Getting Gameranger to work behind stubborn routers
Posted: Jan 16 2010
Ok, I'm sure many of you have heard my discussions about how difficult it can be to get gameranger to work around certain routers, and many of you may be experiencing the same troubles. I've found a work-around that, while perhaps not an ideal solution, may help alleviate the suffering of some.
First things first, take the router, unplug everything from it and throw it in a box under the bed, in the bottom of the closet, or anywhere else where it can sit as the useless electronic gadget that it is. Then, connect your computer and modem together via ethernet or usb, depending on what works best for you (btw, ethernet is generally more stable). Oh yea, don't trash the router just yet, hang on to it for a little while just in case.
At this point, you need to verify that your internet is working normally, and it might even be a good idea to go ahead and try a gameranger connection. If everything is connected as such, it should work just fine.
Now, for the tricky part. Wireless internet adapters with vista (and xp too, I believe) are equipped with a capability called an 'ad-hoc' connection. The exact setup varies with the OS, but a google search for ad-hoc internet connection sharing will return many useful links.
so for your primary PC, set up this ad-hoc connection, and use one of the security options so your neighbors don't suddenly get free internet access at your expense. Pay close attention to the passphrase requirements, as this can be tricky to get right (it took me 5 separate tries).
Now you need to go to your LAN connection, go to properties, click the 'sharing' tab, and enable internet connection sharing (ICS). It doesnt' need to have the option to allow other computers to enable/disable the internet connection however. Go to each of the other computers you need networked, and connect to the ad-hoc network you just created. Voila! Now you have a computer that will play SR2020 online with gameranger, and you still have your other computers with internet capability. Just a note, there will be a slight additional load to the primary computer when there is internet traffic, but with a fairly recent computer this shouldn't be too much of a problem (especially if your computer has dual core technology or better).
I hope this helps some people with connectivity. I know it isn't the most desireable route, but for some of us it's simply the only thing that is going to work. If you're not sure on something, or would like help in setting this up, feel free to hunt me down, and I'll do what I can. Good luck, hope to see you in a game soon!!!
Dragon, the router aggressor.
First things first, take the router, unplug everything from it and throw it in a box under the bed, in the bottom of the closet, or anywhere else where it can sit as the useless electronic gadget that it is. Then, connect your computer and modem together via ethernet or usb, depending on what works best for you (btw, ethernet is generally more stable). Oh yea, don't trash the router just yet, hang on to it for a little while just in case.
At this point, you need to verify that your internet is working normally, and it might even be a good idea to go ahead and try a gameranger connection. If everything is connected as such, it should work just fine.
Now, for the tricky part. Wireless internet adapters with vista (and xp too, I believe) are equipped with a capability called an 'ad-hoc' connection. The exact setup varies with the OS, but a google search for ad-hoc internet connection sharing will return many useful links.
so for your primary PC, set up this ad-hoc connection, and use one of the security options so your neighbors don't suddenly get free internet access at your expense. Pay close attention to the passphrase requirements, as this can be tricky to get right (it took me 5 separate tries).
Now you need to go to your LAN connection, go to properties, click the 'sharing' tab, and enable internet connection sharing (ICS). It doesnt' need to have the option to allow other computers to enable/disable the internet connection however. Go to each of the other computers you need networked, and connect to the ad-hoc network you just created. Voila! Now you have a computer that will play SR2020 online with gameranger, and you still have your other computers with internet capability. Just a note, there will be a slight additional load to the primary computer when there is internet traffic, but with a fairly recent computer this shouldn't be too much of a problem (especially if your computer has dual core technology or better).
I hope this helps some people with connectivity. I know it isn't the most desireable route, but for some of us it's simply the only thing that is going to work. If you're not sure on something, or would like help in setting this up, feel free to hunt me down, and I'll do what I can. Good luck, hope to see you in a game soon!!!
Dragon, the router aggressor.