Why is my port forward not working?

> I would like to set up a private server on my pc, to host games over lan
> for a Lan party.

   Ok.  Let's pretend that I know what that means.

> I have set up the private server correct, and it can be viewed by the
> other pc's on the network. However they cannot connect.

   I don't know what that means.  Which "private server" did you set up,
and how do you know that you did it correctly, whatever you did?  Define
"viewed by the other pc's on the network".  Define "cannot connect".

   As usual, showing actual commands, or describing actual actions, with
their actual results (error messages, ...) can be more useful than vague

descriptions or interpretations.

> I've googled the error, and its due to ports not forwarding I'm pretty
> sure.

   Which "the error" is that?  You say "over lan for a Lan party."  If

all the computers involved are on your LAN, then they should be able to
talk to each other without the router being involved.  Port forwarding
is used to allow communication from the outside world (not in the LAN)
with a system which is within the LAN.

   In my experience, people who talk about "ports I want opened" often
don't understand the problem.  A port looks "closed" when there's no
server program listening at that port.  All the port forwarding in the
world won't help you if, at the end of the line, no one is listening at
that port number.

   If you can provide a clearer explanation of what you're trying to do,
then there may be some hope of diagnosing the problem (if there really
is one).

I'm not doing anything major to say the least, just testing out a web based file server for tests sake only. So I simply turn on the application and it runs off of port 80 and can from either a local address or the external. I test it internally, everything works out. 

So now to allow external access, I go to port forward the router (using a different port this time such as 8080, 25565, 65000, etc) whatever may not be used at the moment or in the near future. Enabled. Double checked my range. Checked for correct computer address (and it is a static address). Go to access the site and nothing. Unable to connect to remote server blah blah blah. or it will access the modems admin page...which we don't want that now do we?

I am using DynDns for any dynamic changes so no worries there. 

This is the program,

http:/ Opens a new window/www.rejetto.com/hfs Opens a new window

What I am thinking is that the modem is causing some sort of trouble even though it isn't supposed to be. Regular Linksys WRT54G2 router with a speedstream 4200 modem.

• Ensure the server is accessible from the internal network. To check the accessibility of your server, start the application or service to which you are performing the port forwarding to see if it is “open.” Failure to start the server makes it visible as “closed”’ during the check.
• Check the port forwarding settings in your router.
• Check the WAN IP address on the status page. When setting port forwarding, have a public IP address on your router’s WAN interface to allow connection to the internet. Port forwarding will not work if the WAN interface is using an address from a private subnet.

Reasons Why Port Forwarding Is Not Working

Port forwarding may not work even after you configure the settings accordingly. The following are the reasons for this failure and some corrective measures you can take to solve the issues.

• Wrong selection of the incoming interface in the port forwarding rule. You should check your choice in the Input field and ensure you select the right interface and network through which you have connected your router.
• Your PC uses special software or firewall to protect the Internet. In this case, temporarily disable these features and check whether port forwarding is working properly.
• Your network has a hidden NAT. For successful port forwarding, ensure the IP address given by your ISP, which is also on your router’s WAN interface, is the same one you are using to access the internet.
• Your ISPs use standard protocols and ports to filter inbound traffic. If your ISP uses standard ports like 21/FTP and 1723/PPTP, among others, to filter traffic, you need to change these port numbers and manually set them to another number, which your ISP cannot block.
• Check to ensure the host receiving the forwarded ports has the default gateway’s IP address equal to the router’s default address.
• Verify that the appropriate ports are open on the client by testing them.

Finally, if you try the above recommendations and port forwarding still fails, consult with the support team for further guidance.

How do I make sure port forwarding is working?

Why is my port still closed after forwarding?

How do I force forward a port?