Port Forwarding
Port Forwarding
How do I port forward on my college network so I can play FFXI? The university recently made some network changes limits which ports can be opened now.
Well, if it's in the main router the ports are closed, there's "nothing" you can do other than contact your university and ask if they can open them again.
Probably easiest way is to follow this:
http://portforward.com/english/applications/port_forwarding/Final_Fantasy_XI_-_PC/default.htm
Locate your router make and model on the list and the ports to forward.
The primary ports to forward are UDP 50000-65535 as these are used by the actual World servers themselves. 50000-65535 imply a range of ports from UDP 50000 to UDP 65535.
Your college may block ports TCP 25, 80, 110, 443 as those are web and mail server port numbers.
UDP and TCP are, simply put, different kinds of communication protocols that allow two different networks communicate with each other.
The most important thing to remember is that port forwarding only works if your computer has a static IP address. In other words, an IP address that does not change.
To set a static IP address in Windows 7 or 8, go to Control Panel then Network and Sharing Center. Or, alternatively, right click the network icon in the system tray then click on Open Network and Sharing Center.
On the left-hand side, click on Change Adapter Settings.
Next, find your network card.
(Mine is Ethernet 3 - TEAM 0. Yours will be different.)
Right-click it then go to properties. Locate Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) and double-click it or select it and click Properties.
You want to select Use the following IP address:".
Under "IP address:", have the first three numbers match both the gateway and router IP address.
For example, if your router's address is 10.148.1.1 then your IP address should start out as 10.148.1.xxx.
No number is to exceed 255 and certain numbers are reserved by the network. Keep that in mind.
Subnet mask should match what your router or gateway has. For example, my subnet mask is 255.255.248.0. However, the router has its own unique subnet mask that connects it to my gateway: 255.255.255.0. If you are behind a router or gateway, make sure your subnet mask matches it.
Your "Default gateway" is almost always your router's IP address. For example, my router is at 192.168.2.1. Therefore, my default gateway is the same address.
You can leave the DNS server addresses blank. If you leave it blank, it will use whatever your router or gateway is using, which is usually your ISP's own DNS servers.
Recommended DNS servers you can use alternatively are the following:
OpenDNS: 208.67.222.222, 208.67.220.220
Google: 8.8.8.8, 8.8.4.4
About.com has a short list of them here: http://pcsupport.about.com/od/tipstricks/a/free-public-dns-servers.htm
More can be found with Google.
After you're done, click OK. It is optional to select Validate settings upon exit. If Windows cannot validate the settings, it'll revert it back to Obtain an IP address automatically. You do not want that.
Whatever you choose as a static IP address is the IP address that you will have ports forwarded to your computer from your router.
Possibly simplest way to explain the terms above:
Let's say you live at 12456 Nemo Street, Port San d'Oria, San d'Oria.
IP address - Your home address like 12456 Nemo Street. 12456 is your IP address.
Subnet mask - Your neighborhood or city like Port San d'Oria. Subnet masks define "network neighborhoods" with the difference being that if you join one subnet mask, you cannot see anyone else in another.
Default gateway - Your street like Nemo Street. Gateways tell the network what route, or "street", to take to find your computer between it and the router or gateway.
DNS server - Very simply, the phonebook and local directory. This translates the hard numbers of an IP address and resolves them to names and other information to make it easier to find a computer or server on the network.
http://portforward.com/english/applications/port_forwarding/Final_Fantasy_XI_-_PC/default.htm
Locate your router make and model on the list and the ports to forward.
The primary ports to forward are UDP 50000-65535 as these are used by the actual World servers themselves. 50000-65535 imply a range of ports from UDP 50000 to UDP 65535.
Your college may block ports TCP 25, 80, 110, 443 as those are web and mail server port numbers.
UDP and TCP are, simply put, different kinds of communication protocols that allow two different networks communicate with each other.
The most important thing to remember is that port forwarding only works if your computer has a static IP address. In other words, an IP address that does not change.
To set a static IP address in Windows 7 or 8, go to Control Panel then Network and Sharing Center. Or, alternatively, right click the network icon in the system tray then click on Open Network and Sharing Center.
On the left-hand side, click on Change Adapter Settings.
Next, find your network card.
(Mine is Ethernet 3 - TEAM 0. Yours will be different.)
Right-click it then go to properties. Locate Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) and double-click it or select it and click Properties.
You want to select Use the following IP address:".
Under "IP address:", have the first three numbers match both the gateway and router IP address.
For example, if your router's address is 10.148.1.1 then your IP address should start out as 10.148.1.xxx.
No number is to exceed 255 and certain numbers are reserved by the network. Keep that in mind.
Subnet mask should match what your router or gateway has. For example, my subnet mask is 255.255.248.0. However, the router has its own unique subnet mask that connects it to my gateway: 255.255.255.0. If you are behind a router or gateway, make sure your subnet mask matches it.
