Every UDP or TCP sender chooses a random source port in that range when THEY initiate a conversation.
It should work like this: Internal 192.168.0.1:1203 source socket to external 207.173.177.11:27015 Socket (a socket is an IP with a port). The router's One outside Global IP address lets say is 12.40.34.127 So Internal 192.168.0.1:1203 sends to router which converts source socket to 12.40.34.127:1203 which is what is seen by Steam master server. Steam sends back to that socket and the router keeps track of the conversation as well as any other internal IP address that talks out the router. If another internal host should choose the same source port 1203 then the router has to do PAT (Port Address translation) So a second conversation from 192.168.0.2:1203 would come out the router as 12.40.34.127:1204 since the outside socket is being used by host at 192.168.0.1 This is all transparent to the inside and outside. Port Forwarding is used only for conversations initiated from the outside. IE: clients who see you in the list and can only talk to your server on a global IP address (not the 192.168.0.1) By setting port forwarding you tell the router that if anything should come in on port 27015, send it only to this internal IP address. _______________________________________________ To unsubscribe, edit your list preferences, or view the list archives, please visit: http://list.valvesoftware.com/mailman/listinfo/hlds
