is there anything on their end blocking it...

They will hopefully be able to give you a definitive answer either way...

[Gestosad]

Dear god i am getting sick of this part of this experience

so my ISP has no access to it, the 10.146.0.1 is apparently my modem, the login for which has been lost to the sands of time ages upon ages ago

can anyone confirm: Say i get Express VPN (which according to reviews is the top one atm) is it just to connect, set up a server, and away we go with Fantasy Grounds hosting?

EDIT: Will also write incase anyone finds this thread in the future with the same frustrations i have, i have a Technicolor modem model TC4210.CD
I have been able to log into said modem finally - however it has virtually no modifiable ports of any kind, which leads me to believe the 10.146.0.1 on my system (my second hop) is probably not causing the issue

[Andraax]

so my ISP has no access to it, the 10.146.0.1 is apparently my modem, the login for which has been lost to the sands of time ages upon ages ago

What's the make and model? There are probably instructions online on how to factory reset it so you can use the factory default password.

[Trenloe]

Your modem may also have the default username and password printed on a label on the modem itself.

[Trenloe]

can anyone confirm: Say i get Express VPN (which according to reviews is the top one atm) is it just to connect, set up a server, and away we go with Fantasy Grounds hosting?
ExpressVPN won't work: https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/showthread.php?43725-ExpressVPN-in-place-of-port-forwarding

You have a few options if you still can't access your modem - see here: https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/showthread.php?43607-Port-Forward-Alternatives

[Gestosad]

So only AlgoVPN and PureVPN are the only VPN options? as i have researched both and found a staggering amount of complaints and pitfalls with them - and both me and my entire group of friends have a very troubled history with Hamachi

[Trenloe]

For what it's worth, many people on the forums, me included, use PureVPN (with the dedicated IP option) and have found it to work very well. I haven't personally used PureVPN support, but a few users on these forums are very complimentary of them.

[Gestosad]

Well given your clearly staggering amount of experience, that is worth quite a lot actually - may i then ask, how complicated is it to set it up to work once i have downloaded it? i assume it won't just be as simple as paying them, pressing a few buttons and away we go

[Trenloe]

may i then ask, how complicated is it to set it up to work once i have downloaded it? i assume it won't just be as simple as paying them, pressing a few buttons and away we go
It pretty much is as simple as that.

The GM has to the do the following, the players don't do anything.

1) Purchase and install PureVPN. Make sure the PureVPN connection is set as Private (it usually installs as Public).
2) Start PureVPN and enter your PureVPN username and password.
3) Select a relevant location that supports the dedicated IP option.
4) Connect the PureVPN VPN.
5) Wait for PureVPN to indicate it's connected and the IP address has been assigned.
6) Start Fantasy Grounds and continue as normal.

For future connections you'll just have to start pure VPN and do steps 4-6 as everything else will be remembered from last time.

[Gestosad]

On their purchase tab, do i need to also get the Port Forwarding option for 1.99 a month, and/or the dedicated server? for it to work with this i mean

[Trenloe]

On their purchase tab, do i need to also get the Port Forwarding option for 1.99 a month, and/or the dedicated server? for it to work with this i mean
Just the dedicated IP address option.

[Gestosad]

Alright well i bought it along with the deciated IP; when i go to the Dedicated IP section, it asks me for a Hostname - anyone entered returns ''Unable to connect to remote server'' do i have to create this somewhere?

Edit: my new IP was sent by E-mail

Edit: I have followed your steps, however no one in my group can join all the same, tried giving them the 4 word alias, and the new IP for this server - nothing.

Edit: For when you hopefully read this, the steps i have done are

Installed the PureVPN, made sure it is a private connection
Bought the Dedicated IP
Started PureVPN, selected Dedicated IP, entered the one i recievd in the e-mail
waited for it to boot up and confirm i was connected
started up fantasy grounds
loaded a campaign
gave my friend both the 4 worded alias and my external IP
he tried both - still get the same error
Also just a PS - the Connection Test within the game does say ''Success''

I can connect when i open a second instance of the game, and type in the 4 word cord (not localhost) but i am unsure if this means anything

[Zacchaeus]

I think you need to give your players the dedicated IP address. The alias won't work since that's related to your own IP address and your own IP address won't work since you don't have Port 1802 open. I'm not an expert is VPN's however but to me it seems logical that the IP address is the VPN one since that's how you need to connect - via the VPN.

