Friends cannot see my multiplayer session in DCS

[Callum13]

Hi,

I'm pretty familiar with IP addresses, router setup and port forwarding, but I have been unable to host multiplayer sessions in DCS, with my friends telling me they get messages telling me my server is "offline".

I am using an ASUS DSL-AX82U AX5400 modem router and I have setup a static IP address for my PC and set the TCP/UDP port forwarding up for DCS, which only requires port 10308 to be open.

I have also created application rules in my firewall to let DCS through.

When using a "check my IP" and "port checking" service, the IP address is showing as a Talk Talk IP (79.nn.nn.nn or similar) in London, and not my PC's IP address.

I use Nord VPN but it is switched off (and not started with PC) for DCS sessions.

Appreciate any help to fix this situation.

Thanks.

[KeithFrench]

You're very welcome @Callum13 

[Michelle-TalkTalk]

Morning,

Thanks @KeithFrench 🙂

Thanks for the update. I'm sorry to hear this, would you like us to send a replacement TalkTalk router? We would also send a router returns bag so that the original router can be returned.

Thanks

[Callum13]

Thanks Michelle,

Kind assistance from Volunteer Keith helped fill in my knowledge gaps.

Regards,

Callum

[Callum13]

Thanks Keith,

Your explanation was great and helped me fill in the blanks in my knowledge.

My new Asus router modem was to replace a Talk Talk unit that got destroyed in a direct lightning strike and Talk Talk didn't offer a replacement.

I removed the "port forwarding" settings and replaced with "port triggering", which had now worked.

Thanks again.

[Michelle-TalkTalk]

Hello,

How are you getting on?

Thanks

[KeithFrench · Accepted solution]

There is only limited support that can be provided for your scenario on this forum, as you are using a third-party router. Don't get me wrong you are allowed to do this, but I do not have that router available for me to test with.

Port checking sites target your router's WAN or public IP address, not the individual local private host IP addresses. Port forwarding works by looking up the destination port to see if there is a match and if there is, forwarding it out to the configured host IP address.

Another important consideration is port 10308 TCP or UDP? Port checking websites are not compatible with UDP & hence will always report the port as closed.

If your VPN is active on your PC, that changes the IP address of the PC to whatever is allocated by the VPN server & effectively bypasses your router. This renders your port forwarding inactive.

To take this further I would need to see screenshots of both the port forwarding configuration and of the rules created in whatever firewall you are using.

Assuming that you are using a Windows PC, what output do you get from this in the Command Prompt (copy & paste this or add a screenshot of it please):-

netstat -a | find "10308"

Please feel free to PM these screenshots directly to me if you prefer. However, if you do, please include a link back to this thread so that I can find it easily.