Ports refuse to open. Behind Linksys Router with Verizon Online

[Aaron H]

Hello everyone, this is my first post here. After more than a year of deliberation, I finally decided to do something about opening my ports for multiplayer use on Microsoft Flight Simulators 2004 and X (Hardly any multiplayer sessions ever give me trouble when connecting, but yesterday I came across a session that drew my ire by saying that I was blocked from joining because of unopened ports). I started by looking into the problem on Google, and came across the freeware program Simple Port Forwarding. I'm grateful that such a program is available for free, but it's not making my life any easier with the port forwarding.
Between yesterday and today, I've spent about 9 hours going around in circles trying to open ports 2300-2400, 6073, and 23456 on my Linksys WRT54G (Firmware 8.2.03). Now this router is probably one of the most finicky, unreliable pieces of modern technology I've dealt with in my life (I'm tempted to call it a piece of something else), but it has never caused me nearly as much frustration as it has in the past 24 hours with this port forwarding dilemma. SPF seems to export the above ports into the Linksys config page (192.168.1.1) just fine, but when I tried to test them, the program says they all failed. I'm guessing that this is a common error, since the program seems to offer remarks and suggestions about why it happens and what to do if it does. I eventually visited the help page here (<a href="http://www.pcwintech.com/common-problems-fixes-port-forwarding" target=new>Common Problem[/url]) to read the possible causes of this problem and a few issues I saw that I might have are:
-Problem #2: Wrong IP (I can change the last three digits only, which by default are set to "102." The solution states that I have to set the port IPs to point to my computer, but with so many similar IP address numbers, this is ambiguous to me. I'm guessing it's not the one I get from whatismyip.com, as that's entirely different).
-Problem #6: Wrong Connection Type- (I don't even understand any of this, although I've seen some of these settings on the Linksys config page)
-Miscellaneous #5: Verizon users. When I first checked the port settings on the Linksys Config Page, tehy were blank until I added the ports I wanted to open.

I have also tried all of this with my windows firewall on and off, with no effect.

Port forwarding shouldn't have to be a mind-boggling, all-day event for anyone. Someone help me with this please.


-Aaron.H

[Evan]

If you can post a screen shot of the port forwarding page of your router and the main window of SPF then I can verify that you are setting up the rules correctly. It's probably just a minor change that you need.

Evan

[Shane]

You are behind 2 routers bud
Problem #1 on the fixes page. Give this a read
http://www.pcwintech.com/how-setup-two-or-more-routers-together-port-forwarding-port-triggering

Your Verizon modem is also a router

Shane

[Aaron H]

Well that just surprises the goshdarn outta me. So if I have two routers, could I chuck the WRT54G? It's the Ford Pinto of telecommunications. Thanks for replying Shane, if I had known that you would have replied so soon, I would have stayed on my computer. I'll check out the link in a moment after I post a screenshot of my main SPF page and port forwarding settings in a reply to Evan.

[Shane]

Most people have another router hooked up, if their modem/router doesn't have wireless, and they need wireless. So they hook up another router with wireless.

If you have no need for the linksys, then take it out of the loop

Shane

[Aaron H]

If you can post a screen shot of the port forwarding page of your router and the main window of SPF then I can verify that you are setting up the rules correctly. It's probably just a minor change that you need.

Evan

Linksys Port Forwarding Settings

<BR>
Simple Port Forwarding Main Page

[Shane]

Port forwarding rule looks fine, follow that link I gave you on how to get 2 routers to play nice together and you will be all set

Shane

[Evan]

I'd only keep the Linksys if you need it for wireless. If it's an older hardware model (version 4 or older) then you can upload some great firmware on it and get a really good wireless G router actually. It's exactly what I did with a couple of them.

Evan

[Aaron H]

Port forwarding rule looks fine, follow that link I gave you on how to get 2 routers to play nice together and you will be all set

Shane

Ok, I'll let you know how it goes! And thanks once again for providing top-notch customer care : )

[Aaron H]

Port forwarding rule looks fine, follow that link I gave you on how to get 2 routers to play nice together and you will be all set

Shane

All right, this is just beginning to make sense to me. I won't be able to log into the first router (it's a Westell 6100) yet because I misplaced the little notebook I keep all the computer details and settings in. I'll come back either tomorrow or sometime later in the week to let you know how it worked out. Thank you!

p.s.- I just looked up instructions for logging into the Westell, and it's the same as the Linksys (192.168.1.1.). Is there some other way I can get to it? I'll get better at this in due course.

[Shane]

Log into the linksys, go to the status page. Find its Internet IP. Write it down, you will need it for the DMZ page in the westell.
On that same page in the linksys you will see the gateway IP. Use that IP to log into the westell.

Shane

[Aaron H]

Log into the linksys, go to the status page. Find its Internet IP. Write it down, you will need it for the DMZ page in the westell.
On that same page in the linksys you will see the gateway IP. Use that IP to log into the westell.

Shane

Oh ok, looks like I'm on the the right track. I just started prodding around (usually my natural inclination, but I didn't want to make any changes with anything this complex).

[Aaron H]

Log into the linksys, go to the status page. Find its Internet IP. Write it down, you will need it for the DMZ page in the westell.
On that same page in the linksys you will see the gateway IP. Use that IP to log into the westell.

Shane

All right, so I got to the Westell page, but I forgot the password for it. I just have to find the little book I keep all my computer-related information in.