What is the use of ports concerning your ISP and router?

[blurredvision]

I'm asking this question because of the problems with the recently released Raven Shield. One of the major problems with it so far is many people are unable to connect to multiplayer games due to UBI's method of verifying the cd key before each game is played.

Their solution to this so far has been instructing people to make sure a certain number of ports are open to allow access to UBI and their servers. Now this makes no sense to me why every other game I've ever played works great without making changes, yet now we have to change and open things to get it to work?

Before anyone asks, yes, I did buy the game, and yes, the multiplayer works fine for me. But I do not understand ports, and I don't think a lot of others out there do either. This seems to be an issue that is not needed, and a lot of people are getting peeved about it.

So can someone explain ports to me, and how would I go about opening ports on my router or comp? I have a Linksys router, and delved a bit into the manual online, but there was really nothing explaing opening ports. I've been into the router page using the IP given in the manual, but there's not a clear-cut menu that I see under Basic or Advanced that describes opening ports.

Thanks for any explanations.

 

[Grminalac]

Well the reason you need to open specific ports is because your linksys router is also operating as a firewall. I am not sure how to specifically add ports to your router but it should be fairly easy to do so from that gui you access via your webbrowser by entering the ip address. You basically type the port number in, designate the type likely TCP and then allow or deny. I am sure there is a setting to drop the firewall entirely: You could do this just for the few moments needed to activate the product then turn the firewall back on. I have always telnetted into a router and added the routes via command using route add, but using the GUI would be easier in your instance.

 

[dum]

on my linksys router (model BEFSR41) to open ports you go through the web interface and go to the Advanced tab, then go to the Forwarding tab.
type in the port range you want to open, whether you want TCP, UDP or both types of traffic allowed (both is default and should be fine) and type in the IP of your computer.

Apply and you're done.

As far as explaining ports, they have always been described to me as different doors for traffic to go into and out of your computer. Any program that access information outside your computer will do so through some port.

here is a link showing some of the reserved port numbers. Other non-reserved numbers can be used for pretty much anything.

 

[Grminalac]

Linksys Doc

Here is the directions from linksys to open specific ports using port triggering, which is reccomended when accessing services such as icq and for gaming.

 

[blurredvision]

Originally posted by: dum
on my linksys router (model BEFSR41) to open ports you go through the web interface and go to the Advanced tab, then go to the Forwarding tab.
type in the port range you want to open, whether you want TCP, UDP or both types of traffic allowed (both is default and should be fine) and type in the IP of your computer.

Apply and you're done.

As far as explaining ports, they have always been described to me as different doors for traffic to go into and out of your computer. Any program that access information outside your computer will do so through some port.

here is a link showing some of the reserved port numbers. Other non-reserved numbers can be used for pretty much anything.

I actually have the same exact router model as you. I beleive I know the screen you are talking about, as that's one of the screens I figured would be used, but was unsure. By typing in the IP of your computer, do you mean your internal IP as described by the router?

Thanks for the info guys. I feel a little bit smarter now.