# Port forward refuses to work



## Massy2k

I've tried countless sites for instructions on port forwarding and it seems like Ive tried them all with no luck. The majority of these sites send you to http://portforward.com/ and tell you to simply follow the instructions on there. I have done this at least 3 times now and cant see where I'm going wrong.

With the instructions from portforward.com I set this up..





But when I go to http://www.yougetsignal.com/tools/open-ports/ to check to see if the port im trying to forward is open It continues to tell me its still closed.

I was also instructed to create a static i.p. by going to "properties" in my "local area connection" and inputing my own data, I finally ended up with this.





The site explained that if my internet continues to work after making these changes within the local area connection "properties," then it should be successful because apparantly if I entered any incorrect data my internet explorer wouldnt be working.

So now im at a loss because I apparantly set my i.p to static and port forwarded port 25565 within my modem but http://www.yougetsignal.com/tools/open-ports/ still says that port 25565 is closed.

I'm trying to run my own private server and require this port to be open to achieve this, any ideas anyone?

My modem model is a DSL 2640R if it helps.


----------



## FairDoos

Do you have a router?

Also

I just checked my port that i have open and this site says its closed and its clearly not as im using it right now so i think the website is bugged. (http://www.yougetsignal.com/tools/open-ports/ )


----------



## Nanobyte

It looks OK to me as shown but that does not mean to say other settings are OK.  Did you change your DHCP Server on the modem router to DHCP disabled?

I'm not sure what happens when you get a conflict but it could be the DHCP server is giving the PC an address other than 192.168.4.  Check the address of the PC from the Network Connections>Local Area Connections>Support tab or run ipconfig.

Edit:  If you have DHCP Server enabled, the addresses must be within the range set in the router.  Many routers that have a default address 192.168.1.1 have a default IP address range 192.168.1.100 to ...253.  I assume in such cases, if you have only one PC connected, it would usually get the lowest address, .100.  You may get by having your PC address obtained automatically and set the port forwarding to address 192.168.1.100.  Your simplest option with only one PC connected is to disable the DHCP Server and keep your .4 address


----------



## Massy2k

FairDoos said:


> Do you have a router?
> 
> Also
> 
> I just checked my port that i have open and this site says its closed and its clearly not as im using it right now so i think the website is bugged. (http://www.yougetsignal.com/tools/open-ports/ )



I believe so, my modem is called a 'Wireless ADSL Router' [DSL-2640R].

Thx for the info on the site I will try a different site now to check the port.




Nanobyte said:


> It looks OK to me as shown but that does not mean to say other settings are OK.  Did you change your DHCP Server on the modem router to DHCP disabled?
> 
> I'm not sure what happens when you get a conflict but it could be the DHCP server is giving the PC an address other than 192.168.4.  Check the address of the PC from the Network Connections>Local Area Connections>Support tab or run ipconfig.
> 
> Edit:  If you have DHCP Server enabled, the addresses must be within the range set in the router.  Many routers that have a default address 192.168.1.1 have a default IP address range 192.168.1.100 to ...253.  I assume in such cases, if you have only one PC connected, it would usually get the lowest address, .100.  You may get by having your PC address obtained automatically and set the port forwarding to address 192.168.1.100.  Your simplest option with only one PC connected is to disable the DHCP Server and keep your .4 address



Yeah sorry I should have mentioned I turned off DHCP.


----------



## Nanobyte

I'm offline for a while.  I checked out the yougetsignal test and it worked fine with the open and closed ports on my PC.

Are you using a proxy?

Do you have to open the port on your firewall?


----------



## Massy2k

As far as im aware im not using a proxy although I wouldnt know how to check to confirm this.

And the only firewall im using currently is Windows Firewall. I have already de-activated this and checked to see if it made any difference to the port when checking in http://www.yougetsignal.com/tools/open-ports/ but it still reads as port is closed.

Edit**

Even with windows firewall turned off do I still need to open the port through it? If so does anyone know how I would go about doing this. In the firewall options it asks which programs to allow through but got nothing on ports here.


----------



## Massy2k

I just spoke to my internet provider and from what I could understand from them which wasnt much due to the super fast indian accent is that my internet provider doesnt support or provide static i.p's and advised me to call the pc manufacturer because they may be able to help forward the port another way.. I just cant see how though.

So I suppose this means im screwed?

Whats really confused me is that from what I can tell, changing the properties in my local area connection tcp/ip4 seemed to have worked and like I mentioned before according to all the instructions ive come by they have all explained that if my internet explore continues to work after these changes in properties then my i.p. should be static.


