Networking with router / IP Address

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Guest

I have a home network connecting two computers runner windows XP home to a
router which is connected to the cable modem. A home network is set up and
works fine.

I am trying to play an online game (Civ III) but neither computer can
connect, and I think it it because the IP address belongs to the router, and
neither computer. I am trying to play the game with someone else (not on
local network) who has a broadband internet connection. What is the best way
I can make it work?

Can a Virtual Private Network allow me to play the game as a LAN game with
the non-local computer? Can I even set this up using windows XP? Any advice
is appreciated. Thanks.
 
I have a home network connecting two computers runner windows XP home to a
router which is connected to the cable modem. A home network is set up and
works fine.

I am trying to play an online game (Civ III) but neither computer can
connect, and I think it it because the IP address belongs to the router, and
neither computer. I am trying to play the game with someone else (not on
local network) who has a broadband internet connection. What is the best way
I can make it work?

Can a Virtual Private Network allow me to play the game as a LAN game with
the non-local computer? Can I even set this up using windows XP? Any advice
is appreciated. Thanks.
Click to expand...

Pesco,

You may need advice from other Civ III players, as to how to make it work with a
NAT router. Generally, any game requires specific ports be accessible from the
(distant) game server to the local computer.

With the local computer behind a NAT router, you generally have to set the
router, manually, to forward the ports to the local computer. This creates 2
limitations:
1) The local computer has to have a fixed IP address; you can't use DHCP. You
can't forward, with any reliability, to a dynamic address.
2) You can only forward any to one address. To play from 2 computers
simultaneously, the game server has to access 2 different sets of ports.
 
1) The local computer has to have a fixed IP address; you can't use DHCP...
Click to expand...

Unless you have a router with MAC address reservation. I know of a couple
of routers which allow you to set up a table of IP addresses reserved to
specific device MAC addresses.
 
Unless you have a router with MAC address reservation. I know of a couple
of routers which allow you to set up a table of IP addresses reserved to
specific device MAC addresses.
Click to expand...

Norman,

Please share make and model. Links to web pages, with specifications, would be
most appreciated (something more than "Google for it", please).
 
Chuck said:
Pesco,

You may need advice from other Civ III players, as to how to make it work with a
NAT router. Generally, any game requires specific ports be accessible from the
(distant) game server to the local computer.

With the local computer behind a NAT router, you generally have to set the
router, manually, to forward the ports to the local computer. This creates 2
limitations:
1) The local computer has to have a fixed IP address; you can't use DHCP. You
can't forward, with any reliability, to a dynamic address.
2) You can only forward any to one address. To play from 2 computers
simultaneously, the game server has to access 2 different sets of ports.
Click to expand...

Some routers have a special type of port forwarding called port
triggering. My netgear wgr614 is one such router. You don't need to
forward the port to a static LAN address with triggering. You enable
triggering for whatever protocol/port you need to use, and the router
will watch for outbound activity on the port, and temporarily redirect
incoming traffic to the same LAN IP.

My suggestion would be to google for "Civ III" plus your router's
manufacturer and model. You're almost certain to find what you need.
 
Chuck said:
Norman,

Please share make and model. Links to web pages, with specifications, would be
most appreciated (something more than "Google for it", please).
Click to expand...

My D-Link DI-604 has "Static DHCP", which allows the DHCP server to
always assign the same IP addresses to specific MAC addresses.
--
Best Wishes,
Steve Winograd, MS-MVP (Windows Networking)

Please post any reply as a follow-up message in the news group
for everyone to see. I'm sorry, but I don't answer questions
addressed directly to me in E-mail or news groups.

Microsoft Most Valuable Professional Program
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com
 
This "static DHCP" service can also known as "IP reservation". When the
router locates a network adapter, it reads the MAC address. The DHCP
service will then refer to the "reserved" IP table and once a match is made,
the coresponding IP address will be assigned. Very useful when using
"port-forwarding".
 
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