If your PS3 is connected directly to a DSL or Cable Modem (and not a router), and you are unable to create or join a Starhawk multiplayer game, please contact your local ISP (Internet Service Provider - like Time Warner Cable, COX Cable, or ATT's U-verse) to ensure that they are not blocking any port numbers listed below in the 'Router Port Forwarding for Starhawk & PSN' section. Very rarely would this happen, but it has been reported before and local ISP providers are able to promptly correct these situations. If you are attempting to connect on a College University network or a Corporate network, please contact your local System Admin if you are experiencing connection issues.
If your PS3 is connected to a router (a device that allows multiple network devices to share a DSL or Cable Modem) and you are experiencing connection issues when attempting to create or join a Starhawk multiplayer game, you may be experiencing either a Port Forwarding issue (between the PS3, router, and the Starhawk servers) or you may have a buggy router with NAT traversal issues.
The older your router is (think mid-2000s), the more risk you have of having a router that may have a buggy NAT traversal ip-table implementation (some routers have been fixed with router firmware updates while some routers have never received a fix). In 2006, about twenty five different consumer routers were tested by a SCEA QA team and it was determined that 20% (mostly the older ones) would never work correctly in all cases with consumer electronics that use the UDP protocol (a network protocol needed for fast paced online gaming). The SCEA QA team only continues to maintain router testing for three router manufactures: D-Link, Linksys, and Netgear.
Note: The PS3 and other gaming consoles work most effectively with routers that have been labeled as UPnP compliant (Universal Plug and Play) and/or labeled as Gaming Routers.
The easiest solution is to ensure that your router is UPnP compliant (or says on the box "used for gaming" as this is what many of the newer routers say on the market). If your router is not UPnP compliant, you may need to either register a static IP with your router’s DMZ settings or enable Port Forwarding settings with your router. If you need more detailed information in regards to router configurations, please review the ‘References’ section below.
If your router is UPnP complaint, and you are still unable to create or join a Starhawk multiplayer game, (like above) please contact your ISP to ensure that they are not blocking any port numbers listed below in the 'Router Port Forwarding for Starhawk & PSN' section.
Router Port Forwarding for Starhawk & PSN
Starhawk Game Traffic:
TCP Ports: 10060, 10061, 10070 – 10080
UDP Ports: 3658, 3000 - 4000, 10070, 50000 - 60000
PLAYSTATION Network:
TCP Ports: 80, 443, 5223
UDP Ports: 3478, 3479, 3658
Glossary:
UPnP - Universal Plug and Play. Routers that support UPnP gives your PS3 the ability to open and close ports it needs for your PS3 to connect to the internet as well as the games on your PS3 such as Starhawk. Check your router's documentation to ensure that UPnP is enabled if supported. UPnP supported routers are the easiest to setup to work with game consoles.
Gaming Router - Routers that say "made for gaming" may or may not have UPnP on the box, but it is implied that they are able to auto-configure the router to open and close ports as needed.
DMZ - A router's demilitarized zone. Which basically means, all devices registered on a router's DMZ has no protection from the routers firewall (all data freely passes through). Never place a PC or laptop on a DMZ. A PS3 or any other gaming device should only be placed on a router's DMZ as a last resort. Every router has their own documentation on how to setup DMZ settings.
Router Port Forwarding - Routers have firewalls that add a layer of security that protect your devices from the internet at large. Most new router models have UPnP built in (or at least say they are "for gaming"), but if not, you may be required to manually enter the 'Router Port Forwarding for Starhawk & PSN' port numbers into your router's Port Forwarding settings. Every router has their own documentation on how to setup Port Forwarding.
NAT - Network address translator (another name for a router).Manages ip-tables that map external IP addresses to internal IP addresses. The NAT device's external interface is configured with a public IP address, while computers behind the router are invisible on the internet as each communicate only with a private internal IP address. Computers behind a router need to have their Ports Forwarded (or auto-configured as in the case of UPnP) for them to communicate freely with hosts on the internet (such as Sony's PSN and Starhawk).
