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Solved
Nighthawk R7960P Portforwarding Issues
Model: R7960P
Nighthawk X6S AC3600 Tri-Band WiFi Router
I have a gateway (modem/router) from my ISP set to bridge mode and connected to my Netgear Nighthawk router. I have created a reserved IP address on the Nighthawk for my computer that is connected via ethernet directly to the router in order to give my computer a static IP address. What I'm trying to do is create an open port via port forwarding so that I can host a server, but whenever I create an open port and test to see if it's open, it says that the port has timed out.
Any help would be appreciated as I am not sure how to proceed.
Cheers!
> Currently I am only trying to run one server on my own computer. I
> have never run multiple at the same time.> [...] I am specifying a non-default port number for each Minecraft
> server that I create within the Minecraft Server Properties folder. As
> stated above, I don't run multiple at a time and I run these servers on
> one computer.Ok. So, then, why would you use a non-default port number for this
one server?> Its rules are as follows:
That's one rule, but ok. Is there a server running on the system at
"192.168.1.200", listening at port ("query.port", I gather) "25585"?> To me, "the server address" means the IP address used to join a
> Minecraft server. [...]
Sadly, that's ambiguous. From the outside world, you'd need to use
your router's WAN/Internet address (which is your public IP address).
On your LAN, you can use the server's LAN IP address. Or (if NAT
loopback is working), you could also use your router's WAN/Internet
address from within your LAN.> [...] "My internal IP address" means my computers reserved IP address
> as stated within my R7960P router. [...]If you mean your computer's (LAN) IP address, then say that. "My" is
not a useful description of an IP address, unless _you_ have an IP
address.> [...] created one reserved IP address for my own computer, [...]
And what is that address reservation?
> [...] which is the internal IP address shown above within the one
> port-forwarding rule I have. [...]
Wouldn't it have been easier, as well as clearer, to say something
like "192.168.1.200, as in the port-forwarding rule shown above"?And is that computer really at that address?
> So I don't need to use static addresses then, assuming I have
> correctly set up my address reservation? (just to be clear)Right. So long as the server system has the IP address specified in
the port-forwarding rule, it doesn't matter how you managed that.> [...] Assuming I did the port-forwarding rules correctly, I should be
> telling all incoming requests to join my specific computer at
> 192.168.1.200 through the port number that I specified, right?"I"? The rule in the router should.
If your server is running on the system at "192.168.1.200", listening
at port "25585" (whyever), then you should be able to connect to it
("join") from a system on your LAN by specifying that address and port
(often written as "192.168.1.200:25585").If your port-forwarding rule is correct (and NAT loopback is
working), then you should also be able to connect to it from a system
on your LAN by specifying the router's WAN/Internet IP address (your
public IP address) and (with your external=internal p-f rule) that same
port number. And anyone in the outside world should also be able to
connect to it by specifying that same public-address+port combination.
What could go wrong?
10 Replies
> Model: R7960P
Firmware version?
> I have a gateway (modem/router) from my ISP [...]
What is it?
> [...] set to bridge mode [...]
It would need to be. (Or else your R7960P would need to be its
designated DMZ server.)> [...] and connected to my Netgear Nighthawk router.
What is the IP address of the WAN/Internet interface of the R7960P?
ADVANCED > ADVANCED Home : Internet Port : Internet IP Address> [...] I have created a reserved IP address on the Nighthawk for my
> computer that is connected via ethernet directly to the router in order
> to give my computer a static IP address. [...]Terminology: A static IP address is configured on the actual device
(your "my computer"); a reserved dynamic IP address for a device can be
configured on (the DHCP server of) your main router.
> [...] What I'm trying to do is create an open port via port forwarding
> so that I can host a server, [...]Why? What kind of "a server"? What's the actual port-forwarding
rule which you're specifying?> [...] but whenever I create an open port [...]
What, exactly, does that mean?
> [...] and test to see if it's open, [...]
"test" how?
> [...] it says that the port has timed out.
What is "it"?
Can you access your (unspecified) "a server" from a system on your
LAN using the LAN IP address of the (unspecified) "a server"? (How,
exactly?) If not, then all the port forwarding in the world won't make
it accessible from the outside world.If that works, and your port-forwatding rule is good, and a feature
on your router called "NAT loopback" is working, then you should also be
able to access your (unspecified) "a server" from a system on your
LAN using the WAN/Internet IP address of the router.The usual problems with this stuff are:
1. Wrong external IP address (different from the port-forwarding
router's WAN/Internet IP address). (An intermediate NAT router, for
example, could cause this. Or an ISP using carrier-grade NAT to
conserve IPv4 addresses.)2. Bad port-forwarding rule (wrong port(s), wrong target address --
including a wandering target).
Your address reservation for the server (whatever it might be) should
eliminate that worry (assuming that the undisclosed details are right).3. Server not listening on the port-forwarding target system.
4. External influences: ISP blocking, other firewalls, ...
> Firmware Version?
Firmware Version: V1.4.1.44_1.3.5
> What is my gateway?
Gateway: Actiontec C300A
> What is my internet port IP address?
Internet Port IP: 97.120.35.92
> Why do I need to port-forward? What kind of "a server"?
>What's the actual port-forwarding rule which I'm specifying?
Server: I have a Minecraft server that I have already started and used with friends.
