From TM Wiki

Are your ports open? While surfing around recently I came across this useful site: http://www.grc.com/port_2350.htm If you press the 'Probe THIS port' button on this page, you can help determine whether you have access problems through your router/firewall. If the application that uses the port (Trackmania in this case) is running and all the paths are clear, then the results page shows OPEN, any other problem whether router or firewall (or program not running) shows STEALTH. This may help people who are having problems setting up servers, particularly those who have everything in place, but are growing impatient waiting for people to join and beginning to think there must be hardware/software issues, when in fact there aren't :) You can also change the port test for other programs by just changing the URL, or using the jump field/button on the page to test another port. It's very useful.

Your IP address: MyIp.se

Notes: This is not an exhaustive tutorial, but it will help get you heading in the right direction.

Disclaimer: We are not network specialists and not technical support. Any information you follow in this guide is 100% at your own risk.

You need to know your external IP address. Get this from here or check your router utility s/w if you use a router..

Contents 1 If no router on Win XP with SP2 2 If you use a router 2.1 If you're struggling 2.2 Other server softwares

If no router on Win XP with SP2

Start\ control panel\ security centre Click Windows Firewall button Click advanced tab In Network connection settings area, click settings button

Under services tab click Add button In Description of service type 'Trackmania' In External AND internal port number type 2350 In Name or IP address box, put your external IP address. If you dont know it, go to here and write down the number to put in Click the TCP radio button then click ok.

Under services tab click Add button again In Description of service type 'Trackmania' again In External AND internal port number type 2350 again In Name or IP address box, put your external IP address. Click the UDP radio button then click ok

Now just close down the open windows.

Start trackmania and on the start up screen click Configure then advanced button On the Network Tab set server port to 2350, client port to 0 In 'Force server address' type your external IP address Do not tick 'Use local address' unless you use a router or are on a network which has an IP assigning component leave everything else blank.

Now start and set up a server. It should run ok.

Note: If your ISP provides you with a dynamic IP address (most do) then you will need to check your IP address now and then and update the above to suit the new IP address.

You could off course turn off your firewall, but this leaves you wide open to abuse. So why chance it when the above is so easy?

If you use a router

You can do the above as well, but if you have a router then that may act as a firewall between the world and your PC too, so your windows firewall is not really needed as long as you know what you are doing with port forwarding. What many people do is turn windows firewall off altogether, it makes life alot easier. Before you do this, check your router spec to make sure.

Windows uses ports 0-1024 so as long as you arn't forwarding to ports in that range then you are usually safe from attack when you open a port, as an application has to be listening on your PC for incoming connections to connect. So for Trackmania, opening port 2350 means that incoming connections will find TrackMania listening.

Setting up port forwarding In your Routers utility software you need to set up a virtual server / port forwarding. To do this you need to know the internal IP address your router assigns to your pc. There will be a specific number so hunt around the router software till you find it.

If you can't find it do Start/Run type 'cmd', press enter. In the dos box that pops up type 'ipconfig' then press enter. Note the pc's ip address, then shut down the dos box. This is your internal ip address.

This is a different number to the ISP's external IP address. It is internal to the network which exists between your router and your PC.

Now add a port, give it an id (anything) if asked, give a public port AND private port of 2350 when/if prompted, click UDP. If asked for a host IP give the router assigned internal IP address you just found. Now add another port, give it an id (anything) if asked, give a public port AND private port of 2350 when/if prompted, click TCP. If asked for a host IP give the router assigned internal IP address again.

Start trackmania and on the start up screen click Configure then advanced button On the Network Tab set server port to 2350, client port to 0 In 'Force server address' type your ISP given external IP address, the one on here Tick 'Use local address' and leave everything else blank.

Thats it, its done!

Important note about lag: When you get up and running, on a 1MB broadband connection, 16 players is about maximum that I've hosted before lag starts to set in. This may be restricted by a number of issues outside of your control so feedback is welcome here.

Important: Your ISP will periodically change your external IP address (unless you pay for a fixed IP address - most people don't), so check it before you run your server, and make adjustments if necessary. This WILL catch you out so remember it!

If you're struggling

If you're still struggling to set up your server go to Portforward.com. This site will help with setting up port forwarding on your router or firewall.

If you are not sure of how to configure your router or firewall for using applications like Internet Games, Peer-to-Peer file sharing (P2P), Web serving, FTP serving, WebCams, IRC DDC, and Instant Messaging such as AIM, ICQ, Yahoo and MS Messenger, then this site has some fantastic, straightforward information to help you.

Give it a go if your still struggling!

Other server softwares

• TmDedicated
• ASECO (Records and ranks...)

To do ...