Port Forwarding Help

[Ironarmygeneral]

So I have CenturyLink DSL internet. My modem model is the ZyXEL PK5001Z. I am trying to port forward a Minecraft server. I have tried many tutorials. Each one uses different routers and different layouts and configurations. So, I've tried and tried. I have tried many different combinations of ports and IPs (putting my public IP and my IPv4 addresses in different places where it asks for remote forwarded ports/IPs and where it just asks for my plain IP. I've switched them around and tried different combinations and when my server is able to be run with one of the IP addresses, it works, but only locally over LAN. However, I can never get it to be more than LAN so that others (like my friends) can play with me. However, there are also times when I can't get it to run at all and the server console just tells me that it can't bind to the port. But whenever it says that, no combination of ports will work on the server, even ones I've checked that aren't being used by other applications or servers. Can anyone help, maybe lead me through a step-by step process? Thanks! Here are pictures of my modem's port-forwarding layout and, at the time of writing this, failed configurations I've tried.

https://plus.google.com/photos/103250369303124159168/album/6440683621506631473/6440683621257481714?authkey=CIbIivOhss_j8AE

https://plus.google.com/photos/103250369303124159168/album/6440683621506631473/6440683622654942498?authkey=CIbIivOhss_j8AE

 

[little_me]

First, the photos are set to not be visible to public, we can't see them.

Basic goal of port forwarding: (we shall here assume that your computers IP is 192.168.1.102, if it isn't, change accordingly)
1. let the server run as is on it's default port 25565 (unless you want to change it) and leave the IP part on server.properties empty. This will mean that it runs on your computers IP on port 25565
2. You would join the server on your computer with 127.0.0.1:25565 (no port specification needed since it's default but putting it there wont hurt)
3. Others in your home would use your compuers 192.168.1.102:25565 to join.

once that part works, good. On to router forwarding. After this part, you should NOT change any IP/port settings on your server or it might not work anymore.

4. On routers port forwarding page, you would need to specify the incoming port 25565 to be forwarded to inside port 25565 and IP of your computer. (I will assume you have IP 192.168.1.102) so 25565 to 192.168.1.102 port 25565
5. After that, people OUTSIDE your home should be able to connect to your server with routers public IP:25565

You can test outside connection, in a sense, with http://www.yougetsignal.com/tools/open-ports/
and specify your outside IP (clicking the link to auto-set it works usually fine too) and specifying the port to test, in this case 25565.
If result is ok, your friends should be able to connect.

Edit:
as shown in: http://internethelp.centurylink.com/internethelp/modem-pk5001z-adv-port-forwarding.html

put your internal IP in part 1, in this case, we assume it was 192.168.1.102
put start/end port range in part 2, in this case 25565 to both
put protocol in part 3, I usually just forward both TCP/UDP since I'm lazy and don't want to check which is used.
put EXTERNAL IP/internal port in part 4 if the default "ALL ip addresses" doesn't work.

 

[Ironarmygeneral]

First, the photos are set to not be visible to public, we can't see them.

Basic goal of port forwarding:
1. let the server run as is on it's default port 25565 (unless you want to change it) and leave the IP part on server.properties empty. This will mean that it runs on your computers IP on port 25565
2. You would join the server on your computer with 127.0.0.1:25565 (no port specification needed since it's default but putting it there wont hurt)
3. Others in your home would use your compuers IP:25565 to join.

once that part works, good. On to router forwarding. After this part, you should NOT change any IP/port settings on your server or it might not work anymore.

4. On routers port forwarding page, you would need to specify the incoming port 25565 to be forwarded to inside port 25565 and IP of your computer. (I will assume you have IP 192.168.1.102) so 25565 to 192.168.1.102 port 25565
5. After that, people OUTSIDE your home should be able to connect to your server with routers public IP:25565

You can test outside connection, in a sense, with http://www.yougetsignal.com/tools/open-ports/
and specify your outside IP (clicking the link to auto-set it works usually fine too) and specifying the port to test, in this case 25565.
If result is ok, your friends should be able to connect.

Oh, whoops! Sorry, I forgot to make them public. My bad! xD

1. Okay, I do run it on 25565. And I have been putting the IP on the server.properties, maybe that's the problem?

2. Yeah I know. I am an tech head but when it comes to networking I am not your guy. I sometimes need assistance xD But yeah I do know how IP-bound ports work xD But thanks!