----------



## tremmor

Im a little confused so lets start again. All firewalls should be off until ya get it working. Sure the virus program does not have a firewall?  Are you trying to access this from the wan side or lan within the network? or both. Try the lan ip within the network first and start over. Ya have to isolate something. Never had to use a static ip from the wan side. What kind of software you using for ftp or remote?


----------



## Nanobyte

You gave your ISP the wrong information, not that that would have diminished the customer experience.  You have set a static IP in your LAN not the WAN.  Your port forwarding only applies to the connection to the PC which now has a static address.  If you wanted to use a static IP address for the Internet (WAN), the ISP would have to give you an address, which is usually extra cost.

You should check your firewall to see if you have to make a rule for the port.

You may have more problems with the server if others are connecting.  Your ISP may give you different IP addresses each time you connect.  The problem comes if others are trying to connect to a fixed address which is actually varying.  To get round that you set up a dynamic DNS, which is similar to a website address.  Any PC trying to connect uses the DDNS name, and that server directs the traffic to your current IP address.  To read up on that check out DDNS org. This issue is separate to the port forwarding.  You get your address from organisations such as dyndns.

...and you thought setting up a server was a breeze!


----------



## Massy2k

Thanks, I will try that Nano although I still require opening the port which I just cant seem to do.

edit**
I attempted to open a few random ports and when I checked to see if any of them were opened, it was shown from http://www.yougetsignal.com/tools/open-ports/ that they were all closed. I must be doing something wrong although I'm following http://portforward.com/ by the book, I cant seem to port foward ANY ports what so ever.

I dont understand what im doing wrong, I turned off Windows Firewall and even the one on my router. I set my antivirus/spy sweeper from (Webroot) to gamer 'ON' so that shouldnt have any problems with anything but still no open ports.. grr


----------



## Massy2k

I just got off the phone with my ISP - Modem Manufacturer - ISP - Modem Manufacturer - ISP... yeah they bounced me between the two. 

My ISP claimed they couldnt do anything when it comes to port forwarding nor did they have the information and advised me to speak to D-Link the manufacturer who also told me they could do nothing for me because my modem was provided by my ISP and had been customised by them. I asked my ISP again and they said 'NO' D-Link can help and that I should speak to a superviser there. He then tells me what the first guy told me and advised me to tell me ISP they should consider sending me out a new (different) router because the software provided by my ISP has been known to cause problems when it comes to port forwarded with my specific router model. When I finally called my ISP back up they explained they could only send my out a new router if it was faulty and by their standards, port forwarded not working is not classed as a faulty router and explained all they could do was send out an engineer for £30.00 or I could call in a technician from one of my local computing stores to come take a look. I wasnt having any of it and finally got through to a manager their and convinced him to send me out a new router. 

Heres hoping it helps.


----------



## Nanobyte

Even though port forwarding support may not be in the ISP's service support, if the router will not do it then you are entitled to a replacement.  Somehow though I don't think it's your problem.  If you have issues with the replacement, post!

Deduced info:
Your router is a DSL-2640R, using Windows Firewall, Webroot AV, one PC on network?, port 25565 is the one in question which is a known port for Minecraft dedicated server.

Forget the dynamic DNS issue which I assume is not needed for the application or you have instructions for doing that.


----------



## tlarkin

First of all turn back on DHCP on your router.  Turn your client back on DHCP and obtain DNS information automatically.  Your router is supplying DNS, so 192.168.1.1 (or whatever your router IP is) is where you get DNS, since the router will NAT to your public IP and bridge the connections to their DNS.

Then go into your router and reserve an IP address for your client, by logging into the router from the client you want to reserve an IP for.  It may be called Static DHCP or reserved list or something to that effect.   It will assign a specific IP to your client every single time and DHCP will handle the IP and DNS.

Then go into your port forwarding section and forward the ports to the client.  As already mentioned your ISP could be blocking certain ports, so if the application you are using allows to use any open random port try another.  Just make sure it is an open port and not a port already used for something else.


----------



## Nanobyte

Something else you can try is to use the port checker tool at PortForward.com.  Their check is independent of your application.


----------



## FairDoos

Just about to reply and i see tlarkins post dam you beating me to it!

Just do what he said to be honest nothing more should be done


----------



## apj101

> Then go into your router and reserve an IP address for your client, by logging into the router from the client you want to reserve an IP for. It may be called Static DHCP or reserved list or something to that effect. It will assign a specific IP to your client every single time and DHCP will handle the IP and DNS


.
not all routers allow you to do this, but tbh the DCHP on most routers gives the same IP addy to the same MAC addy most of the time. 
Having said that....

