Configure Your Networked Computer For Flawless Game Connects
Posted: Thu Jan 22, 2009 8:26 am
So, you're on a network and you're trying to play AOE3. You've read guides and people have tried to walk you through, but you still have problems joining games. Sometimes, our signal just doesn't make it through our router and to our computer. It probably has to do with your computer's ip address on your network. With a little luck, this guide will get you connected – every time!
Conveniently, routers automatically give our computers, ipods and tivo's, each their own address so they send and receive signals without messing each other up. These addresses can change each time we restart. But, if we're port forwarding we need an address that doesn't change (we need a forwarding address, so to speak) so that each time we log onto our network, our address is always the same.
The first step is to find out what range your DHCP server assigns ip address on your network and your router's address. On mine, I have a utility but most have an internet browser so check your router documentation. Mine assigns address 192.168.1.2 through 192.168.1.200. Yours is probably a little different but you should get the general idea. My router's ip is 192.168.1.1. My utility also lists my cable company's DNS servers. Write these down.
IMPORTANT: You can't use the router's address or any address within the range that the DHCP server is making assignments when making a static ip address. Also don't let it end in 0, 1 or 255.
Go to your computer's Start menu and select Run. Where it says “Open” type “Command” and click OK. This is the command line. Type “ipconfig/all” then hit enter. There will be a bunch of info listed but write these down: subnet mask, default gateway, and name (DNS) servers. Type “exit” then hit enter.
Next, open Control Panel, select Network then Internet Connections and then select Network Components. Find your network that's connected to the internet and right click then click Properties. Then click Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) and choose Properties button.
IMPORTANT: Write down the information in this window just in case things get really goofed up so you can reenter them if you must.
Click “Use the following IP address”. Here you'll enter those numbers you wrote way back when you used the run command line. For the IP address, make sure you pick an available ip address outside the range assigned by the router (I chose 192.168.1.201, see discussion above – I chose the next number). Enter the subnet mask (mine is 255.255.255.0), the Default Gateway (the router's address, mine's 192.168.1.1), and the 2 DNS server addresses (connects to your internet provider).
The ports Age of Empires III uses are 80 and 2300 – 2310. Forward these ports to your new static address following already posted directions or your router's instructions.
I also need to note that there seems to be some confusion about the Static IP address. There's your ip address on the internet which you can usually pay a little extra money and you can have a static ip. This is not the address we're concerned with here and is not relevant to playing AOE3. The Static IP we're concerned with here is your computer's ip address on your network.
That's it,
Mac
Conveniently, routers automatically give our computers, ipods and tivo's, each their own address so they send and receive signals without messing each other up. These addresses can change each time we restart. But, if we're port forwarding we need an address that doesn't change (we need a forwarding address, so to speak) so that each time we log onto our network, our address is always the same.
The first step is to find out what range your DHCP server assigns ip address on your network and your router's address. On mine, I have a utility but most have an internet browser so check your router documentation. Mine assigns address 192.168.1.2 through 192.168.1.200. Yours is probably a little different but you should get the general idea. My router's ip is 192.168.1.1. My utility also lists my cable company's DNS servers. Write these down.
IMPORTANT: You can't use the router's address or any address within the range that the DHCP server is making assignments when making a static ip address. Also don't let it end in 0, 1 or 255.
Go to your computer's Start menu and select Run. Where it says “Open” type “Command” and click OK. This is the command line. Type “ipconfig/all” then hit enter. There will be a bunch of info listed but write these down: subnet mask, default gateway, and name (DNS) servers. Type “exit” then hit enter.
Next, open Control Panel, select Network then Internet Connections and then select Network Components. Find your network that's connected to the internet and right click then click Properties. Then click Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) and choose Properties button.
IMPORTANT: Write down the information in this window just in case things get really goofed up so you can reenter them if you must.
Click “Use the following IP address”. Here you'll enter those numbers you wrote way back when you used the run command line. For the IP address, make sure you pick an available ip address outside the range assigned by the router (I chose 192.168.1.201, see discussion above – I chose the next number). Enter the subnet mask (mine is 255.255.255.0), the Default Gateway (the router's address, mine's 192.168.1.1), and the 2 DNS server addresses (connects to your internet provider).
The ports Age of Empires III uses are 80 and 2300 – 2310. Forward these ports to your new static address following already posted directions or your router's instructions.
I also need to note that there seems to be some confusion about the Static IP address. There's your ip address on the internet which you can usually pay a little extra money and you can have a static ip. This is not the address we're concerned with here and is not relevant to playing AOE3. The Static IP we're concerned with here is your computer's ip address on your network.
That's it,
Mac