Your "Default gateway" is almost always your router's IP address. For example, my router is at 192.168.2.1. Therefore, my default gateway is the same address.
You can leave the DNS server addresses blank. If you leave it blank, it will use whatever your router or gateway is using, which is usually your ISP's own DNS servers.
Recommended DNS servers you can use alternatively are the following:
OpenDNS: 208.67.222.222, 208.67.220.220
Google: 8.8.8.8, 8.8.4.4
About.com has a short list of them here: http://pcsupport.about.com/od/tipstricks/a/free-public-dns-servers.htm
More can be found with Google.
After you're done, click OK. It is optional to select Validate settings upon exit. If Windows cannot validate the settings, it'll revert it back to Obtain an IP address automatically. You do not want that.
Whatever you choose as a static IP address is the IP address that you will have ports forwarded to your computer from your router.
Possibly simplest way to explain the terms above:
Let's say you live at 12456 Nemo Street, Port San d'Oria, San d'Oria.
IP address - Your home address like 12456 Nemo Street. 12456 is your IP address.
Subnet mask - Your neighborhood or city like Port San d'Oria. Subnet masks define "network neighborhoods" with the difference being that if you join one subnet mask, you cannot see anyone else in another.
Default gateway - Your street like Nemo Street. Gateways tell the network what route, or "street", to take to find your computer between it and the router or gateway.
DNS server - Very simply, the phonebook and local directory. This translates the hard numbers of an IP address and resolves them to names and other information to make it easier to find a computer or server on the network.
[+]
Do I need a router to do this? I am directly connected to the network. I see 3 open ports and the rest are closed.
You might want to look into VPN (Virtual Private Networking).
http://lifehacker.com/5940565/why-you-should-start-using-a-vpn-and-how-to-choose-the-best-one-for-your-needs
http://lifehacker.com/5940565/why-you-should-start-using-a-vpn-and-how-to-choose-the-best-one-for-your-needs
VPN will be the way to go probably, yeah.
Basicly makes you "tunnel" all your traffic through any open port.
Basicly makes you "tunnel" all your traffic through any open port.
Port forwarding implies you're behind a router or gateway.
However, since you are connected directly to the network in your college dorm, they may not have the port numbers needed for FFXI to be forwarded correctly to you.
As someone mentioned above, you will have to talk to your network admin people of the dorm or campus to see if they block the ports mentioned in my post. Most importantly are the UDP ports 50000-65535. Those should technically not be blocked, but with the rise of on campus piracy in recent years, I would not be surprised they blocked a whole swath of ports.
Your best bet as mentioned above as well is a VPN service. There are free ones but you are limited in speed and bandwidth. The paid ones almost always have no restrictions.
A good list of VPN services can be found here especially if you care about anonymity:
http://torrentfreak.com/vpn-services-that-take-your-anonymity-seriously-2013-edition-130302/
However, since you are connected directly to the network in your college dorm, they may not have the port numbers needed for FFXI to be forwarded correctly to you.
As someone mentioned above, you will have to talk to your network admin people of the dorm or campus to see if they block the ports mentioned in my post. Most importantly are the UDP ports 50000-65535. Those should technically not be blocked, but with the rise of on campus piracy in recent years, I would not be surprised they blocked a whole swath of ports.
Your best bet as mentioned above as well is a VPN service. There are free ones but you are limited in speed and bandwidth. The paid ones almost always have no restrictions.
A good list of VPN services can be found here especially if you care about anonymity:
http://torrentfreak.com/vpn-services-that-take-your-anonymity-seriously-2013-edition-130302/
UDP ports 50000-65535 are closed on my network. Before I was main campus and these ports were blocked on the wireless, but now I'm at my work place and it's all blocked now. Thanks for your help.
Bismarck.Hsieh said: »
User comments in their forum seem to give it a positive review. They seem pretty fast as well.
I have not used OctaneVPN personally so I can't really say.
Default gateway - Your street like Nemo Street. Gateways tell the network what route, or "street", to take to find your computer between it and the router or gateway.
that just so wrong
to go wit hthe town anoalogy the gateway would be the adresse for the bridge that leads out of "town" anything that need to go outside you home city has to pass the gateway
that just so wrong
to go wit hthe town anoalogy the gateway would be the adresse for the bridge that leads out of "town" anything that need to go outside you home city has to pass the gateway
Phoenix.Gaiarorshack said: »
Default gateway - Your street like Nemo Street. Gateways tell the network what route, or "street", to take to find your computer between it and the router or gateway.
that just so wrong
to go wit hthe town anoalogy the gateway would be the adresse for the bridge that leads out of "town" anything that need to go outside you home city has to pass the gateway
that just so wrong
to go wit hthe town anoalogy the gateway would be the adresse for the bridge that leads out of "town" anything that need to go outside you home city has to pass the gateway
Ah, thank you for the clarification.
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