Port forwarding assistance please

**myf360f1** · 12-08-12, 09:04 PM

Hi All,

I thought I would have a go at making a minecraft server for my daughter and her friends, so I watched this youtube and followed the steps. Here is where it gets tricky, it tells you to port forward a port namely 25565 and using a guide for my router I did this too and saved my settings but when I test it using this tool it says the port is blocked.

As i have limited knowlege in this field I was hoping someone might suggest where I am going wrong?

Cheers

**autotuner** · 13-08-12, 09:09 AM

You had the Minecraft server running when you did the port forward test?
And the Firewall on the server allows 25565?

**myf360f1** · 13-08-12, 09:34 AM

Originally Posted by autotuner

You had the Minecraft server running when you did the port forward test?
And the Firewall on the server allows 25565?

Hi autotuner, yes to the first question and not sure about the second. Is there a way to allow it past the firewall rather than disabling the firewall?

Thank you

**autotuner** · 13-08-12, 10:36 AM

Just as a quick test you could disable the firewall and re-run the test.
See if you are on the right track.

**myf360f1** · 13-08-12, 10:53 AM

Originally Posted by autotuner

Just as a quick test you could disable the firewall and re-run the test.
See if you are on the right track.

Am at work atm will try this tonight, Thank you Auto

EDIT... tried it disabled firewall on pc and router still no luck..........

**autotuner** · 14-08-12, 08:45 AM

Hmmmm...a bit hard to say what it is.
You sure the port forward is setup correctly to the right IP address for the right protocol (UDP/TCP or both)?

PM me if you like because I may start asking questions you might not want to be public...

**myf360f1** · 14-08-12, 09:24 AM

Thanks Auto much appreciated.

I am going to try another method without port forwarding, its using a VPN called Hamachi, link here

apparently this uses a third party as a gateway, anyway will try it tonight.

Cheers Buddy.

**autotuner** · 14-08-12, 10:35 AM

OK np.
Port forwarding is pretty simple, and if it doesn't work it is usually a simple fix !

Let me know howz ya go.

**myf360f1** · 15-08-12, 01:56 PM

Hi Auto,

Just updating what happened, after trying hamachi it didnt work either, I looked at 4 more youtubes and found one that actually worked. So have got it working now but I have some more questions like:

I used my Ip4 address as per ipconfig, but this is not the same as my external IP found by going to you get signal
so what do i tell external users to use?

Second question is what type of security can I use to protect this open port now?

Thank you

**autotuner** · 15-08-12, 04:04 PM

The external ISP address is what you use. Hopefully it is a static or you can use a Dynamic DNS service.
An address like 192.168.x.x that you get from ipconfig on your PC is not a routable Internet address. Is irrelevant to the other end.

You can probably modify the port forward rule so that instead of "any" source it is the IP address (ISP address) of the other party that wishes to connect. Will depend on the router, and if the other end has a static IP it would be easier.

P.S. Congrats on cracking it.

**myf360f1** · 15-08-12, 07:55 PM

Thanks Auto I have sussed the first bit out, I used one IPaddress in the port forward but I use the external one for anyone who wants to join.

Any other suggestions on increasing security?

BTW anyone who is interested this is the tutorial that works

**autotuner** · 15-08-12, 08:17 PM

If you restrict to source IP addresses that you know incoming, and you only port forwarded the required ports (not 0-65535 or any) and you have the Firewall active on the Server..then it is pretty safe.

If you wanted to be even more pendantic, you could put the server on a DMZ/Vlan seperate from your other boxes on the LAN...depends on how paranoid you are.

Saying that, I am not up on Minecraft, so I do not know what sort of vulnerabilites it may have.....

And of course, keep A/V and required patches updated.