You can only get a static IP address from your ISP. Your internet package most probably has a dynamic IP, so if you wish to have a static IP then you will need to contact your ISP. This does not stop you from hosting however!
Here's a guide that I've written just for you.
Since your router does not seem to support forwarding port ranges, you will have to enter each port individually.
1) Click start, click Run, and then type the three letters
cmd into the run box, then press okay (or enter). A command prompt box should come up. Type
ipconfig and then press enter. Something similar to this should come up:
Windows IP Configuration
Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection 6:
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : WorkGroup
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.14
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1
Copy and paste into a text/word file your network IP address (it's the set of four numbers by the words IP Adress, in my case it's '192.168.2.14'). You'll need these numbers in a minute, not just yet though!
2) Go to
http://www.portforward.com/cports.htm and look for the game you first want forwarding, it should give you a list of ports next to each game and wether they are TCP or UDP ports. Note each one down (and wether they're TCP or UDP). You will need to enter all these ports to get it working successfully. To help you with this a little bit I'll give you the ones for Halo:
TCP port: 80
UDP ports:2302 and 2303
3) Open up your router's control panel/website. Click the configuration link on the menu, then click virtual server. Click the 'Create a new server' button.
3) Now this is the part to set up the port forwarding part! The page I gave will tell you if the port being forwarded is a TCP or UDP port (TCP is the left column and UDP is the right column), now in the control panel select from the dropdown box where it says 'Protocol' either TCP or UDP (depending on what the page I gave says). Tick/press the box next to where it says 'User define as'. Now type in the box next to it one of the port numbers listed on the page I gave (you will need to do every port it lists for each game). Next to where it says IP address type in the boxes your IP address for your pc that you got earlier from the command prompt box (each one of the four parts of your IP goes in one box). Next to where it says TCP/IP port, type 0 (this means it will use the same port as the other port you entered further up the page). Click apply.
4) Do step 3 for EVERY port number you need for each game, you'll get the hang of it easily obviously so it shouldn't be too hard.
5) You might want to restart your modem and PC to make sure.
6) Start a server (make sure you leave the default ports as they are, otherwise your work will be rendered useless) and it should be able to be joined by your friends. If you don't know your outside internet IP address (the one you need to give your friends) then go to
WhatIsMyIp.com and the website will give you your IP address.
Edited by Thing'e', 13 June 2005 - 02:14 PM.