Server Portforwarding
From SA-MP Wiki
I've decided to remake my portforwarding tutorial since the other one lacked some detail and probably made it harder to portforward than it really should be. (Also, i don't have access to that account so i can't edit neither)
What is Portforwarding?
Ever had "(Retrieving info...) <Your IP Address and Port here>" with a ping of 9999? Then you have come to the right place!
Portforwarding is the process of unblocking ports in a firewall/router/modem/hub, etc. This allows programs to send and receive data through these ports. Most routers/modems/firewalls will need some sort of port-forwarding to allow applications to run correctly. Remember, these ports are usually blocked for reason, safety first! Unblocking these ports allows anyone to send data through them (if they know your ip and port number that is).
A few notes before you start unblocking those ports.
Unblocking ports can allow *hackers/crackers* to gain access to your computer through these ports You need to know how to set up a static Internal IP, otherwise you will need to change your portforwarding everytime you reset your router or computer Are you confident with fiddling about with the router settings?
If after reading the above 3 statements then you may continue.
Obtaining your internal (network) IP address:
There are several methods of obtaining this IP address. I will show you the most common way.
Command Prompt
Windows XP:
To open up command prompt in Windows XP click on the start menu button, to bring up the start menu (obviously) then click run, Type in cmd.exe and click Ok.
Windows Vista:
Open the start menu and at the bottom where it shows "Search" type in cmd.exe and you should see "Command Prompt" at the top of the start menu, click that.
This should bring up a black DOS window like below
An alternative to command prompt
Windows Vista:
At the bottom right of your desktop (Or wherever you have moved your start menu bar) look for a set of icons and most likely a little arrow pointing left.
You see the 2 computers with the blue circle joining them? Double left click that then click "Connect or disconnect"
You should now see the following screen
Of course, this screen will vary but you should see something like this. Right click on the connection you use for connecting to the internet and click Status. You should now see another screen, click Details.
You will now be presented with a screen like this:
Image:Networkconnectiondetails.jpg
Look next to IPv4 IP address, that's the internal IP address you need!
- Another way of doing this is to open the start menu, click Network, then Network and Sharing Center and make sure near Status it shows Local and Internet. Click View Status.
Windows XP:
Open My Network Places, this can be found either on the desktop or by opening My Computer and looking to to the left of the screen under "Other Places". After opening My Network Places click on "View Network Connections", locate your internet connection, right click it and click status. Click the details tab and you should see IP Address: <Your internal IP address>.
Now you need to do the actual port-forwarding. I'm not going to tell you how to as there are many hundreds of routers and there is no one method for portforwarding them all. So visit The SAMP Server page. Pick your router model and start port-forwarding. Note: The Router's IP address is usually the same as your internal address with a 1 at the end. So in my case, my Internal IP is 192.168.0.6, so my router IP is 192.168.0.1.
Note: Not ALL broadband modems // routers are listed there, this is because they either can't be portforwarded / don't have a built in firewall so don't require port forwarding or just aren't known to the team. If you router/modem isn't there feel free to contact the team, i'm sure they would be happy to add the router onto the list. However, if you require further help then feel free to post here.
Misc Information
Setting up a static internal IP address by that cat guy! (Westie or something?!)
This is only needed if there is more than one PC/Network using computer on the network. In this case, DHCP is useless. But, xClumx 'accidentally' forgot to add the tutorial on how to gain a static IP, so I'll show you. This tutorial was written for Windows XP, Vista I have never worked with but may not be dissimilar.
First of all, you hop, skip and jump to the 'Network Connections' folder.
if you can't see from that, you need to scroll down to the bottom, click on the 'Internet protocol' box, and then click 'Properties.'
When you click on Properties, you should get this dialogue:
When you open this up, you should see that you (usually) have the 'Select an address automatically' option selected. You need to enter in these details:
- Enter in the IP that you want. - Just 'click' in the second box, it will default the subnet mask. - Enter the IP of your router.
You click okay - but you can't. You haven't filled in the DNS details. I prefer to use the DNS servers' of my ISP, so google your ISP's DNS servers. You could use your router - but I've forgot how to do that. (It's explained on Portforward.com) Only then you can follow the tutorial.
Demilitarized Zone (DMZ)
This feature is supported by some routers and broadband modems and is NOT, i can't stress that enough, NOT recommended at all. This basically opens up every single port on your router and kills your firewall, giving hackers and crackers a field day. If you can't portforward and you must use a DMZ then for your own sake use a firewall on any computers your router is connected to. But remember, this is only to be used as a last resort if you can't portforward!
Dynamic DNS Services
Most people will have a dynamic external IP address (one which changes often), it's a standard with cheapy internet connections. This makes it problematic hosting any sort of game server as you need to send the players an updated IP address every time you restart your router or modem. There are some solutions however! You can ask your ISP (Internet Service Provider) to provide you with a Static IP address at an extra cost. Or you can use a Dynamic DNS Service such as No-IP and DynDNS. These services are free with the option to pay for extra features. These sites allow you to use addresses such as sampserver.no-ip.com or whatever you choose. And once entered into the SA:MP client are then turned back into a raw IP address. If you choose one of these services you will need to run a program on your computer which sends your updated IP address to a server of the company you have chosen.
