A post on ports

[kabantik]

Not to worry I'm not having any problems with my server's ports, I'm looking for information mostly. I've checked many forum posts on this forum as well as many others on the STEAM forums and even some random google articles. Okay so we all know that were supposed to open a few ports in order to make our servers visible to the world and to operate properly. Usually

27020-27039 TCP and
1200,27000-27015 UDP

Now that's all well and great for someone running one server on port 27015, but what happens when we add two or three, apparently there is a rule of 20 Ports open below the -port selected. But that doesn't make sense... Why does a server need 20 different ports opened to allow players to connect who only connect to the -port ??? What I've done, and since ZER0 | runs about 5 servers or at least once my buddy actually sits done and does it.... I've opened up ports 27000_27115 UDP and TCP to eliminate any problems. but I haven't tried culling the ports back yet, mostly because I don't have time to sit around and try thousands of different port option. Oh and BTW the servers are running on 40 60 80 100 and 115 (The last one I don't remember why I never changed it...). So that brings me to the big question, what ports should I have open because if you only need one port for each server I have a rather large series of holes in my Fire Wall! I don't even know what ports 27020-27039 and 27000-27015 do! Do you honestly need 34 ports open for steam? And is the 27000-27015 for servers running on 27015 or do you always have to open those ports... Well that's all I'm writing for now I've been very sick today and I can't concentrate, I'm just throwing this out there for nw

[Spartanfrog]

Try only opening one port and see how it works out. I didn't open ANY other ports when I ran multiple servers and it worked fine.

[kabantik]

Spartanfrog Wrote:Try only opening one port and see how it works out. I didn't open ANY other ports when I ran multiple servers and it worked fine.

Well I'mg thinking of running for the servers 27020-27026 UDP and TCP for RCON and not bothering with 20 Port spacing I think thats just for the 27015 port server, someone should make a more refined post about ports and sticky it because it's always the first question people ask when they put up a CS:S server. I know one already exists but it doesn't cover multiple servers or address the issue of this port spacing stuff.... Thx SF

[Doggie52]

I could perhaps put something together later sometime covering exactly what ports one needs. But you must know, it's different for everyone due to router model etc. Some might need more ports and some might need less!

[kabantik]

Well this is primarily for linux's IPtables, which I never actually got to work I had to install APF or Advanced Policy Firewall which has a good set of defaults that don't make your system vulnerable but you only need like one or two ports open to actually get the server to work. You're right there are many different routers and god forbid hardware firewalls but they "all" need those basic ports open according to all of the port posts I've read on the grand internetz..... Quite honestly I think you only need one port open at all and thats your -port <port#> or at least that's worked for me I don't know why we need 6 million other ranges for the server....