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Private Localized Server Problems

I am trying to run a private, localized server on Killing Floor with Steam. However, my friends are not able to connect to my server. The main reason being that it isn't responsive.

I have opened ports 7707 (ALL), 7708 (ALL), 7717 (ALL), 8075 (TCP), 20560 (ALL), 27015 (TCP), 28852 (ALL) on my DYNEX 10/100M Router DX-E402.

Windows Firewall allows Killing Floor. My router's firewall is currently off. I even tried to let my friends connect with Windows Firewall off to no sucess.

My LAN IP is static. My port is the default 7707.

All attempts of connecting were done by either me inviting my friend or him trying to connect to me via Steam "game info."

I do not use the deciated server tool. (I feel I don't need to since this isn't going to be a permanent server.)

Additional Specs:
Windows 7 OS
ARRIS TM502G Modem
Charter Cable
1.75 GB of RAM usable out of 2 GB of RAM.

Is there anything I can do to fix this issue of my friends not being able to connect to my server?
 
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Progress

Progress

My friend added my server to my favorites. It said the connection failed twice. I have no idea what's wrong at this point now. Here's the log of the connection in case you're curious what happened. My friend's name has been censored for his privacy.

Never tell your password to anyone.
Monday, June 14, 2010
2:29 PM - Davtwan: Okay, try to join by the server you added you added in your Favorites.
2:29 PM - Davtwan: NOT BY STEAM.
2:31 PM - **: connecting...
2:33 PM - **: slowly XD
2:33 PM - Davtwan: Well, at least it's working. X3
2:34 PM - **: failed
2:34 PM - Davtwan: Aw...
2:35 PM - **: one more time
2:35 PM - Davtwan: Alright, then I'll tell the guy it failed and what I should do next.
2:35 PM - **: do you ahve it up?
2:35 PM - Davtwan: It's still on.
2:35 PM - Davtwan: Good luck.
2:38 PM - **: steam and killing floor just do not get along
2:38 PM - **: failed again
2:38 PM - Davtwan: Hmmm, I see. Well, I'll tell the forum this and see what I can do next.
2:39 PM - Davtwan: That's for your input.
2:39 PM - **: [url]http://www.blogtv.com/people/[/URL]**

What tests can I do to make sure these ports are actually open? If it turns out that the ports are not open, then what do I do from there?
 
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I have checked the ports with PFP Port Checker after my friend was unable to connect to the internet. It turns out my ports are still closed.

However, my ports are clearly forwarded.

[URL]http://img816.imageshack.us/i/forwardports.png/[/URL]

My router's firewall is off.

[URL]http://img820.imageshack.us/i/routerfirewalloff.png/[/URL]

I've also included what programs are allowed through Windows Firewall.

[URL]http://img824.imageshack.us/i/windowsfirewallstatus.png/[/URL]

What can I do to solve my private server issue at this point?

Edit: Sorry for the double post, but the other post wasn't approved at the time; I wanted to get these pictures up for reference.

Edit #2 (6/15/10)

Update! I decided to test something with Command Prompt. I told my friend to ping my WAN IP with the port 7707 while the server was up. He recieved a message that said "cannot find host."

We both then tried "tracert" afterward and got this message: "unable to resolve target system name [IP: port]".

What does this mean for me? Does this mean my ISP is blocking my game server? What can I do to solve this problem now at this point?
 
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Update! I decided to test something with Command Prompt. I told my friend to ping my WAN IP with the port 7707 while the server was up. He recieved a message that said "cannot find host."

We both then tried "tracert" afterward and got this message: "unable to resolve target system name [IP: port]".

What does this mean for me? Does this mean my ISP is blocking my game server? What can I do to solve this problem now at this point?
You cannot ping a specific port with the Windows ping command, and you cannot tracert a port either. You cannot generally ping a UDP port anyway because the UDP protocol doesn't reply except in instances where it is specifically programmed to. So what does this mean? It means nothing, as you cannot test the connection this way.

I would suggest that you confirm that your local IP address is entered into the router (where it says 192 in the port redirection table image, unless you obfuscated that manually). It should be your computer's IP address, so for example 192.168.1.5 - if your computer's IP address is dynamically assigned and not static then this may change from time to time, and these numbers will need updating. You can find out your ip address by bringing up the command prompt and typing "ipconfig" without quotes - it should be easy to see. (I know you've stated that your IP address is static but this is for reference just in case someone else has this issue)

Your router has a UPnP option - you can try turning this off if it is on, or on if it is off - if you turn it on then you might want to erase the port forwarding rules as Killing Floor should forward these ports automatically then, as long as UPnP is implemented well on your router. If none of that works then you can put your computer in the DMZ on the router while hosting, but make sure you turn it off once you are finished, as it leaves your computer potentially open to the internet directly.
 
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You cannot ping a specific port with the Windows ping command, and you cannot tracert a port either. You cannot generally ping a UDP port anyway because the UDP protocol doesn't reply except in instances where it is specifically programmed to. So what does this mean? It means nothing, as you cannot test the connection this way.

Ah, thank you very much. At least I know that advice I got was bogus.

I would suggest that you confirm that your local IP address is entered into the router (where it says 192 in the port redirection table image, unless you obfuscated that manually). It should be your computer's IP address, so for example 192.168.1.5 - if your computer's IP address is dynamically assigned and not static then this may change from time to time, and these numbers will need updating. You can find out your ip address by bringing up the command prompt and typing "ipconfig" without quotes - it should be easy to see. (I know you've stated that your IP address is static but this is for reference just in case someone else has this issue)

Ah, I have blocked that myself. I thought that's a number that people shouldn't be able to see. I have put the full number in there. I mean it's in my router's status page, I can't miss it. Ha ha.

Your router has a UPnP option - you can try turning this off if it is on, or on if it is off - if you turn it on then you might want to erase the port forwarding rules as Killing Floor should forward these ports automatically then, as long as UPnP is implemented well on your router. If none of that works then you can put your computer in the DMZ on the router while hosting, but make sure you turn it off once you are finished, as it leaves your computer potentially open to the internet directly.

I haven't turned it on, but that is an interesting idea. Let me be sure if I know how to fill it out correctly, becuase it has a different form than the Forward Port page.

[url]http://img257.imageshack.us/img257/26/upnppage.png[/URL]

I'll try to see the instrustions for enabling this for Killing Floor in the forum and over in Google, however you're free to leave the instructions here too.

As for the DMZ option, should I use my LAN IP or my WAN IP?
 
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For the UPnP you can just enable that, and disable the rules that you've put into the router, and then as long as the router and KF communicate properly, you'll see that table that is currently empty on the UPnP page fill up with the ports that KF needs when you host a server. If it doesn't then it likely isn't going to work.

For the DMZ option, you have to put your computer's LAN IP address in. If that doesn't work then I doubt anything will, because that is supposed to give the computer specified direct access to the internet.
 
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