3. Yupper, I know that much as well.

4. So would I put my 192.168.0.??? in the "Select device or manually enter IP address" or shall I put it in the "remote IP address" part? It's confusing because it makes me put in two different IPs and I can't seem to figure out which is which. Anyway, thanks!

 

[little_me]

on 4, you would put your own computers IP in there. the last parts remote IP refers to routers external IP (or if it has more than one, all of them) and as such, it should work without anything in there (at least as far as I understand)

 

[Ironarmygeneral]

on 4, you would put your own computers IP in there. the last parts remote IP refers to routers external IP (or if it has more than one, all of them) and as such, it should work without anything in there (at least as far as I understand)

Still, it's weird. I've tried everything you've said and it won't work.

 

[Ironarmygeneral]

on 4, you would put your own computers IP in there. the last parts remote IP refers to routers external IP (or if it has more than one, all of them) and as such, it should work without anything in there (at least as far as I understand)

Would you mind if I emailed you some screenshots of everything I've entered?

 

[little_me]

Possible problems:
Have you deleted old non-working port forwarding settings on router you have made? if not, they can cause issues.
since there are steps numbered 1 to 5 (my numbers) and steps 1 to 4 on their port forwarding guide http://internethelp.centurylink.com/internethelp/modem-pk5001z-adv-port-forwarding.html It is possible that you are entering wrong IP somewhere.

I would not especially mind if you want to email me pictures of what you have tried but... everything is likely overkill, more than that, posting email addresses in public is not good idea, spambots love them.

It is also possible that said port forwarding features are disabled for other than business customers. (they mention support to turn it on is reserved to business customers only but the feature should still work for you)

 

[Ironarmygeneral]

Yes, I have. I am only letting the router forward one at a time and if it doesn't work I delete it.

And I am suspecting that, and this is what's weird: When I let the router choose my computer's IPv4 address on it's own, it gives it 192.168.0.104. But when I do ipconfig in CMD, it tells me my IPv4 is 192.168.1.105. But by public IP address is 174.22.109.239.

And yeah I know I was going to blur it off if I sent them to you. I'm not that dumb xD Lol. Anyway... I'll take a look at that link you have there.

 

[little_me]

that public IP is the routers external IP that your friends would connect to, or you test the connection with that yougetsignal link.
the difference in IP's (104 vs 105) is weird since you should not normally get two IP's unless you have manually specified your IP in network settings. (manual IP settings and then advanced allows you to get more than one IP address for same computer, benefit... none? except for some rare server cases)

Oh and before I forget, port test to 25565 will ALWAYS fail unless you have minecraft server running and listening to said port. (or some other server listening on port 25565) since if no one listens, no one replies and port is effectively "dead/closed"

 

[Ironarmygeneral]

I have a second router running off my main modem. Would that be the problem?

 

[Ironarmygeneral]

Yes, that was exactly why it was giving me two addresses. I had a secondary router connected. That got rid of the second IP... let's see if it fixed the problem altogether...

 

[little_me]

If you have modem-router-router-computer set up, you would need to make port forwarding on BOTH routers, so yes.. that could be the problem

 

[Ironarmygeneral]

Okay, it is still telling me the port is closed though...

 

[Ironarmygeneral]

On my forwarding list, the forward I have set up now (the one not working) is:

LAN IP: 192.168.0.104
Protocol: TCP/UDP
Ports Forwarded: 25565
Remote Ports: 25565
Remote Defined: 174.22.109.239

 

[Ironarmygeneral]

I swear if you can help me get this working you will have made my entire week. Now if it would just work...

 

[Ironarmygeneral]

Just to make sure I am doing it right: In the port check tool, do I put 174.22.109.239 or 192.168.0.104 in the "remote address" bar?

 

[little_me]

you would put the external IP, 174.22.109.239 in there

 

[Ironarmygeneral]

Okay thanks. Still. I've tried everything and nothing works. I followed the guide on the thing you sent me. I just can't get it to work. It says that " Port 25565 is closed on 174.22.109.239."

 

[little_me]

I sent you a PM regarding the matter since long post threads are harder to keep track of. Top right, envelope and so on.

 

[Ironarmygeneral]

Yup, thanks!