Portforwarding

[Bijo]

Have you ever visited this site?

Here is the basic rundown of it and how it is designed:

* Start Here if you are a noob => read tons of information and jargon
* While reading, if you don't know what all of this means, or some jargon, check out this link => read tons of information and jargon while still not having achieved the goal they claim you will reach
* If your head hasn't exploded yet, and you understand it so far (lots of information and nowhere is true progression in sight), read this stuff right here
* Now check in the list to see for your router's model => it's not there (okay, then I'll improvise with the information available)

* Improvisation:
- Read, read, read
- Understand (or thinking you do)
- Vaguely compare jargon with available information here and there and guess a lot what's best
- Search information
- Try to understand lots of information and jargon
[loop]
- Test setup
- Curse, because it doesn't work

- Search information
- Try to understand lots of info and jargon

- Try out stuff that seems logical
[/loop]

You know what's horrible about that? Last year I tried setting it up, didn't go. Some weeks later tried again, didn't go. Few months later tried again, it didn't go. Tried again later, didn't go. Well I don't remember exactly, but something like that it was. Trying it right now, doesn't go.

Now, I am not one who would get agitated that easily, but when technology, computers and such, explanations and the likes, are **** for somebody who is used to performing quick efficiency in other matters, and it's all taking too long, then... then.... Okay where is that goddamn hammer? I'm going to turn this place into a wrecking zone.

The picture here seems applicable. I've already had a little help and am further into setting up the thing, but still not there yet.

So my question is: how the **** do I do the ******* thing? Can someone please provide any EASY explanation for a NOOB? An explanation that is actually CLEAR and EFFECTIVE?

Excuse my language, by the way, but you can tell my head is almost exploding from information overload and annoyance. And all that just due to something that is said to be easy. I could buy a newer router and have the damn thing function more easily, but I'm Dutch, that means I'm cheap

[Whacker]

Don't forget lazy.

First thing's first, make, model, and version please. For example, I have a Linksys WRT64GX4 v1.0.

[Bijo]

What I know about the machine is that it's an SMC Barricade 7404BRA.

[Whacker]

Well, I was able to find a manual for a SMC7404WBRA, but it was pathetic and it didn't appear to have any options related to port forwarding. Sorry mate, but I've never really liked SMC's products, and their website is a nightmare to navigate.

[Bijo]

Well, I've found a European manual in French. The language is no problem but the information is still not clear enough. Guess I'll just visit some tech forum. Any recommendations which forums are good or where they might have good guides?

[TevashSzat]

I just replied your pm with a link that should allow you to dl the article.

As for how to port forwarding, Its a very very complicated task. Count yourself lucky if you can find the instructions on portforward.com, count yourself even luckier if it actually works.

Btw, if you use a router and port forwarding doesn't seem to work, biggest potential problem is that you need a static ip address which was very very bothersome to set up.....

[Husar]

Btw, if you use a router and port forwarding doesn't seem to work, biggest potential problem is that you need a static ip address which was very very bothersome to set up.....

I set up our family network with static IPs at first and actually liked it that way since you always know the IPs of the PCs if you want to ping them etc.
Didn't seem to be any harder than with random IPs either, you just set them in TCP/IP settings, use the router as Gateway and DNS server and that usually worked, took a bit to figure that out, but once it works it erm, works.

[Bijo]

Yeah, it took a while to figure out. What's even funnier is the guide on portforward.com 'How to set up a static IP address in XP' which reeks of redundant technical mumbo jumbo. I'm not reading it to learn every goddamn little detail: I require quick effectiveness and progression, but nooooo.... you get a very long guide that sometimes appears so... illogical. Anyway, at the end he admits he realizes the guide is unclear or difficult so he added a new section to simplify matters. AT THE END, WHY NOT EARLIER? IN FACT, WHY NOT REWRITE THE GUIDE TO MAKE IT MORE CLEAR AND STRAIGHT-FORWARD?

Of course I managed to set it up (after lots of trouble), but guess what... things started to get vague and suspicious when connections started failing and I read strange suspicious connection numbers. What the hell could that be about?