[Trenloe]

I think you need to give your players the dedicated IP address. The alias won't work since that's related to your own IP address and your own IP address won't work since you don't have Port 1802 open. I'm not an expert is VPN's however but to me it seems logical that the IP address is the VPN one since that's how you need to connect - via the VPN.
Nope. The beauty of using a VPN like this is that FG will use the VPN address - providing you do steps #5 and #6 in order as I listed in post #17. If FG is started after PureVPN has an IP address, FG will use that IP address for the alias registration. Hence why I said "the players don't do anything" - they just join as normal using the alias.

[Gestosad]

Nope. The beauty of using a VPN like this is that FG will use the VPN address - providing you do steps #5 and #6 in order as I listed in post #17. If FG is started after PureVPN has an IP address, FG will use that IP address for the alias registration. Hence why I said "the players don't do anything" - they just join as normal using the alias.

Which would be truly fantastic, if it actually worked, however as written it does not, any suggestions?

[Trenloe]

Which would be truly fantastic, if it actually worked, however as written it does not, any suggestions?
Once connected to Pure VPN, check that the PureVPN network in Windows Network and Sharing Center is shown as Private and not public.

Ensure that whatever security/AV software you have on your PC has an exception for FantasyGrounds.exe on the Private network. If it also does port blocking, make sure port 1802 is open within the security software.

Otherwise, discussions in this thread might help: https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/showthread.php?46155-purevpn

Failing that, what do you mean by it not working? Please provide more info of what you've tried and what doesn't work.

[Gestosad]

Well I will re-link this and keep adding onto it

Installed the PureVPN, made sure it is a private connection
Bought the Dedicated IP
Started PureVPN, selected Dedicated IP, entered the one i received in the e-mail
waited for it to boot up and confirm i was connected
started up fantasy grounds
loaded a campaign
gave my friend both the 4 worded alias and my external IP (the same one as the VPN displays, for the record)
he tried both - still get the same error
Also just a PS - the Connection Test within the game does say ''Success''

I can connect when i open a second instance of the game, and type in the 4 word cord (not localhost) but i am unsure if this means anything


The security program i use is ESET - i have added exceptions for both Fantasy Ground, its updater, and a generalized exception for 1802 TCP
I have read every discussion regarding PureVPN i could find across the fantasygrounds forums - with no success

I have tried the DNS solution 1 person had to change it from dynamic DNS with no success

I have for the record, tried re-generating the alias inbetween each new method (just incase it would matter)

I have tried to disable my antivirus

I have tried to use a different PC as the VPN/Fantasy Grounds host

I have had 4 separate friends attempt to join both with and without password

I have added an exception in windows firewall

I have been relentlessly at this for almost 19 hours now, i refuse to give up as Tabletop RPGs are my main hobby, but i am running out of resources and things to try and i apologize if any tone of frustration is coming out on these posts

[Gestosad]

HOLY - DEAR - GOD IT WORKS

I have no idea why this made it work, but i had to add an exception for 1802 TCP in my (DISABLED) Windows Firewall

[Trenloe]

Yeah, very often "disabling" security apps only stops certain functionality, not all.

Glad you got it working.

[Gestosad]

For the record in case, anyone finds this thread in the future with my same issues; The firewall fix is the only part required, i am actually able to run this completely without the need for the VPN - might not be relevant to your situation, but worth trying before buying a VPN to try it

Thank you so incredibly much for all your help in both this and my other threads Trenloe - I may not be a mason which can pull this off in real life, but forevermore in my campaigns, I will include a Temple to Trenloe (Thank you for having a very temple-esque name for the record)

[Trenloe]

...but forevermore in my campaigns, I will include a Temple to Trenloe ...
Hahahaha - that's fantastic! :D

[Nylanfs]

Bet he makes it a haunted ruins where there is always a TPK, that would be hilarious. :)

[Gestosad]

I wouldn't do that! Trenloe seems to be the guy who answers everything and I'm sure I'll have a thousand and one questions before my project is game ready... after that, who is to say

[damned]

HOLY - DEAR - GOD IT WORKS

I have no idea why this made it work, but i had to add an exception for 1802 TCP in my (DISABLED) Windows Firewall

This is in the thread I linked to you at the start:


Go into your Windows Firewall or other Software Firewall and create a new Rule - Accept ANY/ALL connections from ANY/ALL computer/address on specific ports TCP 1802 and then retest

[Gestosad]

Indeed, but i already did ''Other software firewall'' so i did not know i had to do it to the inactive windows firewall