Can't play online, please help!

[Legacy_MonkeyDudeLuffy]

               I've tried everything I know, everything I can think of, everything I found online but have had no luck.

I'm running on Win7 Pro 64bit
My router is a Netgear DN1000 from Orange
Game version is NWN Diamond, updated with the NWNEnglish1.69HotUUpdate patch.
I run it as an Admin, in compatibility for XP sp3.

I installed it again a few days ago because a friend and I decided to play through together, but when we got to it, couldn't do multiplayer. I started server, he couldn't see it. He started one, I couldnt see it.
Tried both ingame server and the dedicated server (running on same pc as the client I play in), couldn't see on server list and direct connect doesnt work either.
Also I could't connect to other servers, but he could, without doing anything it just worked for him.

I checked online and found out I needed to forward ports which I know how to do as I have run a few Minecraft servers for medium sized goups in the past, I forwarded 5120-5300, 6500, 6667 (this was already open in my router as a default for IRC but i made sure the firewall would definitely allow it anyway), 27900 and 28900.
Forwarded all these ports, tried again. I also gave my pc a static internal IP, and tried it with and without the router's option for using a static external IP (which humorously tricked Facebook into thinking I suddenly live halfway up the country...)

Now my friend can see my server on the list when I run it from the game, or from the dedicated server, but he can't connect from the list or direct connect to either. I can connect to the dedicated server though.
Still can't connect to other servers.

I have no other firewall installed, I also found the wait for connecting to the nonexistent master server irritating so used the trick I saw online put in the 00.000.000.00 thingy in my hosts file, uninstalled and reinstalled the game, completely turned off my windows firewall,

And still I'm unable to connect to any other online servers, nor host one for my friend to access.

This is incredibly perplexing as we installed our games at the same time, same version and everything. He was able to connect to other servers and play on them rigfht off without doing anything, and I can't.

Completely out of ideas, is there anything new I can try or might have overlooked? Please help '>
               
               

               

                     Modifié par MonkeyDudeLuffy, 09 avril 2012 - 11:16 .
                     
                  

            

[Legacy_Gregor Wyrmbane]

               Howdy,

Well, just as a part of the process of elimination you can check to see if it's a router issue by removing the router from your system. Connect the PC your game is installed on directly to your cable modem/surf board or whatever device you use to connect to the internet. If you can log onto online servers and play, then you know it's an issue with your router. If you can't, then it's not the router. At least you'll have eliminated one possibility, even if it doesn't solve the issue.  
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_MonkeyDudeLuffy]

               I'm not sure if that's possible unfortunately, the router (located in my bedroom beside this pc on which I play) is our modem, it connects directly into the phone line box downstairs via phone line, it's the first point in the network that a computer can be connected to (as far as I know?).
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_MonkeyDudeLuffy]

               I made this thread after a good few days of searching the internet for answers and reading what must have been at least 50 different webpages, but have finally found my answer.
I decided to try a few new searches and eventually found a fix from somewhere old in this forum, shall quote it here for anyone else who might have my problem.

This is for anyone who wants to play NWN Multiplayer, on a Netgear DGN1000 router.

LintNZ wrote...

Success!!!

So, after going to starbucks and been able to connect from there, I know it must be a router problem, so I called Orange (my ISP in the UK) tech support, and I had to go into my router setting (Router is a Netgear DGN1000) (to get into router settings, open your internet browser - internet explorer/chrome/whatever, and in the address bar type 192.168.0.1 [or 192.168.1.1 for many other router types])

Once in there I had to click on ADSL settings under the setup tab, and change multiplexing method from VC-based to LLC based. And hey-presto, I can now connect again!

So for anyone who has this problem with orange and NWN2, and after all my research there are a lot of us, or anyone with this router, there's your fix!

Now if only I could bring my text's back I'd be all set.... But still, after what I had to go through it still feels like a win

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_MonkeyDudeLuffy]

               Ok, not solved.. >_<

The tip in the post above helped fix things so now I can finally join servers, but for some reason I'm still unable to host.

Double checked it all, my pc has a static internal IP, I have ports 5120-5300, 6500, 6667, 27900, 28900 all forwarded on TCP/UDP and allowed for incoming and outgoing on the router firewall, have no other firewalls with the windows one disabled entirely

Tried all combinations of running server from client/ dedicated server and connect from list/ direct connect but none work. I can get on from my own pc but my friend can't.

How upsetting.. I was really excited when I thought it was fixed and would let me run server for us now xD
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Fester Pot]

               Try this if you have not yet.

FP!
               
               

               

                     Modifié par Fester Pot, 09 avril 2012 - 02:42 .
                     
                  

            

[Legacy_PlasmaJohn]

               BTW, you only need to forward 5120-5300 and I'd only expose the one your server is using, typically 5121.  The other ports are either outbound only or legacy features that haven't been used in years.
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_MonkeyDudeLuffy]

               Thank you Fester Pot but that was actually the first thing I went to when I started trying to do this, and also when I double checked it.. :S I really don't understand this I followed every step exactly.

PlasmaJohn what do you mean? What are the other ports for though, practically every page I read about it said lots of other ports too? And by expose do you mean only forward that one port?

I tried going really over the top this morning and open everything I could to see if that would work, had all the ports I said before opened for incoming and outgoing on TCP and UDP, also specifically did them all in my windows firewall for TCP and UDP for outbound and inbound too then went on canyouseeme.org and it still says the ports are closed??
I saw something else where someone was having problems with running server for a diffeerent game and they were told to go on CMD and enter "netstat -ab" to see the state of the ports that way but when I did this it didn't show any of the ports I've been trying to forward.

I think this might be one of those cases where I've been staring at the problem for too long and now I am completely missing something really obvious :S
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_BuilderOfLegend]

               Um... I have had a similar problem, but on mine it's working fine on LAN and everything, so I might just refernece to my thread on this subject in the Technical Support section. If anyone has a simple way I can do this without worrying about ports and whatever was mentioned above, I would like that...
(Not very good with technical stuff...)

http://social.biowar.../index/12467885