Do I really need to open ports to game?

**If this belongs in the networking section I apologize and wouldn't mind a mod moving it over**

I've been gaming on my laptop for a while now with no changes to my router/modem setup (I'm doing the wireless thing, modem is in a different room) but I'm now having issues with some Steam games (specifically Counter Strike: Source and Day of Defeat: Source). When I go to the server list and hit refresh, either one of 2 things happens.

1) In the case of Counter Strike: Source, a little more than 1k servers pop up (w/ filtering) but when I try to join one I get a message saying "server not responding". If I refresh the server list nothing shows up again showing the "server not responding" message.

--OR--

2) In the case of Day of Defeat: Source, no servers show up at all.

I've been playing these games for over a year now with no problems up until now. With the minimal research I've done, most posts talk about opening ports in my router or updating its firmware.

I've tried to update the firmware to a newer version but the auto updater says I'm not connected to NETGEAR's server and when I try manually it says I have the wrong file name selected (I'm pretty sure I don't though since I downloaded it from Netgear's site and didn't change anything. I still have it saved to my desktop on the computer that is directly connected to the modem). My router is a WGR614v8.

Would opening ports be a possible solution? I don't want to compromise my family's online security because of a few silly games and I'm no tech wiz. Guess I'm looking for advice/ideas here. Thanks

One more quickie, Port Forwarding/Port Triggering is the same thing as opening ports? Trying to find the exact place to do this on in my router's settings.

 

Have you tried updating the games? I know both those titles have automatically updated for me recently, so there may have been a version upgrade or something.

I've always read about port forwarding but have never bothered to do it... never really been an issue for me.

Goodluck!

 

Well for some games it is a must to forward the ports just to allow proper connection to their servers. Some ports are optional to increase the performance if you're playing online. Only game I have the port forwarded for is Starcraft 2 anyways and it did help a lot for smoother online play.

Not sure about port triggering but port forwarding is pretty much opening ports... I think That's the option on my router where I put the port ranges in anyways. If it's single ports, it's under virtual server for me o_o

 

I think Steam updates them automatically but I'll do some snooping around Google just in case.

And I think I'll try that port forwarding for them as well. Hopefully Google will have the answers to which ports I need to open. Thanks Reizo

 

some routers are silly in that even if you open up the ports your not actually opening up the ports. Its weired like that, it just depends on your router. There are gaming routers you know. In all my online activity not once have I ever had to open ports for any game. Iv had to open them up for many other reasons but not just for gaming. Alot of routers do have tons of games tho ready to open up ports for that game so who knows.

 

did you make sure upnp was enabled for your wireless?
if upnp is enabled you shouldn't need to manually specify ports on dhcp.

are you using the same modemrouter? or have you added the wireless seperately as a seperate unit after? perhaps the wireless has it's own firewall enabled?

 

I'm not exactly sure what upnp is, so it's probably left untouched. I don't think my laptop's wireless has its own firewall. I've been using the same laptop/router/modem setup for almost 2 years now and have played the 2 games listed above with no problems. It's just all of a sudden they decided to have server issues

Tried playing Team Fortress 2 (since its server list is similar) and no problems at all.