References:
Sony's User Manual (Internet Connection Test):
http://manuals.playstation.net/document/en/ps3/current/settings/connecttest.html
Sony's official page regarding port forwarding:
http://us.playstation.com/support/answer/index.htm?a_id=241
Where can I get support information for third party router manufacturers?
http://us.playstation.com/support/answer/index.htm?a_id=1031
Excellent post by "potatobreath" (last edited on Apr 3, 2012):
http://community.us.playstation.com/thread/3891787
Router Port Forwarding for Killzone 2, Killzone 3, PS3 & PSN (Starhawk closely resembles this network topology):
http://community.us.playstation.com/message/2265507
Starhawk Network Settings Checklist:
#1 -- Identify what your PS3 is reporting as it's NAT type.
How to determine what NAT type you are behind: From the PS3 XMB->Settings->'Network Settings' select 'Internet Connection Test'. NAT Type will be reported as:
- NAT Type 3: The PS3 is behind a very restrictive connection. It is difficult for other PS3s across the internet to reach yours.
- NAT Type 2: The PS3 is behind a single router. Other PS3s over the internet should be able to reach yours. This is a very good thing.
- NAT Type 1: The PS3 is connected directly to the internet with no firewall or anything else in the way. You don't need port forwarding, DMZ nor UPnP with NAT Type 1. It is the most direct connection.
- (Blank): The PS3 is having difficulty communicating with either your ISP or your router. Try connecting directly to your DSL or Cable Modem, if that works, then try your router again. If it continues to show up as (Blank), you may try updating your router's firmware, try another router, or do some research to determine if other users of that router experienced connectivity issues with the PS3 or any other gaming device. Also, please share your results on the Starhawk Forums (peer review can help tremendously!)
#2 -- Are you able to connect to the Starhawk servers and see games listed when the "Game List" icon is selected?
If you see games listed, then you are able to successfully route TCP protocols through your router as you are connected to the Starhawk lobby servers. Most routers are able to easily handle TCP.
#3 -- Are you able to create or join a Starhawk game?
As discussed in the Starhawk Network Settings FAQ, if your PS3 is connected to a router and you are experiencing connection issues when attempting to create or join a Starhawk multiplayer game, you may be experiencing either a Port Forwarding issue (between the PS3, router, and the Starhawk servers) or you may have a buggy router with NAT traversal issues. Starhawk uses the UDP protocol to communicate with the Starhawk game servers - please ensure that the UDP port numbers from the 'Router Port Forwarding for Starhawk & PSN' section are open in your router. (See the 'References' section for more helpful guides - the "potatobreath" article on playstation.com is very helpful).
Additional trouble shooting hints:
- 1) Please disconnect the PS3 from your router and plug directly into your DSL or Cable Modem and try creating or joining a Starhawk game. If you are not able to create or join a Starhawk game, please call your local ISP and notify them of the port numbers that Starhawk uses (as seen in the 'Router Port Forwarding for Starhawk & PSN' section) to see if they have any port restrictions currently in effect.
- 2) Once you have verified that you are able to create or join a Starhawk game without a router, go ahead and reconnect your PS3 to your router and try again. If you have trouble creating a game or joining a game, you have a couple of options:
- (Easiest solution) If your router is UPnP compliant (or says 'Gaming Router'), check your router documentation to ensure that UPnP is enabled. UPnP is automatic port forwarding - which means that Starhawk will talk to your router to open connections. Note: Keep router firmware up to date - there have been reports of turning off the Media Server Connection feature on the PS3 can help UPnP work on buggy routers.
- (Last Resort) Check your router's documentation in regards to how to place your PS3 in the router's DMZ (demilitarized zone). This will basically expose your PS3 to the internet like NAT Type 1. If UPnP cannot be made to work, I would go with DMZ as a last resort. You will need to assign the PS3 a static IP address to make DMZ work. Then you need to add your PS3's static IP address to your router's DMZ page. Try PortForward.com for a step-by-step guide for various routers.
- (Manually Configure) Apply Manual Port Forwarding which basically redirects all connections from the internet for a certain port to a specific computer on your network. Ensure that all the TCP and UDP ports listed in the 'Router Port Forwarding for Starhawk & PSN' have been opened. As an example, please review the 'References' section "Router Port Forwarding for Killzone 2, Killzone 3, PS3 & PSN (Starhawk closely resembles this network topology) - This is an excellent article that describes a "use case" of configuring a Linksys WRT600N Router.
