How to play online games

This guide is for GameRanger play. For Mac OS X starting from 10.4 Tiger.

Edit: If you want to play online games with Age of Empires II you do not actually need GameRanger. You just need to port forward the port I mention below and communicate your external IP address to your friends to join.
Also, I have found an Age of Kings Heaven page whose link I put at the bottom of this post for reference.

Make sure you have/know:
  • GameRanger (you can download it from here: http://www.gameranger.com)
  • Password to login into your router
  • Age of Empires game, naturally :)
In order to host and play online games via GameRanger you have to check that these ports are opened in the router setting page. Go to port forwarding section in your router menu.

To enter the admin panel of the router, enter the router IP (f.e. 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1 etc.) in your browser, then enter the account name and password to login. (Often the IP address, account and password are written on the rear of the router.)

I’ve attached some useful links at the bottom of this page.

You have to open the following ports:
(Remember to enter the right destination IP address. The IP to enter is your computer one. Tip: assign a static IP to your computer.)
  • 16000 UDP for GameRanger
  • 23978 TCP for Age of Empires II
Each of the dot above is a “rule”.

Age of Empires II Mac Port Forwarding settings in my router (screenshot)
Screenshot of my configuration. 192.168.1.234 is the local IP address of my iBook G4 where I usually host Age of Empires II games

Links

Check out these very interesting articles about the port forwarding topic! I’ve never understood completely the matter until now. I linked only two urls since the other articles are from this website too. Check them out. A very interesting finding IMO.


No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)