How to configure UPnP and ports for a multiplayer Dungeon Siege II game

This article describes the ports that you must open in Microsoft Windows Firewall to play or to host a Microsoft Dungeon Siege II multiplayer game. Additionally, this article describes the advantages of enabling UPnP. This article also lists the port addresses that must be open on computers that are not running Windows Firewall but instead are using a proxy server, a router, Network Address Translation (NAT), or Internet Connection Sharing.

Microsoft Windows firewall

Windows Firewall, previously known as Internet Connection Firewall (ICF), is a protective boundary that monitors and restricts information that travels between your computer and a network or between your computer and the Internet. This provides a line of defense against someone who might try to access your computer from outside the Windows Firewall without your permission. If you are running Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2), Windows Firewall is turned on by default. With Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2), you do not have to manually create port exceptions in the firewall. You can now create exceptions for the program itself. To do this, follow these steps.

Note Do not open a port for a program that you do not recognize.

1. Click Start, and then click Control Panel.
2. In Control Panel, click Windows Security Center.
3. Click the Exceptions tab.
4. In the Exceptions tab, click Add Program, and then click Browse.
5. Locate the game's executable file, and then click Open. By default, the game is installed in the following folder:
   C:\Program Files\Microsoft Games\Dungeon Siege 2\DungeonSiege2.exe
6. Click OK.
7. Click OK to close the Windows Firewall dialog box.

For more information about Windows Firewall settings, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

UPnP

With the addition of Device Plug and Play capabilities to the operating system, it became much easier to set up, to configure, and to add peripherals to a computer. UPnP extends this simplicity to include the whole network by enabling discovery and control of networked devices and services, such as network-attached printers, Internet gateways, and consumer electronics equipment. UPnP is more than just a simple extension of the Plug and Play peripheral model. UPnP is designed to support zero-configuration networks and automatic discovery for a variety of device categories from many vendors. With UPnP, a device can do the following:

• Dynamically join a network
• Obtain an IP address
• Convey its capabilities
• Automatically learn about the presence and capabilities of other devices.

Devices can subsequently communicate with each other. This makes peer-to-peer networking possible with UPnP.

To enable UPnP, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, and then click Control Panel.
2. In Control Panel, click Add or Remove Programs, and then click Add/Remove Windows Components.
3. In the Components list, click to select the Networking Services check box, and then click Details.
4. In the Networking Services dialog box, click to select the Internet Gateway Device Discovery and Control Client check box, click to select the UPnP User Interface check box, and then click OK.
5. Click Next.
6. Click Finish.

For more information about UPnP, visit the following Microsoft Web site:Note You may have to enable UPnP on any external router hardware that you may have as part of the network. See the documentation that came with your networking hardware to make sure that your hardware supports UPnP and for instructions about how to enable it. For more information about UPnP, click the following article numbers to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Port listing

If you do not use the Windows Firewall program, you can still open the ports that are used by Dungeon Siege II when you configure the network. To make sure that these ports are open or to open these ports, contact the network administrator or your Internet service provider (ISP). If you are the administrator of the network, view the documentation that is provided with your networking software to determine how to open these ports. The following list describes the ports that must be open:

• Port forwarding must be enabled on the UDP ports that are in the range of 2300 to 2400 from your router to the computer that is hosting the game.
• Incoming and outgoing traffic must be configured for the following GameSpy ports:
  • 6667 (IRC)
  • 27900 (Master Server UDP Heartbeat)
  • 28900 (Master Server List Request)
  • 29900 (GP Connection Manager)
  • 29901 (GP Search Manager)
  • 13139 (Custom UDP Pings)
  • 6515 (Dplay UDP)
  • 6500 (Query Port)

The third-party products that this article discusses are manufactured by companies that are independent of Microsoft. Microsoft makes no warranty, implied or otherwise, regarding the performance or reliability of these products.