Member Avatar for Talynne2000

I need assistance in determining how to resolve a networking issue with a Linksys WRT54G Wireless Router in regards to online gaming. I have 2 computers connected to my network: a desktop hardwired to the router (which in turn is hardwired to a cable modem) that is set for DMZ presently and has a static IP assigned and the second computer is a laptop connecting via a wireless connection. Both computers are running Windows XP.

The issue is that my partner and I cannot play online games (Raven Shield, Battlefield 2, and Age of Empires II) or use voice programs (Roger Wilco), against/with each other. In addition, we cannot play with a 3rd "outside" player (though my desktop can connect/play with the outside player). The 2 computers on my network simply do not seem to see each other when it comes to online gaming though they function just fine for standard web surfing and messenging.

I think this is because the router only thinks of itself as one computer leading to the outside, though I'm uncertain. I have experimented a little with port forwarding, but have not had success as of yet. I'm not sure if setting a static IP on the laptop would help or not either.

Any assistance in enabling these 2 computers to connect for online games would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by TheNNS

Dani AI

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A few practical checks and fixes will resolve this in almost every home setup. The root causes are NAT (how one public IP maps to many private IPs), the router’s handling of “hairpin”/loopback connections, and any wireless isolation or host firewall rules. is right to suspect NAT-related conflicts, but two PCs on the same home network can play together — it just requires the right router and port behavior.

  1. Verify basic LAN reachability: on each machine run ipconfig and confirm both get addresses on the same subnet; then ping the other machine’s LAN IP. If pings fail, look for wireless “AP/Client Isolation” or an “isolate wireless clients” option in the router and disable it.
  2. Check local firewalls: temporarily disable Windows Firewall (or add explicit allow rules for the game/voice app) to rule out a host-side block.
  3. For hosted matches: give the hosting PC a fixed LAN IP and forward the exact game ports to that IP (or enable UPnP if the game supports it). DMZ can be used briefly for testing but is not recommended as a permanent solution.
  4. For two local players joining the same hosted session: if the game/client only accepts the public IP for host discovery, the router must support NAT loopback (hairpin NAT) or the client must connect to the host’s LAN IP directly. If connecting to the host’s LAN IP works, use that for local play.
  5. If the stock router lacks hairpin support, either enable UPnP, use port triggering where appropriate, or replace/upgrade the router to one that supports NAT loopback or third‑party firmware that does.

The Linksys WRT54G v6 has limited third‑party firmware options compared with older WRT54G revisions, so check hardware/firmware capabilities before pursuing custom firmware (Linksys WRT54G - Wikipedia). For background on NAT behavior and hairpinning see the NAT article (Network address translation - Wikipedia). For game‑specific port lists and forwarding how‑tos consult a port‑forwarding guide such as PortForward.com (PortForward.com).

Note: keep DMZ off when not testing and prefer precise port forwarding or UPnP.

Member Avatar for TheNNS

I don't hink it's possible for 2 computers on the same network to be playing the same online game. The router thinks of itself as one computer. Games use different ports, the address that a game might use could be , or something like that. When you get the same address trying to play the same game twice, there will be a conflict. There might be a special way to get around this, but I don't know what it is.

I would try to port forward the game your playing to both computers, but as different services.

Hope this can help.

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