Hosting - What Ports Do I Have To Open?

[Diamax]

Hello guys!

I want to host a game, and I have a router.
Could you please tell me what ports do I have to open in my router in order for people to see my server online, so they can join the game?

Thank You!

[Skuzzy]

Ports 2000-5000

[Diamax]

Hello Skuzzy bro!

That's a really bad joke, to say the least.

[Skuzzy]

I wasn't joking.

[Diamax]

Are you telling me that I have to open 3000 ports???!!! haha

I'm new to this game not to this world.

There is no application that uses that many ports, not even remotely close that many ports.

[Skuzzy]

You asked what ports to have open for the game.  Those are the valid port ranges the game will use.

I never said all of them are being used at once, but if you want to host, then you will need all of them opened as there is no way to know which ones will be used at any given time.

You don't have to take my word for it.  I only work here and am just trying to help.

[Diamax]

Ok Skuzzy! Thanx for trying to help!!

But the game should have a certain number of ports, and specific ports for use.
However I hosted games before and never heard about a game randomly picking the ports to use from a range, and such a broad range.
Looks like I won't be hosting, because is no way that I'm going to open that many ports on my router, I just don't want that many ports open.

Thanx anyway.

[Skuzzy]

Not many games support as many players as we do in one arena.

There is no security risk from opeing those ports.  As long as you do not have any software running on those ports, any attempt to connect gets rejected, automatically.
That is just the nature of networking.  Even MS can't mess that one up.

[Diamax]

Hello Skuzzy!

any attempt to connect gets rejected, automatically.

Well is that's the case, how the players are going to connect?
Doesn't make sense.

I think all those open ports are going to be a real risk, anyone else would be able to connect as well as the players, and beside this I've seen online rooms, and all of them have a maximum of 8 players, no more than that.
The only rooms that can host more than 8 players are the official ones. So what for so many open ports for a reguar server, if can only be 8 players in?

[Heater]

Originally posted by Skuzzy
Not many games support as many players as we do in one arena.

There is no security risk from opeing those ports.  As long as you do not have any software running on those ports, any attempt to connect gets rejected, automatically.
That is just the nature of networking.  Even MS can't mess that one up.

Hmmmmm,
Skuzzy I am not to sure about that last sentence they are getting better at it everyday!

But then again I would be more worried about the PUTZ and his code.

[Skuzzy]

DISCLAIMER:  The following sentence is designed to illicit a laugh, giggle, chuckle, or some other bodily reaction you might have when you find something humorous.  If you are not so inclined to humor, then move along....nothing to see here.

Hmmm....leave it to a moron to point out my error.  Hehe

My perspective in the statement about MS not messing up comes from this;  Any attempt to connect to a network port that does not have software listening on that port will fail immediately.

This is how TCP/Ethernet works.

People get all paranoid about blocking access to ports that have no software running on them and all they do is announce themselves to hackers using that thinking.
Firewalls set to block those ports cause a different error to be returned than simply nothing, which sends a flag to any hacker wannabe that the computer is there.

Not running software on those ports cause the hacker wannabe to move along as it appears their is nothing to get to.

[Diamax]

"good one"