I've been looking for technical info on how TCPIP / UDP port forwarding + reverse port forwarding, specifically on Win XP works
Using this link, my buddy and I were finally able to get his LFS to host a multiplayer session on his private network / behind his XP firewall:
http://articles.techrepublic.com.com...1-1056226.html
The magic keywords "reverse port forwarding" led me to the article.
"Configuring Server Publishing" and "Creating new Service Definitions" are the Microsoft terms for "reverse port forwarding"
http://articles.techrepublic.com.com...1-1056226.html
"Configuring Server Publishing" and "Creating new Service Definitions" are the Microsoft terms for "reverse port forwarding"
The interesting thing was that if I started the multiplayer host (which connects to Live for Speed's central server), then my buddy *WAS* able to connect to my "host" (via the LFS's servers).
But when he created a host (which the LFS server apparently was able to do ... as I *was* able to *find* his host name on the central server (and NOT receive a "host not found" (as I would get if I typed in a non-existing host name), I would then receive a "connect error". Apparently because the "reverse port forwarding" was not in place.
From googling "linux / windows reverse port forwarding / port forwarding", it seems that the windows firewall "unblock" dialog only creates a *port forwarding* "path", but not a "reverse port forwarding path".
I would guess that this all boils down to socket API calls / routing software internals. I'm somewhat (a little knowledge is a dangerous thing
) familiar with all of the concepts, it's the port forwarding / reverse port forwarding "guts", that I'm trying to understand, and where it fits into the OSI network layer model, where it gets connected to XP's internals.
Any hints tips / links / code samples greatly appreciated.
Mike
Using this link, my buddy and I were finally able to get his LFS to host a multiplayer session on his private network / behind his XP firewall:
http://articles.techrepublic.com.com...1-1056226.html
The magic keywords "reverse port forwarding" led me to the article.
"Configuring Server Publishing" and "Creating new Service Definitions" are the Microsoft terms for "reverse port forwarding"
http://articles.techrepublic.com.com...1-1056226.html
"Configuring Server Publishing" and "Creating new Service Definitions" are the Microsoft terms for "reverse port forwarding"
The interesting thing was that if I started the multiplayer host (which connects to Live for Speed's central server), then my buddy *WAS* able to connect to my "host" (via the LFS's servers).
But when he created a host (which the LFS server apparently was able to do ... as I *was* able to *find* his host name on the central server (and NOT receive a "host not found" (as I would get if I typed in a non-existing host name), I would then receive a "connect error". Apparently because the "reverse port forwarding" was not in place.
From googling "linux / windows reverse port forwarding / port forwarding", it seems that the windows firewall "unblock" dialog only creates a *port forwarding* "path", but not a "reverse port forwarding path".
I would guess that this all boils down to socket API calls / routing software internals. I'm somewhat (a little knowledge is a dangerous thing
) familiar with all of the concepts, it's the port forwarding / reverse port forwarding "guts", that I'm trying to understand, and where it fits into the OSI network layer model, where it gets connected to XP's internals.Any hints tips / links / code samples greatly appreciated.
Mike