Edited by ShadowFox0809 on Sep 18, 2012 at 01:33 AM

its because both the dedi, and halo are both trying to use the same ports. open HCE, go into settings, increase the port numbers by 1

Edited by ShadowFox0809 on Sep 18, 2012 at 01:33 AM

This is the article you needed: I started a dedicated server and can't connect to it

Edited by ShadowFox0809 on Sep 18, 2012 at 01:33 AM

Be sure they are not only open in your router and PC but forwarded to the specific PC that server is running on.

See:
I started a server and no one can join the game
http://hce.halomaps.org/index.cfm?nid=237
Edited by Dennis on Sep 4, 2011 at 09:20 PM

Edited by ShadowFox0809 on Sep 18, 2012 at 01:33 AM

You do not need to disable your firewall, and opening all the ports just makes you very vulnerable to external threats.
Also, there is no need to disable Avast, because that also doesn't help.

Try this instead:
Create a .bat file using notepad that says this:

C:\HaloCE\haloceded.exe -exec C:\halopc\init1.txt -path C:\haloCE\variants1 -port 2301 

Replace C:\HaloCE\haloceded.exe with the path of your Halo CE dedi exe, C:\halopc\init1.txt with the path of your init file, C:\haloCE\variants1 with the folder your gametypes are stored in, and finally 2301 with the port number you want your dedi to run on.

Save the .bat file anywhere on your computer, preferably on your desktop.

Next, add an exception to Windows Firewall (or whatever firewall you are using) for the Halo CE dedi exe as well as your Halo CE game exe. If you're using Windows Firewall, ensure the exception applies to both Public and Private networks (or if you know the category your network is classified under, add the exceptions only to the specific category.

Now, run the .bat file and wait for the Halo CE dedi to start up completely.
Once that is done, go and open cmd (yes, Command Prompt), and type in "ipconfig" without the inverted commas.
Look for your IPv4 address, and remember it.

Open up Halo CE itself, and within the game (under Settings > Network Setup), change your server port to the port your dedi is running on, and the client port to a different port from the dedi's port (if your dedi runs on port 2322 for example, you change your client port to say 2355, and your server port to 2322)

Now, go to Multiplayer > Join Game > LAN. If you're lucky, you should see your dedi there, and you can join it.
If not, go to Multiplayer > Join Game > Direct IP, and under Server Address type in:

 192.168.1.111:2322 

Replace 192.168.1.111 with your IPv4 address I told you earlier on to remember, and 2322 with the port your dedi runs on.
You should be able to join the dedi now.

A little note here: while your server may be public, it may take a little while before someone decides to join your server, so don't be surprised if no one joins for a few hours. Also, it would be best if you are inside the server, as people tend to like joining servers with people playing in them.
I would assume that you have forwarded the dedi's port and your client port in your router. If so, everything SHOULD work fine.

Edited by sargejohnson on Sep 4, 2011 at 11:48 PM

The issue is most likely the router and not your PC. In order for outside (internet) client to connect to your server the router MUST be configured to allow traffic from the outside to the PC's IP that the server is running on. You only need to open and forward the two ports your Halo server is using; the defaults are 2302 and 2303.

If you have a Linksys you can usually frind it in the "Applications & Gaming" section or the "port forwarding" section of the router configuration page, depending on the model. Essentially you tell the router the Port number you want to forward and the IP number of the PC you want it forwarded to and the protocol to use (UDP,TCP,Both). The game uses UDP but there is no issue in using "both".

Edited by ShadowFox0809 on Sep 18, 2012 at 01:34 AM

Maybe, just maybe, even if you set the dedi's port to something other than its default port (2303), like -port 2322 for example, you may just be setting the port that the dedi broadcasts on, and not changing the port the dedi listens on (which may probably be fixed to the default 2303).

Anyway, since you have already made the dedi work and know how to make the dedi work, I suggest you keep the settings you know actually work. Ensure that all ports are forwarded in your router (dedi port, server port and client port), and you should be good to go.

And just a few final tests to ensure that your joining of the dedi doesn't cause problems for other players who are joining or are already in the dedi (it has happened to me before: I join one of my dedis, and the other players get disconnected or start warping around a lot), have another computer on your network join your dedi using the ingame multiplayer internet lobby (ensures that your dedi is actually publicising its existence, and that you can join it over the internet).
Next, join your dedi using the same computer that you are hosting your dedi on (after all, that's what you want to do right?), and check your other computer for ingame lag and/or disconnection.
After that, using your other computer, disconnect from your dedi and try joining it again via the ingame multiplayer internet lobby.
If your dedi passes these tests, I am very sure that your dedi should be working fine.

Edited by ShadowFox0809 on Sep 18, 2012 at 01:34 AM

Be sure you forward port 2312 in the router since that is the server port and also check to be sure you are forwarding it to the correct IP. It must be the internal IP number of the server. To obtain that IP number open a command prompt and type ipconfig [return], You want the IPv4 Address.

Edited by ShadowFox0809 on Sep 18, 2012 at 01:34 AM