FAQ:Networking

This FAQ was written to address networking issues when trying to create or join a networked session. If you have non-technical questions, please review one of our other FAQs: Category:Frequently_Asked_Questions.

If you have any issues that are not covered by this FAQ, then please feel free to report them on our forums at this location: https://sourceforge.net/apps/phpbb/gametable/viewforum.php?f=5

How do I host a session?
You host a session by selecting "Host" from the Network menu. You will be prompted to enter your name and player name. You will also have the option to set a password for the game, and to set what port you're hosting on. You do not need to set a password, or change the port the game is hosted on. You can simply enter your name and your character name and click "Host".

I received a failed to host message
It's rare to fail to host. The only way that happens is if the port is in use. You can not host multiple sessions of Gametable on the same port, so if you're trying to host 2 instances of Gametable, you'll have to change the port on one of them. Also, if any other application is using that port, the hosting will fail. Try changing the port number in the hosting menu.

I'm hosting, but none of the other players can join to me
The most likely cause of this is your firewall. The host has to have the port open. The default port for Gametable is 6812, but whatever port you're using, it has to be open.

If you are using windows, step 1 is to turn off Windows Firewall. From the start menu, select Control Panel (or Settings->Control Panel). From there, launch Windows Firewall. Under the General Tab, select "Off". It's not the recommended setting, but turn it off anyway. Just remember to turn it back on after you're done with Gametable. Try to connect again.

My port is open and/or my firewall is disabled, but other players still can't connect
This problem is most likely due to using a router. Many people have routers and don't know how to configure them. Your router will block your attempts to host on any port, unless it is specifically told to allow communication on that port. Unfortunately every router is different on how you tell it to do that. Start by opening a browser and going to one of the following addresses:192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1 These are the two default addresses most commonly used to access your router.

You'll know it connects when it either shows you the router homepage or, more likely, you will receive a popup asking for a username and password. Most routers default to blank for username and "admin" for the password. If those don't work, you'll need to contact the person who administers or setup your network.

Once you're in the router controls, you'll have to find "port forwarding" or "port range forwarding" or something similar that. You should be able to enter a range of ports you want to open up. To go with the default gametable port, open up 6812. It'll want a range of ports so say "6812 to 6812" and forward it to whatever your local ip is. There'll be a box you have to fill out indicating which address to forward it to. It'll probably be 192.168.1.100, but the last number might be something else. To find out what the address is, open a command line and type "ipconfig". That will tell you your local address. Whatever that address is, that's where you want the ports forwarded.

If you need specific help with setting up your router, find the webpage for your router's manufacturer and look for a help section.

How do I connect to a game?
To connect to a game, select "Join" from the Network menu. It will prompt you with a dialog asking for your name, your character name, the IP of the host, the port of the host, and the game password. The password of the game is set by the person hosting. It defaults to blank. The port defaults to 6812, but may have been changed by the host. The IP address must be the IP address of the host's computer. The host will have to tell you what that is.

I can't connect to the host
Make sure that you have everything entered correctly. Going through the fields in the join dialog one at a time...

Name: Enter your name here.

Character Name: Enter the name of your character here.

IP: This should be the IP address of the host's computer. If it starts with "192.168" then your host probably gave you the wrong IP address. Have the host go to http://whatismyipaddress.com or http://smart-ip.net. That will show him what his IP address is so he can tell you.

Password: This must be identical to whatever the host set. It defaults to being empty, but if the host as set a password, you have to match it perfectly. It is case sensitive.

Port: This has to be the same as the port the host selected. It defaults to 6812.

If you've double checked all that, and it's still not working, try turning off your Windows Firewall if it's on (For instructions on how to do that, see the Hosting section).

If you still can't get through, then you have some weird Iron Curtain thing going on with your firewall. It usually happens at companies, schools, and other professional and quasi-professional institutions. If you're at a place like this, you will need to ask the IT administrator what ports are open and ask your host to host a session on that port instead.