I recently moved and changed ISP’s and got a new router and modem, so I have to
redo the port-forwarding in order to allow others to join the server since my computer
is the host of the Minecraft server.
Port Forwarding Rules: TCP/UDP service type with a single port as both the starting
and ending external port using the same port range for the internal port.
> What do I mean when I say I am creating an open port?
Creating Port: What I’ve done in the past and what I have tried doing currently is going
into my R7960P, going to Advanced -> Advanced Setup -> Port Forwarding/Port Triggering
and creating a custom service, specifying a single port.
> How do I test to see if a port is open?
Testing Port: I test to see if a port is open using [whatsmyip.org/port-scanner/], and after
inputting the port I had tried to add in the port forwarding section of my router, the result has
been coming back as “timed out”. So the "it" is the website [whatsmyip.org/port-scanner/]
giving me the result of "timed out".
> Can I access my (unspecified) "a server" from a system on my
>LAN using the LAN IP address of the (unspecified) "a server"? (How,
>exactly?)Yes. I can connect to my Minecraft server using my 192.168.x.x IP address. It’s as simple
as putting my 192,168.x.x IP address into the Minecraft server IP address box and clicking
the join button within Minecraft joining.
I didn’t see on my R7960P where to find NAT loopback, and when trying to connect to the
Minecraft server using the WAN/Internet IP address, I can’t connect at all.
1. I have been assuming that the WAN/internet IP address I provided above is the correct
external IP address. Is that the correct assumption? If not, how do I find my correct external
IP address?
2. As far as I know my port-forwarding rules are good, but I am just doing the same set of
steps that worked that I had done before I moved in order to port-forward, so if I need to
change something, I am unaware of what to change.
3. I am not sure how to go about listening to the server on the port-forwarding target system.
4. I have allowed the port I am trying to port-forward through my firewall on both TCP and
UDP, and I have also allowed all Java SE Binary programs through my firewall for Minecraft.
Anything else to allow through?
In terms of my ISP, do I just call them up and ask them to allow a port? And does it matter
that it's through my router and not their modem/gateway?
Forgive my naivety as I am new to all of the technical aspects of this process.
> Gateway: Actiontec C300A
That's (at least potentially) a modem+router. See "The usual
problems" number 1, above. Is anything connected to it other than the
WAN/Internet port of the R7960P (and its power adapter and your DSL
line)?> Internet Port IP: [...]
Is that what the R7960P says about its WAN/Internet IP address, or
did you get that from some other source (such as "whatsmyip.org")? The
crucial question is whether the Actiontec C300A configured in a
modem-only ("bridge") mode (good), or still acting as a modem+router
(bad).> Port Forwarding Rules: TCP/UDP service type with a single port as both
> the starting and ending external port using the same port range for the
> internal port.
Which port? What is the server IP address? Is your server actually
at that address? Did you reserve an address for that server, or
configure it with a static address? (Which part of "the actual
port-forwarding rule" was unclear?)> Creating Port: [...]
Ok. I'd call that creating a port-forwarding rule. In this context,
a "port" is just a number (like an apartment number in a building with a
street address). You're not "creating" it, you're telling your router
what it should do if it receives a message with that (extended) address.> [...] I can connect to my Minecraft server using my 192.168.x.x IP
> address. [...]Ok, but there's no need to hide your private ("192.168.x.y")
addresses. (Hiding your public IP address might have been desirable,
however.)> I didn't see on my R7960P where to find NAT loopback, [...]
It is (or should be) a feature, but it's not a controlable option.
Don't worry about it yet.> 1. I have been assuming that the WAN/internet IP address I provided
> above is the correct external IP address. Is that the correct
> assumption? If not, how do I find my correct external IP address?The "Internet Port IP" address which you provided is your public IP
address. The mystery is whether that's the WAN/Internet address of the
R7960P or of the C300A.> What is the IP address of the WAN/Internet interface of the R7960P?
> ADVANCED > ADVANCED Home : Internet Port : Internet IP AddressThat's one way to find that answer.
> 3. I am not sure how to go about listening to the server on the
> port-forwarding target system.
Your Minecraft server is what should be listening. If you can
connect to that server locally, then it is listening. My quick Web
search suggests that 25565 is its default port.> 2. As far as I know my port-forwarding rules are good, [...]
With my weak psychic powers, I can't see it/them from here, and you
seem not to have revealed critical facts, like the p-f-rule port
number(s) or target/server IP address, or the LAN IP address of the
server, so I can't judge the validity of your port-forwarding rule(s).> [...] In terms of my ISP, do I just call them up and ask them to allow
> a port? [...]Unless they're explicitly blocking something (which is unlikely),
then your ISP (CenturyLink, I gather?) is not the problem.
> [...] And does it matter
> that it's through my router and not their modem/gateway?What matters would be if the C300A ("their modem/gateway") is acting
as a modem+router, and not a simple modem. Cascading multiple routers
tends to defeat attempts at port forwarding. See "The usual problems"
number 1, above.> Forgive my naivety as I am new to all of the technical aspects of this
> process.It helps to remember that the less you know, the more important
accurate, detailed, precise descriptions become. When you don't
understand what's happening behind the scenes, your interpretation of
actual events can be much less helpful than simple, clear descriptions
of actions and their results.