Quick and Dirty Setup Help
I have a router and want to host a game	If you have a router and you want to host a game you must configure your router to port forward with these two entries: Port Forward TCP range of ports from 11885 to 11889 to the local IP address of your computer. Port Forward UDP range of ports from 11885 to 11889 to the local IP address of your computer.
I have security software	If you have security software, you will need to configure it so that DD Poker can run correctly. Security software can include Norton Internet Security, Norton Personal Firewall, Zone Alarm, McAfee, CA EZ Products, firewall programs or other. Below is all the possible information you may need to configure. Allow the execution of ddpoker.exe (Windows) Allow DD Poker full TCP access over the range of ports from 11885 to 11889 Allow DD Poker full UDP access over the range of ports from 11885 to 11889
I want to play in public online games	You must online-activate your profile to play in public online games. See Profiles under the main menu help.

In order to host an online game, other computers on the Internet need to know how to reach you. When you start (host) an online game, you will supply a Game URL to the others wishing to join your game. This game URL is a single line that consists of an IP address, a port number, game ID, and game password.

An IP address stands for Internet Protocol address. Every computer on the Internet is assigned one, typically by your Internet service provider; you can think of it like the address on your house. If you don't have a router or firewall, the process of hosting a game is pretty straightforward. You simply provide your figurative house address, the entire game URL shown on your Setup Online Tournament menu, to the others wishing to join your game for a private game. You can copy this Game URL with the copy button to the right of the game URL, and paste it into an email to invite the other players wishing to join the game. Alternatively, you may paste the game URL into an instant message or simply verbally read the number to someone via telephone. If you wish to host or join a public game posted on the public games list, an additional step is needed to online-activate your profile to list/join public games. If you do not wish to host or join a game posted as a public game, this step is not needed for private games between friends.

If you have a firewall, a step may be needed in order to host any online game over the Internet. A firewall separates your computer from the outside world to prevent hackers from being able to access your computer, think of it as a figurative brick wall between your computer and the Internet. In order for the outside world to access your computer to do things such as receiving email or downloading things from the Internet, ports are used. A port can be thought of as removing a brick from your brick wall to allow incoming information to pass through. Specific ports are pre-reserved for things like the Internet and email. Online games must use their own port, removing their own brick from the wall in order to host online games. DD Poker uses TCP and UDP port numbers 11885-11889.

If you are using an internet security or firewall program, you will need to allow "ddpoker" access to the internet, or configure ddpoker access through TCP and UDP port numbers 11885-11889. Although your setup and version may differ, here are some guidelines for some specific programs. Windows SP2 Firewall needs to Unblock the program ddpoker. Norton Internet Security needs to add a modify rule to permit TCP and UDP over remote port 11885. If using the Mac firewall, add a new incoming network communication to allow DD Poker add the ports. If using the Zone Alarm, allow all internet and server access to ddpoker.exe.

If you have a router, you will need to "port forward" or set up a "virtual server". A router allows several computers in your home to share your connection to the Internet, it also supports its own built-in firewall. Your router keeps the IP address assigned by your Internet service provider as its own. The router then assigns local IP addresses to each computer in your home or LAN (local area network). This internal IP address can not be seen by the outside world. So in order for the computer hosting your poker game to receive incoming game information from the Internet, your router uses Port Forwarding. This allows game information sent to your router from the other player's computer to communicate with the computer hosting the game behind your router. The router must be setup to do this, by being told to forward anything entering TCP and UDP port numbers 11885-11889 to the local IP address of the computer that is hosting the poker game.

Some DSL modems have their own built in firewalls. So someone could potentially have three firewalls, their DSL modem, router, and software firewall. If the Test Connection button test failed, a firewall in any of these three areas can be blocking incomming connections, and require TCP and UDP port numbers 11885-11889 to be opened. Note: You may still Join online games without setting up any ports, you only need to configure your ports if you wish to Host an online game.

