Port Forwarding issues

Hey everyone... I've run into a bit of a snag here. Basically, I’m trying to test out a specific mod for SAP with a few buddies of mine, and obviously, I don't want to go dropping cash on dedicated hosting just yet. I figured I'd just try running it locally via a port first. So, I set everything up exactly like this (see the screenshot)
...but now, if I want my friends to join, am I supposed to just give them my IP address plus the port? Like, something like 12.34.56.78:7777? I've already got the "sap-server.exe" up and running.
The thing is, my friends can't actually get in; they just get stuck staring at a "retrieving info" message. What am I missing here? How can I set this up differently so it actually works?

Eric Carter said:Hey everyone... I've run into a bit of a snag here. Basically, I’m trying to test out a specific mod for SAP with a few buddies of mine, and obviously, I don't want to go dropping cash on dedicated hosting just yet. I figured I'd just try running it locally via a port first. So, I set everything up exactly like this (see the screenshot)
...but now, if I want my friends to join, am I supposed to just give them my IP address plus the port? Like, something like 12.34.56.78:7777? I've already got the "sap-server.exe" up and running.
The thing is, my friends can't actually get in; they just get stuck staring at a "retrieving info" message. What am I missing here? How can I set this up differently so it actually works?

If you're positive your server settings are correct, it’s most likely just some antivirus software or your Windows Firewall blocking those ports.

wiredcanyon94 said:If you're positive your server settings are correct, it’s most likely just some antivirus software or your Windows Firewall blocking those ports.

Thanks, wiredcanyon94... so it’s probably just that useless antivirus I installed the other day acting like a brick wall.

Well, here we go again... it’s acting up once more. Any idea what could be causing this mess?

Eric Carter said:Well, here we go again... it’s acting up once more. Any idea what could be causing this mess?

Windows Firewall?

Which ISP are you actually using? You should probably check the WAN IP listed in your router settings first. If you see anything in the 100.64.x.x through 100.127.x.x range, it means your provider has shoved you behind Carrier grade NAT, which basically means you're stuck sharing a single external IP address with a whole bunch of other people, and naturally, your port forwarding isn't going to work at all. It’s incredibly frustrating when they just decide to throttle your connectivity like that without warning.

Your best bet is to get on the phone with your provider and demand they assign you a dedicated public IP. Just tell them you need it for online gaming with friends—usually, if you frame it as a necessity for connecting to specific servers, they might actually listen to you instead of giving you the runaround.