How to make server private

[Power-Inside]

Each time I open the VC:MP server and play on it, several other players join my server...  How do they know my server?  So it means my server get announced to master server? How do I disable this (in config.cfg? wat to put )...

I dont want to put password on my server but just want to make sure it does not announce to master server list.

But I have one more doubt.. My router has NAT features and I DID NOT port forward the ports.. then how was the outside players able to join in my server when I did not port forward at all???  

[Boss]

Try putting announce 0 line in your server.cfg. If that doesn't work - simply remove announce.exe file from your server dir. It will prevent your server from being listed in "Internet" tab.

It is also impossible for internet players to connect to a machine with no external IP and without port forwarding. If you do not forward ports, that means that the machine running server has an external IP, making it avaliable to internet.

[Power-Inside]

Yes , my machine does have external IP and is dynamic... but Im still puzzled why they are able to connect when I dont forward ports...  Normally, services that require others to connect to my machine is blocked by my router unless that specific port is forwarded... i think.

[Boss]

How exactly is your local network organized?

Internet - Router - Server_Machine
                 |
           Random_PCs?

If it is organized like the one above, that means that your router has an external IP, not the machine you run VC:MP server on. That would mean you have the port forwarded.

If it's not and your VC:MP machine is directly (well, through ISP) connected to internet, then your ports don't have to be forwarded.

[Power-Inside]

I am not sure.. My machine which runs VC:MP server is connected to an ADSL modem/router which is then connected to the Internet..

If VC:MP PC is "directly" connected to internet , it needs a modem/router to connect to internet, right? Whats the difference? Both are same?!

Sorry for my confusion.. but I feel I really need to get this straight..

[ramandu]

the more secure, the better, turn your old pc's into complete hardware gateways between you and the internet.

Internet - Router - Gateway - Managed Switch - Server_Machine
                                                |
                                            Switch  Switch Switch             
                                                |       |        |
                                              PCs    PCs    PCs

[Boss]

If VC:MP PC is "directly" connected to internet , it needs a modem/router to connect to internet, right? Whats the difference? Both are same?!

Modem and router are two different things. Modem (modulator-demodulator) is used to encode transmited and decode received data. Router, on the other hand, is technically a computer. It can act as a switch, firewall or even act as a server machine with an external IP (like on the scheme I've shown).

So, it depends on how does your "modem/router" act. If it's just a modem, then it passes data directly to one of your PC's adapters with an external IP and you don't need any forwarding.

If your ADSL modem is also a router, then it is likely that it has an external IP which your computer uses through a local IP. In this case your computer can only be accessed from the internet if ports are forwarded on your router.

If you didn't forward anything and people are able to connect, then you don't have a router at all, just a modem.

[Power-Inside]

I suspect my ADSL modem to be a router because it has NAT forwarding setttings and built in security features..

Also, when I once made a web server (port 80) , people could not view it through my external IP until I port forwarded 80 from my internal IP of my server machine.

So its not just an adsl modem... right?

Btw , I think internet users was able to get in my server because I have enabled the NAT-DMZ feature in my router? Is it? See the screenshot below

[Boss]

Since your computer has only a local IP, ports must be forwarded it order to reach it from internet. Though, afaik, enabling DMZ results in all ports being forwarded.

[Power-Inside]

Yup I recently just enabled DMZ...  So now it all makes sense!

[thijn]

btw if you still want to have a "private" server, you can also set a password

[Boss]

I dont want to put password on my server

Plus, passwords do not work with pawn servers afaik.

[Power-Inside]

pawn servers? you mean VC:MP servers that load pawno scripts or equivalent?

[Boss]

The servers which use pawn scripts and .cfg file rather than mrc scripts and .ini file.

[Power-Inside]

Ok so the same VC:MP server executable can be made to use .cfg and pawn scripts and .ini files and mrc scripts?

So I have my server using .cfg config file... that means if I need to use password , it wont work on it?