There are many router companies, each having different ways of setting up Port Forwarding, please refer to your router manual for specific instructions on how to access your router setup and port forward. Below is the typical information that is needed to set up Port Forwarding once you have accessed your router setup.

Although some router setups are accessed with software, most can be accessed using your web browser by typing in your routers address in the web address field of your browser. Each router is different and you will need to look up your's in your router manual. Belkin for example uses http://192.168.2.1

Enter DDPoker for the Service Name. The Service name may also be called Application Name, Description or Virtual Server Name.

DD Poker usesTCP and UDP port numbers 11885-11889. Enter 11885 to 11889 in all the places where the router asks for any and all of the following: Starting Port, Ending Port, Incoming Port, Inbound Port, Public Port, Private Port, Forwarding Port. Do not use port triggering, that will not help.

Enter the Local IP address displayed on your Setup Online Tournament (2 of 2) page under Host Online where the router asks for an IP address, server IP address, private IP address, or forwarding IP address. Your IP address will be the IP address of the computer you are going to use as the host computer for your poker tournament. It will be in the form of XXX.XXX.XXX.XXX which is four sets of 1 to 3 digits separated by a periods. An example may be 192.168.2.2 Note: If you reboot your host computer, your IP address may have changed and you may need to re-enter your Port Forwarding IP address in your router. You can confirm your ports are still set up properly by clicking the Test Connection button.

Enter TCP for the service type, also called protocol, type or incoming protocol. DD Poker does not use UDP for hosting online games, so you do not have to configure that.

Glossary of Router Terms
DHCP	A router by default assigns every computer on you home network an IP address. This IP address is known to be dynamic. A dynamic IP address changes and may be re-assigned a different IP address the next time the computer or router restarts. A Static IP address is assigned to a computer when one isn't automatically assigned to it by the router using DHCP. This allows the same computer to act as the host of game every time without the worry of needing to alter the host IP address for porting the game in the router settings.
Firewall	A firewall separates your computer from the outside world to prevent hackers from being able to access your computer. Think of it as a figurative brick wall between your computer and the Internet protecting your computer. A software firewall can be running on your computer such as Windows Firewall or Norton Internet Security. Hardware firewalls are typically built into routers and sometimes even modems.
Game URL	URL is an acronym for Uniform Resource Locator. It is a web address to a resource on the Internet. In your case, the resource is the person's computer hosting the poker game. A game URL is this address with a game identification number and game password tacked on. The entire URL needs to be used in order to host or join games. You may notice when hosting, there are two different types of URL's, one generated by your local area network, and one for the internet. If your computer is connected directly to the internet, these numbers will be the same. It uses the IP address of your computer, most likely assigned by your internet service provider. In the case of a home router, your LAN URL and internet URL will be slightly different, the IP address is a different number. The internet URL will be the same as described above. This is the Game URL you would give your friends if you wish to play with them over the internet. The LAN Game URL uses the IP address assigned by your router and can only be used by computers in your local area network. This is good if you have computers on your LAN you wish to play with, but they don't have internet access or the player profiles has not been online-activated to join public games. In the case of a business LAN, it is possible that no one will have an internet public Game URL, and are forced to use the LAN URL.
Port	In order for the outside world to access your computer to do things such as receiving email or downloading things from the Internet, ports are used. If your firewall is thought of as a brick wall, then a port can be thought of as removing a brick from your brick wall to allow incoming information. Specific ports are pre-reserved for things like the Internet and email. Online games must use their own port, removing their own brick from the wall in order to host online games. DD Poker uses TCP and UDP port numbers 11885-11889. Any firewall programs such as Windows XP firewall will need to be told to allow access through TCP and UDP port numbers 11885-11889.
Port Forwarding	Port forwarding tells your router, if any poker information arrives over the internet on TCP and UDP port numbers 11885-11889, to send it to the computer hosting your poker game. Some router companies refer to Port Forwarding as Port Range Forward, or Virtual Server. You do NOT want to set up Port Triggering.