help with starting a server

[BBBEN]

Hello, I was wondering if you guys could help with a problem a friend and I have been having with starting a server. When my friend starts a dedicated server on his computer and joins it from his same computer, I can see the server on xfire but if i join it fails after 4 retries. Im a n00b to servers so any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

EDIT: It might also be useful to know that he is running it from the steam menu.

[skeletor]

alright.. well for one, is he on the same local network as you? and if hes not, then is he behind a router? if he is behind a router.. then he will probly find this tutorial i wrote helpfull..
http://forums.srcds.com/showthread.php?tid=1847

it should work after the port forwarding and such is worked out, and when you connect to the right ip address. but that link should explain everything, feel free to post any other questions.. or critisize my tutorial im always up for making it better!

[BBBEN]

Ok, ive tried the things in the tutorial with no luck. He is not on the same network but he has a router.
Anyway, I connect to the internet using a ZyXEL Prestige (Sprint) SP-645ME-A1-0504 DSL box. If I start a dedicated server, it doesnt show up in the server list on steam, which I would guess means it is not working(I have all the filters set up correctly). I have the port forwarding set up correctly I believe. Is there some kind of command in the dedicated server that I have to change?

[skeletor]

as that tutorial says, if you make a server on your local lan you probly will not be able to connect to it though the internet list. you might not even be able to see it in fact. and since he is on a different local network you will need his external ip, which would NOT be displayed on his xfire. xfire will display the lan ip of the server (which he connected to) he would have to tell you the ip of his server. tell him to view that tutorial and tell you what ip that image says his is.

[BBBEN]

so if the server itself says that it is on the lan ip, I would need to connect to the external ip from outside of the network in order to connect to the server?

[BuIIeT]

easy easy easy....lol if u have forwarded the ports and i doesnt work its because the server thinks its made for a lan game. in your autoexec.cfg or in console on the server type sv_lan 0

BuIIeT

[skeletor]

yes, the server will show as having the lan ip anywhere on the same local network. and you being outside the local network would have to connect to the external ip, that will take you to his router, and then if he has forwarded the ports right on his router, then the router will tell your connection to connect to the lan ip of the server.

basically the router will route you to the server once you use the external ip to get that far.