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Zen Seven
Zen Seven
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UDP messages with a router

Feb 8, 2008 11:47 AM

Hey all,

I've written a test movie to check the viability of running a MUS app on a server behind both a standard router and a firewall. Sadly, my attempts have failed - the TCP messages are being forwarded just fine, yet the USP messages are being stopped dead in their tracks at the firewall.

I'm convinced my port forwarding is the reason - sadly, Director's poor documentation doesn't specifically say the port range it uses, only the "starting" port being 1627 for UDP. I've tried port forwarding 1626 (TCP) all the way up to 1647 with no luck so far.

From searching on this newsgroup I get the feeling that people have been able to get this working. Can anyone provide some insight on this?

Thanks in advance.
5836 Views   10 Replies   Latest reply: Newsgroup_User, Feb 13, 2008 8:58 PM
 
Replies
  • Joshua Chunick
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    1. Joshua Chunick,
    Feb 10, 2008 5:57 AM   in reply to Zen Seven
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    In this case all you need is that number from the documentation.
    If you're using port 1626 and using UDP then you need to set up your port forwarding to also include UDP. I work for a large ISP providing advanced technical support for various sized businesses, and I deal with port forwarding daily... if you have any questions then ask away :-). Btw, what's the brand and model of router?
     
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  • Zen Seven
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    2. Zen Seven,
    Feb 10, 2008 6:42 PM   in reply to Zen Seven
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    Thanks for the help Chunick.

    I've tried to port forward from 1626 to 16786 for both UDP/TCP, still no luck with UDP. The router is a Linksys wrt54g, with firmware version v3.03.1, Oct. 18, 2004 installed.
     
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  • Zen Seven
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    3. Zen Seven,
    Feb 10, 2008 6:43 PM   in reply to Zen Seven
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    Sorry - 1626 to 1676. :)
     
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  • Joshua Chunick
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    4. Joshua Chunick,
    Feb 12, 2008 4:43 PM   in reply to Zen Seven
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    try setting your pc up in the DMZ... go to 'Applications & Gaming' and select the submenu 'DMZ' and set in the ip then click 'enable' and lastly, 'Save Settings' button.... if the DMZ doesn't work for you then something is definitely wrong. You can also use an online port scanner site like http://www.t1shopper.com/tools/port-scanner/ to test the ports, but I don't currently have any programs listening on any ports so I cannot test and don't remember if any of the online scanners will list/test UDP and TCP or only TCP.

    Oh, just to let you know, the DMZ basically forwards all ports to your computer, essentially negating the firewall in your router so putting a computer in the DMZ is a good test to see if the problem isn't somewhere else... btw, do you have a firewall running on your computer?... you could be having an issue there... disable Windows Firewall or any other firewall you may be running.
     
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  • Newsgroup_User
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    5. Newsgroup_User,
    Feb 13, 2008 4:37 PM   in reply to Zen Seven
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    > Director's poor documentation doesn't specifically say the port range it
    > uses, only the
    > "starting" port being 1627 for UDP
    That's because it doesn't use a range. For each connection, a new udp socket
    will be created, and it will be bound to the first available port >= udp
    starting port.
    As for your tests, are you performing them from within the NAT? If so, then
    your udp messages will most probably fail - would be a bit lengthy to
    explain the reason, but has to do with the smus / mu protocol design.


    "Zen Seven" <webforumsuser@macromedia.com> wrote in message
    news:foibk6$352$1@forums.macromedia.com...
    > Hey all,
    >
    > I've written a test movie to check the viability of running a MUS app on a
    > server behind both a standard router and a firewall. Sadly, my attempts
    > have
    > failed - the TCP messages are being forwarded just fine, yet the USP
    > messages
    > are being stopped dead in their tracks at the firewall.
    >
    > I'm convinced my port forwarding is the reason - sadly, Director's poor
    > documentation doesn't specifically say the port range it uses, only the
    > "starting" port being 1627 for UDP. I've tried port forwarding 1626 (TCP)
    > all
    > the way up to 1647 with no luck so far.
    >
    > From searching on this newsgroup I get the feeling that people have been
    > able
    > to get this working. Can anyone provide some insight on this?
    >
    > Thanks in advance.
    >


     
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  • Zen Seven
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    6. Zen Seven,
    Feb 13, 2008 5:44 PM   in reply to Joshua Chunick
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    No luck sadly with your DMZ suggestions.

    I tried the port scanner URL as you suggested but it only detected 1626. Looks like it's TCP only. I used Ethereal a while back - see if that protocol analyzer might shed some light.
     
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  • Zen Seven
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    7. Zen Seven,
    Feb 13, 2008 5:50 PM   in reply to Newsgroup_User
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    quote:
    Originally posted by: Newsgroup User
    That's because it doesn't use a range. For each connection, a new udp socket
    will be created, and it will be bound to the first available port >= udp
    starting port.

