C6300 Port Forwarding not working

[igHunterKiller]

I am struggling to make port forwarding happen. Please find attached a png that is a set of screenshots of what I have set up. What did I get wrong?

• I have a static IP configured for the server (it's Minecraft).
• I have the server running and all on the LAN can connect.
• I have the ports set up for forwarding.
• The Conan Exiles stuff behaves the same - all can connect from LAN, none from outside.
• The external test sites I tried say the port is closed.

Note: I'm not 100% on the Model number, I only see C6300 anywhere. It's got wifi. It's got the NETGEAR genie SW as shown in the attachment screenshots.

What else might be going on? Thanks in advance!

[igHunterKiller · Accepted solution]

Ah thanks for the keyword 'loopback'. I did the test with the external IP and it wasn't working. So I tried a different game just to be extra-sure, and that worked. What's different? I guessed it was maybe 'Java' for Minecraft. 'java' and 'loopback' led me to some ineffective things to change, but then I came across this one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DAEkA2LEyb8

There's more than a few Java-related items that Windows firewall blocks, so enabling them all got things working again.

Thanks for walking me through the elimination testing - that keyword of 'loopback' sparked me down a path I had not gone down deep enough.

[igHunterKiller]

The router seems to know things are happening, it just actively shuts them out.

Also please note: I am using NO-IP to abstract my WAN IP address. I've tried that and the direct IP from internal machines and also from external machines.

P.S. Sorry, I guess I posted in the wrong section. I can't figure out how to move this post.

[antinode]

> o I have a static IP [address] configured for the server (it's
> Minecraft).

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_Protocol
      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IP_address

   Terminology: A "static" address is configured on the device itself.
What you configure on a (DHCP server on a) router is a reserved dynamic
address, not a static address.  Either one should fix the address of a
device, but some implications are different.

> o I have the server running and all on the LAN can connect.

   Using the server's LAN IP address?

> [...] none from outside.

   Using what as the target IP address?

> What else might be going on? [...]

   Check the IP address of the WAN/Internet interface of your router.
I'd try:
      ADVANCED > ADVANCED Home : Internet Port : Internet IP Address

   Plug that address into the form at: https://whois.arin.net/ , and see
if it is a public or private address, and whether it matches what you're
using as the target IP address from the outside world.

   The usual cause for that to be a different/private address would be
connecting your router to some other router -- either a device on your
premises (unlikely with a model Cxxxx), or one at your (unspecified)
ISP, if they use carrier-grade NAT.

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrier-grade_NAT

   If your ISP is causing the problem, then you could try asking about
getting a more direct connection to the Internet.

   For the usual problems with port forwarding, see:

      https://community.netgear.com/t5/x/x/m-p/1859106

   You seem to have 2 and half of 3 covered.

> The router seems to know things are happening, it just actively shuts
> them out.

   "seems"?  None of that is a useful problem description.  It does not
say what you did.  It does not say what happened when you did it.  As
usual, showing actual actions (commands) with their actual results
(error messages, LED indicators, ...) can be more helpful than vague
descriptions or interpretations.

> [...] I am using NO-IP to abstract my WAN IP address. [...]

   Hiding better what you're doing is unlikely to be helpful.

> [...] I've tried that and the direct IP [...]

   What, exactly, does "the direct IP [address?]" mean to you?  You
tried what, exactly, where, exactly?  And got which actual error message
from what?

> [...] from internal machines and also from external machines.

   Too vague.

> P.S. Sorry, I guess I posted in the wrong section. I can't figure out
> how to move this post.

   I'll suggest that to a moderator, but I doubt that it'll matter much.

[igHunterKiller]

Log.png (attached to my last post) shows that the router recognizes activity from a test website (I've tried several, thought I've reset the logs in between) and recognizes where I'd like them forwarded, it's just the test websites do not report the port open. I said seems, because it seems to me that all the configuration is correct, and the router reports what I want it to do. Is there something in the pictures I attached that is incorrect? If there's another section of the settings to include, please let me know.

I've attached the results of the test you recommended.

I have no other router or repeater - this is a straightforward setup. I've tried both wired and wireless connections for the server. In both cases LAN addresses can connect successfully and WAN addresses do not.

>> If your ISP is causing the problem...

Is there a way for me to confirm/prove that?  I called them and _of course_ they say everything ought be working, so I'm not sure what action to take along these lines. My next step is to try a different brand of router.

Anyway, I assume since the settings as pictured were not addressed that they are reasonably configured. If there are additional pictures/sections of the UI I can provide that would help clarify, let me know. There aren't any "commands" to talk about. I configured the router for port forwarding and the games I am attempting to enable see LAN clients connect successfully, and WAN clients cannot. The log again seems to indicate that it is ready to forward, but it's just... not doing it. Maybe I'm reading that log wrong.

[antinode]

> IPCheck.png

   Your WAN/Internet IP address is a valid public address, which covers
usual problem 1.

> NetGearSettings.png

   Your port-forwarding rule 8 and address reservation seem plausible,
which covers usual problem 2.

> log.png

   That connection log seems to show the desired port forwarding.

> You seem to have 2 and half of 3 covered.

   Still true.

> [...] the games I am attempting to enable see LAN clients connect
> successfully, and WAN clients cannot. [...]

   Eh?  You lost me.  There are two tests for problem 3.  The first is:

      Can you access the server from a system on your LAN using the
      server's LAN IP address? [...]

   That is, from a system on your LAN, can you access the (game) server
at "192.168.0.10:25565"?  Success there proves that the (game) server is
listening on that port at that address.

   The second test for problem 3 is:

      Can you access the server from a system on your LAN using the
      router's WAN/Internet IP address ("172.117.a.b:25565")?

   Success there proves that port forwarding and NAT loopback (on the
router) are working.

   The final test is like the second one, but from a system in the
outside world.  If both internal tests work, but the test from the
outside world fails, then I'd tend to blame the ISP.

[igHunterKiller · Accepted solution]

Ah thanks for the keyword 'loopback'. I did the test with the external IP and it wasn't working. So I tried a different game just to be extra-sure, and that worked. What's different? I guessed it was maybe 'Java' for Minecraft. 'java' and 'loopback' led me to some ineffective things to change, but then I came across this one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DAEkA2LEyb8

There's more than a few Java-related items that Windows firewall blocks, so enabling them all got things working again.

Thanks for walking me through the elimination testing - that keyword of 'loopback' sparked me down a path I had not gone down deep enough.