Playing TCP/Ip Problem

[Kiltie]

Hi Guys! Old Time CM gamer here. I tried hosting/being hosted by a buddy and we cannot connect. Lowered our MS firewalls. Made sure we had same version (we've played each other hundreds of times). Now checking to see if we can play other guys. Any ideas of why we cannot connect? Also, I cannot enter the CMHQ chat. Click on the icon and nothing happens. I've had this prob before. Don't know how to enter the IRC server thing as it says in upper left.

Thanks in advance. Oh, I have a wireless router but have no problem playing Call of Duty online.

[Schrullenhaft]

This may be an issue of what IP addresses you're giving each other. You can NOT give out IP addresses of 192.168.x.x or 10.x.x.x to each other since these are non-routable 'private' IP addresses. You'll need to give each other the router's external IP address (which may require you to use the router's web configuration page to recall it). You can also use a website like What's My IP Address to report your IP.

As for CMHQ Chat, I'm not really familiar with it. I don't know if it based on a Java applet or not. Possibly reinstalling Java .

[Ellros]

Originally posted by Schrullenhaft:

This may be an issue of what IP addresses you're giving each other. You can NOT give out IP addresses of 192.168.x.x or 10.x.x.x to each other since these are non-routable 'private' IP addresses. You'll need to give each other the router's external IP address (which may require you to use the router's web configuration page to recall it). You can also use a website like What's My IP Address to report your IP.

Sorry to dredge up an old thread, but am having the same problem, and just want to clarify...

If CM gives a 192.168.x.x IP as the one to connect to, will it still connect if you give your opponent the "correct" IP? Or do you have to go into the Internet option and manually change the IP? (I'm using XP Pro btw).

All three games give the same 192.168.x.x IP address for me as the only option.

[Schrullenhaft]

The 192.168.x.x IP addresses will not work if your opponent is connecting to you via the Internet. That is a non-routable, private IP address, which doesn't actually exist on the Internet itself. It is the actual assigned IP address for your computer, which is most likely being handed out via a DHCP server built-into your router. It allows several people hooking up to a single internet connection to share that one 'real world IP address'.

Use the above-linked 'What's My IP address' site to figure out what your IP address is that the rest of the world sees.

You may also possibly need to open up TCP Port 7023 on your router/firewall and also possibly forward it to your current 192.168.x.x IP address (the one that CM is reporting). You'll have to look at your router/firewall documentation to find out how to do that.

[huhr]

hi guys,

i read this post and I am having the same problem. Through the windows firewall I have both cmak and cmbb checked for exceptions but it allows me to open TCP port 7023 for cmak and if I try the same thing for CMBB it comes back with port already open. I am using a router (LINKSYS) and when i connected to an opponent it gave me a 66.24. address and then I checked my own and it also came back with the same IP address? I placed my pointer on the system tray at bottom of screen and i come back with a IP address of 192.168.xx.xxx. Now I read all the directions but I have no clue about how to work this router config. I also wonder if I should have a problem with both cmak and cmbb using the same port? Thanks and i did have this problem once before, not being able to host but able to play with someone else when they hosted

[huhr]

Should I follow the advice on the bottom of the manual on page 249? I know a little bit about comps but I dont want to mess the entire system up, thanks guys and if you want to help me online we can do that, yahoo im halo1970

thanks

[f-bomb]

i have opened all ports, wind firewall and my ip firewall. i have tried using the ip add from whatsmyipadd and still doesnt work. does anyone ever have to contact their ip for an add??? i have tried everything i know and still cannot host a game.

[Schrullenhaft]

Huhr and f-bomb which specific router models do you both have ? The 'what's my ip address' website linked to above should report the IP address that the rest of the world sees (both you and your opponent should go there to get a valid IP address). This IP address is either recorded in your modem/router setup or your modem/router is using DHCP with your provider to get an IP address (which means it could potentially change every-so-often).

