Any Easy Way Around Routers?
 

Before you ask, yes, I have gone looking through the archives and the Classic forum for information on this, and couldn't find anything straightforward.

I don't have a problem, but I want to host a TCP/IP Simultaneous game, and several of the other players are behind routers or networks, which in some cases they do not have access to the settings for. Is there any way they could get into a Simultaneous game by, say, changing the "Source" IP Address in-game? Or some other method?

Re: Any Easy Way Around Routers?
 

You mean you want to play with more people that are from different "houses". So they have routers.

What i do for all types of games that use tcp/ip is you can connect to a network like that, so you are part of their domain and than when he creates any including in se4 it will show up and you can join without problems. thats what i do http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/laugh.gif

Re: Any Easy Way Around Routers?
 

Welcome btw. It is a good forum

Re: Any Easy Way Around Routers?
 

In order to play a TCP/IP game, all players that are behind routers must be able to forward the necessary ports. It will not work otherwise.

The "source" IP address is just the IP address of your computer. This is either detected as your WAN IP if you have no network, or as your internal network LAN IP address. In either case, SE4 will work fine over the internet, after you have forwarded the relevant ports. It would make no sense at all to be able to change this IP address. If you did, you would not be able to connect with the game, as it would try to use an address that does not work...

TCP/IP is very slow for more than 2 players though... SE4 will only send the turn files from the host to a single player at a time, irregardless of connection speeds of the host and the players involved. It is generally much, much faster to use PBEM or PBW ( http://www.pbw.cc ), or even a FTP server (which anyone that has access to their router config for forwarding a few ports can easily run with Filezilla Server; make sure to enable passive mode on it and for client FTP programs) if the host has a good upload speed.

Re: Any Easy Way Around Routers?
 

Hmm. Okay, so how *does* one forward the right port?

Re: Any Easy Way Around Routers?
 

You go into the router configuration and add it to the forwarded ports list, along with the LAN IP of the PC that the port is being forwarded to. You can find this IP address by running the MS DOS prompt and running the "ipconfig" program. This will also be the IP address that SE4 gives you in the TCP/IP mode screen if you are behind a router. How you forward the ports depends on the router you have. Look in the manual that came with the router, or search online if you no longer know where it is.

Re: Any Easy Way Around Routers?
 

Er... he specified that "several of the other players are behind routers or networks, which in some cases they do not have access to the settings for", so I don't think they can change port forwarding settings. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/frown.gif

Re: Any Easy Way Around Routers?
 

Which was what the previous post was about... JimStarluck then asked how you forward ports, so I answered that question. I don't see the problem.

Re: Any Easy Way Around Routers?
 

http://www.portforward.com/ has instructions for many makes and models of routers.

Best to set up an FTP though. Then the other players don't need to forward ports. If you go the FTP route do make sure to specify a good username/password for it.

Re: Any Easy Way Around Routers?
 

or, you know... PBW.

Re: Any Easy Way Around Routers?
 

When you guys are refering to ftp, are you talking about manual processing like PBEM, only without the email? Or do you have some sort of automated script setup that runs the turns on an ftp server?

Re: Any Easy Way Around Routers?
 

Either way. You could even bypass the FTP part and use Ruatha's PBW backup scripts if you have a HTTP server to make use of. I think the last version he made has some automated processing of the turn using batch files, but you have to be running it on your computer under Windows for it to work.

Re: Any Easy Way Around Routers?
 

Hmmm, perhaps I'll look into those scripts..

Re: Any Easy Way Around Routers?
 

If you're interested in an autohost for a rapid-fire turn blitz, try my program.

It will watch for when all the PLR files arrive, and kick off a turn execution at that time.

While waiting for PLRs, it has an option to blink your keyboard lights to indicate who has submitted their turns or not.

Great for a PB-LAN or PB-FTP game, where the turns are fast.
The person running this can see at with just a glance downwards, who has submitted, and if they are the last one http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

PS: If you map a network drive, everybody in your lan game can run this to see the blinkenlights. (Just be sure only one player has the turn execution function running)

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http://imagemodserver.mine.nu/other/...4autohost2.zip