howto setup a reachable Pioneers game server

(Henner Kessler, Dec.2005)
hits: Counter

This howto describes howto setup a reachable Pioneers game server when your private network hangs behind a router.

What you need:
  • a dyndns account (or from other providers, supported by your dsl router)
    • here your will get a free global address (name.dyndns.org). dyndns forwarded all request for this
    address to your global ip address. if your provider change your address, your router will report it to your account.
    to have this account is very useful but not mandatory. you can also use your global ip address but this is not very comfortable.

  • a router that supports dyndns and port forwarding
    • this function will be needed. otherwise your router don't know, what is to do with the incomming requests.



    step 1: create an account at www.dyndns.org


    the first account at dyndns is for free. you need this account to get a web address that can be resolved to your global ip address.


    step 2: enter your dyndns account into your dsl router.


    every time when your router gets a new ip address, it will be reported to dyndns.
    this ensures that your dydns address will be redirected to the ip of your router. 'your name' means your user name at dyndns.org.


    step 3: setup the port forwarding


    make a manual entry, name it pioneers (or whatever).
    protocol is TCP
    enter external port 5556
    enter internal port 5556
    route it to your pc, where you will start the server. you need an static ip address for this pc. my pc is named 'router'.
    when your router detects now an request at port 5556, it will be forwarded to your pc. so your server is reachable.


    step 4:start the server on your pc


    use metaserver 'pioneers.debian.net'. your reported hostname is your dyndns address
    you can also enter here your golbal ip address.
    (the default for the reported hostname is localhost. this is the reason why i never can join a public server.
    localhost is not reachable for other players because my game client doesn't know your localhost).
    start the server



    your pubic server is listed with your dyndns address.
    the server Box of the screenshot below will never get players from the internet because no client can resolve the name ?Box?.


    step 5: join your server



    enter your players name and press join private game.
    don't try 'join public game' here.




    join your game on localhost or an other pc in your network (by ip address or pc name).


    step 6: check your firewall



    if you have your firewall active at your router, allow the traffic at port 5556.


    wait and hope that someone will join your game!!


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