TCP Port 7023 is all that needs to be open for CMBB & CMAK. With Windows XP you can add it to the Exceptions list, which one of you has already done. To add a program so that it can communicate through the Windows XP firewall go to Start Menu > Control Panel > Network Connections control panel > double-click on the network connection to the internet, often called 'Local Area Connection' > Properties button > Advanced tab > Settings button > Exceptions tab > Add Program button > you may have to click on the Browse button to find the CM title you want to add or it may appear in the list > once the program is highlighted, click the OK button > that program will now appear in the Exceptions list with the box next to it checked, if the box isn't checked, it will need to be in order for that setting to be working. If you have several CM titles you can simply just click the 'Add Port...' button. In here you can name the port CM Internet and put in 7023 for the port and make sure the 'TCP' radio button is selected (it usually is by default) and this should be added to the Exceptions list once you click OK.

One other thing to check on the computer is if you have a 'software firewall' installed (like ZoneAlarm, Norton Internet Security, etc.). This will also block CM from communicating if it is installed and an exception hasn't been created for it. Double-check your system tray in the lower right hand corner to see if any software like this is also running on your computer.

Opening a router firewall port can be mildly confusing depending on the web-management interface and the terminology that is being used within it. If you both can tell me your specific model of router, I should hopefully be able to find the documentation to describe the process of opening only the necessary ports.

Potentially you should be able to ping or traceroute to your opponent's IP address. Hopefully they too are fully configured for CM to access the internet, otherwise they'll need to do the same thing you're in the process of doing.

To ping your opponent open up a command prompt (Start Menu > Run > type in cmd > click OK). In the command prompt type in ping the ip address of your oppenent such as 64.xx.xxx.xxx and then hit Enter. This should send out ping packets which hopefully your opponent's router will respond to (potentially it may not since many firewalls may shut down the ping service's port). The other thing to try is to perform a traceroute to your opponent. Do this by going to the command prompt again (Start Menu > Run > type in cmd > click OK) and typing in tracert the ip address of your oppenent such as 64.xx.xxx.xxx. This will send out packets that get replies from each 'hop' to your opponent. Again your opponent's computer may not respond, but hopefully it will. The traceroute will allow you to see what it takes to get to your opponent and if there are any problems/bottlenecks along the way. It's possible that if a 'hop' is taking too long, CM will time-out and you won't be able to hook up to your opponent (at least for this session).

[huhr]

Hi SC,

I was able to open my LINKsys and go to the page after typing in admin for passwords. It has a few links for port forwarding, port triggering etc. I am curious about which to put down and my computer is at home and I am the only one who uses it. I clicked on the system tray icon and it says my IP address is 192.168.xx.xxx i also went to whatismyip and it came back with 66.24.xxx.xxx. I have 7023 checked and should I do anything else with the router?

[Schrullenhaft]

Port Triggering allows data through certain ports to certain IP addresses if the computer behind the firewall originally sent out info over that particular port. As a simple example, say your internet browser sent out a request for a webpage. This typically goes out via TCP Port 80 (which isn't normally blocked, but if it was...). The router/firewall makes note of data being sent 'outbound' from your particular IP address over Port 80. Thus when data comes back trying to connect back to your IP address over Port 80 the router/firewall lets it back through since it logged that Port 80 data originated from your IP address earlier.

In CM's case Port Triggering may not always work since a 'Host' may not send/broadcast any packets over TCP Port 7023. Instead it is 'waiting' for packets to come to it and thus Port Triggering may not have occurred for CM's purposes and the packets never make it to the 'host'.

The UPnP Forwarding (under the Applications and Gaming tab) would be the feature that should work for CM. In here create a new Application calling it CM-TCPIP (the name isn't important). Next for Ext. Port put in 7023; check the radio button for TCP and then put in for the Int. Port 7023 again. For the IP Address you can put in the last octet of numbers in your IP address (I believe), which would be the last set of "xxx's" in 192.xxx.xxx.xxx. Possibly leaving at "0" may make that Port open for the entire network (however many computers you have hooked up the modem/router), but I'm not sure. Lastly you'll want to put a checkmark in the box for Enabled so that this particular port is open and available. Now click on the Save Settings button at the bottom and you should be set.

This should, along with openings in the Windows XP firewall and any other software-based firewall you may have, allow you to play a TCP/IP session of CM.