Why do routers have trouble with internet games?

[clicknext]

I'm trying to play NHL2004 through my router, and it's not working. Even with DMZ hosting enabled, I can't connect to a remote player. What do I need to do?

Thanks

 

[AFB]

Because of NAT. It blocks packets that you have not requested and can also block certain ports.

 

[SpunkyJones]

Find out which ports that game uses and forward them to your PC.

 

[subflava]

Based on what you're saying, you've got your setup backwards. Have you tried having your friend connect to you instead of having you connect to your friend? When you're dealing with NAT, the direction you do it matters. If you don't want to bother with figuring out which ports to map on your routers, you need to have your friend setup his router DMZ also.

Warning about setting up your computer in the DMZ though...it's not recommended you do this because it completely exposes you to the internet.

 

[Matt84]

Disable DMZ right now - the term DMZ for these home routers is misleading. If your comp is not secure itself then through using DMZ your comp is totally exposed to the internet.

Check for a setting of Upnp and enable it. That will allow you to connect to other properly configured game servers.

To host games yourself u will nead to forward the ports the game uses to your local IP address in your router. This should allow you to host games

 

[clicknext]

Originally posted by: SpeedKing
Disable DMZ right now - the term DMZ for these home routers is misleading. If your comp is not secure itself then through using DMZ your comp is totally exposed to the internet.

Check for a setting of Upnp and enable it. That will allow you to connect to other properly configured game servers.

To host games yourself u will nead to forward the ports the game uses to your local IP address in your router. This should allow you to host games

Don't worry, I had my windows ICF on (in a configuration that let me play games before I had a router).

About the Upnp, it is enabled. So is "gaming mode", though I don't know what that means.

I'm a bit unsure about how to forward the ports on my router. I was wondering if you could go to this site, which is an emulator of my router's configuration menu system.
http://support.dlink.com/techtool/di604_reve/emulator/

Thanks for all your replies.