Empire Earth AOC problems

[Droidekafan]

Hi all I am having problems with my AOC hosting online. I have recently reset my computer which before was able to host without problems, but now when I host a direct connect game no-one on my network can join. I have done everything I can, Including portforwarding the ports on my firewall and installing all the patches, but to no avail. Every time either of the PCs on my network trys to join, it comes up with one of two errors; Error: "General Failure (Code: WS_WSAETIMEDOUT)", or "Error: The connection attempt failed". The PCs are Two Windows 7 Home Edition PCs, one of which I am using to host and one Windows XP Professional Edition. No errors come up when I play on LAN, only online and also only on Empire Earth; my network is fine with games like Garry's mod or Age of Empires. Any suggestions?

[Ghost]

If you want to play a game online with computers that are on the same LAN, you can only join other people's games (someone NOT on your network is hosting). You can't have one person host an IP game and have someone on the same LAN join. It's a limitation of the game due to the way it works with IPv4.

If it worked before, then maybe I'm wrong. Disable Windows Firewall on the computers you're playing EE with then try again.

[Droidekafan]

I don't use Windows firewalll, I use Avira, but I tried disabling that and it didn't work. But it did work before I reset. The other computers I am using with my mates are on the same network, but are connecting through direct connect as opposed to LAN. This setup was fine beforhand though, just not now.

[Ghost]

I just mention Windows Firewall because it's on by default. You may not use it, or think you use it, but sometimes it sneaks its way on (Microsoft is tricky like that).

If something worked for you before but now it doesn't, I don't know what to tell you. I'd just go through each thing again, double check it all, maybe try using static IPs...

Also, you could try just entering the local IP for the host from the client computers if you aren't already. That would be better than entering the public IP and forwarding the port.

[Droidekafan]

Ok thanks, I havn't tried using the local IP, I will give that a try.