@Narcotic - flserver uses over a dozen ports OUTGOING but only needs one port INCOMING. That is the port clients (players) play on thus you only need open only ONE INCOMING port. FL without the /P command will use the range 2302-2304 one port at a time from the lowest to the highest value until it finds an unused port, usually just 2303. With the /P command you can force that port to be any port and it is "invisibly" remembered in the FL global server list.
As for clients all ports needed for FL are OUTGOING and thus not affected by the large majority of firewalls, hardware or software. The only issues that may occur is if you have an OUTGOING firewall as well, like ZoneAlarm. ZA is tough to set up and even I have had issues knowing what I am doing all because of a tiny system change until I worked them all out. Also any firewall with uPnP in it (like WinXP's firewall and good gateways, like mine
) opens the OUTGOING ports automatically (that's the PnP part). At least that is how it seems to operate.
@Darkstone - Try checking and/or installing/reinstalling DirectX v9.0b. 9 out of 10 issues relating to FL global list display is related to DirectX being messed up in some odd way. Otherwise the other 1 out of 10 issue usually resulted in blocked OUTGOING ports, as Sanic suggests (but by something other than a gateway or modem since a vast majority of hardware firewalls do NOT block OUTGOING ports) or FL needs a complete uninstall/reinstall.
Boston Freelancer server is on port 2304 (no, not the range 2302-2304) but it's IP's (yes, I have two through a dual port gateway to one server) are dynamic (that means they change, are not static). Currently they are:
ADSL - 4.14.18.107
cable - 24.128.159.181
I would forget the cable connection because while it always comes back with that same "dynamic" IP address, the connection is full of laaaaaaaag, unpredictable and unplayable. I have coming in a couple of weeks a second ADSL connection and hope for better reliability. But these dynamic IP addresses are good only for the moment as a single crash, burp by the ADSL, log on time longer than lease time (usually 3 months) or anything to cause an ADSL log off will result in another, different IP address. Hence dynamic. And although I could have static IPs, I wouldn't want them. Makes the server WAY too easy a target (although I realize a determined, savvy hackor would not be too dissuaded).
IMHO knowing the IP and port of a server is only useful if the FL global list server is down. As for others, feel free to post your issues getting through your firewalls and such. I and others can and will answer as best as we know how. I have helped many people emailing me requesting help and have been pretty successful. In my experience if you can't get to the FL global server list (and it is up), then how can you log onto a server through the connection routines, DirectPlay in DirectX? If it is the server port being blocked and you can't unblock it (say the university or business or ISP blocks it) then knowing the port isn't useful. The server's INCOMING port itself would have to change.
Not trying to be negative but trying to help.
Please correct where necessary.
FYI, I say gateway where many manufacturers say routers. A gateway better decribes what a router/auto-logon/NAT server(firewall)/DHCP server/switch or hub, plus other things it does that calling it a "router" simply doesn't describe.
---------------
Earendil
SysAdmin of Boston Freelancer server
See
server rules and
server news for more info.
Mon Mar 15, 2004 11:08 am 