    As for your tests, are you performing them from within the NAT? If so, then
    your udp messages will most probably fail - would be a bit lengthy to
    explain the reason, but has to do with the smus / mu protocol design.


    The opposite has been occurring - tests from within the NAT have worked fine (connecting to the server via the local IP) while any attempt at connection to the router IP, within the NAT or not, UDP wouldn't work. Which make sense to me, since there isn't any sort of port forwarding required to get the packets across.
     
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  • Newsgroup_User
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    8. Newsgroup_User,
    Feb 13, 2008 6:04 PM   in reply to Newsgroup_User
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    > The opposite has been occurring ...
    Open your multiuser.cfg file.
    Locate the
    UDPServerAddress = xxx:port

    is xxx the external ip (or name) of your server?

    "Zen Seven" <webforumsuser@macromedia.com> wrote in message
    news:fp06q6$dcq$1@forums.macromedia.com...
    >
    quote:
    Originally posted by: Newsgroup User
    > That's because it doesn't use a range. For each connection, a new udp
    > socket
    > will be created, and it will be bound to the first available port >= udp
    > starting port.
    >
    > As for your tests, are you performing them from within the NAT? If so,
    > then
    > your udp messages will most probably fail - would be a bit lengthy to
    > explain the reason, but has to do with the smus / mu protocol design.
    >

    >
    > The opposite has been occurring - tests from within the NAT have worked
    > fine
    > (connecting to the server via the local IP) while any attempt at
    > connection to
    > the router IP, within the NAT or not, UDP wouldn't work. Which make sense
    > to
    > me, since there isn't any sort of port forwarding required to get the
    > packets
    > across.
    >


     
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  • Zen Seven
    Currently Being Moderated
    9. Zen Seven,
    Feb 13, 2008 7:13 PM   in reply to Newsgroup_User
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    quote:
    Originally posted by: Newsgroup User
    > The opposite has been occurring ...
    Open your multiuser.cfg file.
    Locate the
    UDPServerAddress = xxx:port

    is xxx the external ip (or name) of your server?


    I've had it set to both 0.0.0.0:1627 and the local ip. Setting it to the external address (the router address) gives me an error on start up of MUS: "Problems with using UDP on this IP address:" and then nothing can connect.

    I've analyzed my outgoing UDP packets from my client program and for some crazy reason the destination IP is the local IP of the server, and not of the router! How it got that information is the question - I guess MUS sent a "this is the IP you should UDP to" or something even though I explicitly connect to the router ip?
     
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  • Newsgroup_User
    Currently Being Moderated
    10. Newsgroup_User,
    Feb 13, 2008 8:58 PM   in reply to Newsgroup_User
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    > I've analyzed my outgoing UDP packets from my client program and for some
    > crazy reason
    That's what I meant by "design" in my last post.
    During the logon sequence, and if UDP messaging is enabled, the server sends
    a message containing the udp address that the clients will use.
    If you are behind a NAT, and since there is no way to tell the server your
    true ip, then the clients will be sending udp messages to invalid
    addresses - to the server's NAT address that is.
    So, there seems to be no solution for enabling udp behind NAT.
    Or at least, not when using the original MUS.

    If interested, you can download:
    http://xtrema.rtr.gr/beta/Xtrema.Net.857.rar

    The package contains:
    - a simple serverless LAN chat movie (udp, broadcast)
    - a network tools movie (ping, tracert, lookup, wakeup etc.)
    - a MUS emulator movie
    - the Xtra on which the movies are based.

    Notes:
    - this is the first, and therefore lightly tested, Xtra build that
    uses overlapped IO and completion ports (the best that NT has to offer) for
    stream communication.
    - the mus movie is evolving along with the Xtra, so several commented blocks
    of code may exist in it. Ignore such lines of code..
    - if you browse the mus movie scripts, you'll most probably get answers to
    various mus related questions you may have.

    http://xtrema.rtr.gr/xtrema.htm


    "Zen Seven" <webforumsuser@macromedia.com> wrote in message
    news:fp0bn4$i9h$1@forums.macromedia.com...
    >
    quote:
    Originally posted by: Newsgroup User
    > > The opposite has been occurring ...
    > Open your multiuser.cfg file.
    > Locate the
    > UDPServerAddress = xxx:port
    >
    > is xxx the external ip (or name) of your server?
    >

    >
    > I've had it set to both 0.0.0.0:1627 and the local ip. Setting it to the
    > external address (the router address) gives me an error on start up of
    > MUS:
    > "Problems with using UDP on this IP address:" and then nothing can
    > connect.
    >
    > I've analyzed my outgoing UDP packets from my client program and for some
    > crazy reason the destination IP is the local IP of the server, and not of
    > the
    > router! How it got that information is the question - I guess MUS sent a
    > "this
    > is the IP you should UDP to" or something even though I explicitly connect
    > to
    > the router ip?
    >





     
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