@Massy2k: ...I can see im the third pic you posted 
http://img84.imageshack.us/i/dhcp.png/
the table at the bottom is called DCHP table....thats were you give your pc a permanent internal IP

in here http://img521.imageshack.us/i/staticp.png/ turn it all back to automated
in here http://img84.imageshack.us/i/dhcp.png/ turn DCHP back on, and in the bottom "DCHP TABLE" select an IP address you want (looks like you wanted 192.168.1.4) in the "MAC Address" field select/type in the MAC address of your PC (if you dont know how to do that see http://www.wikihow.com/Find-the-MAC-Address-of-Your-Computer


 your ISP is not much help at this stage, and what the indian was telling you about static IP's is rubbish as he and you were talking about 2 totally different things (look up the different between an internal IP address and an external IP address)

Also try a different port to 25565...maybe try 49152. Whilst the port you selected is unassigned under IANA the 49152 is the first port out of their range.


----------



## tlarkin

Most modern routers support static DHCP, in fact we just recently purchased like 6 to 8 different routers in the past year to do small subnets in our offices and could not justify spending $$$$ on managed switches.   All of them had options for static DHCP and if your router doesn't then get a new router.   They are pretty cheap these days.


----------



## Nanobyte

Apj101, other than the specified port being blocked, why wouldn't the original settings work, DHCP disabled, IP address defined in TCP/IP?

Edit:  Not to complicate the issue but the simplest way to do this with my router is to set everything to auto like most setups.  Assuming there is only one PC on the network, it will always get the address 192.168.1.2 since that is first on the DHCP Server's range, and port forward to that address.  That's what I do with *2* PCs; they always get the same addresses due to the order I turn them on.  In Massy2k's router figures, the first PC would get 192.168.1.2 and the second 192.168.1.3 . There are other way to do it but it's not complicated.


----------



## Massy2k

Thanks for all your advise guys, I will give all that was said a try. 

I cant rely on getting a new modem, 3 hours after my last phonecall with my ISP I got a call from them to say they wernt going to set up a replacement delivery. I told them a manager from their support team assured me he would send a new modem and all they could say was sorry but no. When I tried to explain the situation again, he said he had to go because it was getting late in India.

TalkTalk support is terrible.


----------



## apj101

Nanobyte said:


> Apj101, other than the specified port being blocked, why wouldn't the original settings work, DHCP disabled, IP address defined in TCP/IP?
> 
> Edit:  Not to complicate the issue but the simplest way to do this with my router is to set everything to auto like most setups.  Assuming there is only one PC on the network, it will always get the address 192.168.1.2 since that is first on the DHCP Server's range, and port forward to that address.  That's what I do with *2* PCs; they always get the same addresses due to the order I turn them on.  In Massy2k's router figures, the first PC would get 192.168.1.2 and the second 192.168.1.3 . There are other way to do it but it's not complicated.


his settings, as they appear should work, but there's no need to specify all the manual stuff (especially the DNS...which could change). I just took the simpler option (and since the way he did it hadnt worked...the alternative option) 



Massy2k said:


> Thanks for all your advise guys, I will give all that was said a try.
> 
> I cant rely on getting a new modem, 3 hours after my last phonecall with my ISP I got a call from them to say they wernt going to set up a replacement delivery. I told them a manager from their support team assured me he would send a new modem and all they could say was sorry but no. When I tried to explain the situation again, he said he had to go because it was getting late in India.
> 
> TalkTalk support is terrible.


if they are moaning saying you shouldn't need to forward ports, just tell them you want to set up web and email servers and need to forward ports 80 and 25, plus some others


----------



## Nanobyte

apj101 said:


> his settings, as they appear should work, but there's no need to specify all the manual stuff (especially the DNS...which could change). I just took the simpler option (and since the way he did it hadnt worked...the alternative option)


Thanks.  I was trying to get what Massy2k had set up to work and it seemed workable.  I was wondering from your strategy whether you had to create a static DHCP rather than static IP with this router.  Once you use MAC addresses the network is less flexible.  The DNS changing is an issue going the static IP route.  Why you can't specify a static IP address in TCP/IP properties but still use the automatic DNS of the Internet connection - the option is greyed out?



> Originally Posted by Massy2k .....When I tried to explain the situation again, he said he had to go because it was getting late in India.


Wow, premium service, we get the guys in the Phillipines


----------

