How to Host Warcraft III Custom Games

Have you ever joined a custom game enjoyed it and, wanted to play it again but were unable to find someone hosting it? Have you ever tried to host and found that no one is able to join? Have you ever been forced to the level of sucking up to people who can host so that they will host the game that you want to play? If you are in any of these situations, then look no further! In this tutorial I will walk you through how to configure your network so that you can host!

I. Opening the ports on your router

This is by far the most common reason why people cant host and it is actually fairly easy to fix. The procedure is as follows

Step 1) Run your computers DOS prompt. For Windows simply go to Start>Run>cmd. When the shell opens type in ipconfig and write down the values of your IP address and your Default Gateway.

Step 2) Open up your Internet Browser and type in your Default Gateway.

Step 3) It should show some sort of authentication string with a username and a password. Most routers' default username and password combination is admin/admin, but if theis is not correct then you should get your networks administrator to log you in.

Step 4) This should take you to a configuration page from which you should navigate to a "gaming and applications" .etc page. After reaching this page you will want to navigat to "port range forwarding" or something similar.

Step 5) Run Warcraft 3 while keeping your browser open. When it opens select Options>Gameplay Options and then copy down the number of the port listed. (Default port range is 6112-6119)

Step 6) Minimize and go back to your browser and Fill in the following information: Application (if the option is given): Warcraft III, Port Range: 6112-6119, TCP or UDP (protocol): Both, and finally enter in the IP address of your computer that you copied down early (you might only have to enter the last three digits). There are various different formats for entering this information so be carefull.

Step 7) If necessary tick an "enabled" button (in other words if it exists tick it). You should be good to go, but if you want to enable hosting on more than one computer on your network you must duplicate step 6 and enter in the other computer's ip.

You should now be able to host! You may want to test by hosting a map that came with the game with the title: CAN I HOST? If you are able to host skip to section III, otherwise continue to section II for possible fixes.

II. Possible Problems and their fixes

If you have already executed section I and you still are unable to host then there are two possible easy to fix problems.

A. You have a firewall blocking it

In order to fix this problem you can either disable the firewall when you want to host (not recommended) or add the Warcraft III program and/or ports to the list of your firewalls exceptions

B. You have a dynamic IP address

If this is the case then you will have to force the computer to take up a static IP or else reconfigure the router to allow the new IP address after every reboot

III. Hosting tools and tips

If you have gotten to here you should be able to successfully host. Congratulations and enjoy the world of new power that you have just unlocked. However there are a few things that you should know about.

1) In order to keep people joining your game you must refresh the slots. THIS IS BY FAR THE MOST IMPORTANT PIECE OF INFORMATION FOR NEW HOSTS. Refreshing the slots of your game moves you to the top of the list of games, thus allowing people to see your game. This can either be achieved by closing and then opening all slots at once, or by using an autorefresher program, which creates fake players who join to fill the slots and then leave instantly.

2) If you lag you should not be hosting. I'm sorry to say this but everyone hates a laggy host. Not only does it panic them by causing them to think that they're lagging, but it also disrupts the flow of the game. The bottom line is: if you lag, then don't host.

3) Get your hands on hosting tools, such as pingers and custom kicks. Pingers can help you predict who will lag so you can kick them and open their slots for non laggers and custom kickers allow you to kick out players during the game, which can be usefull for getting rid of players who don't follow set rules, are lagging, or are otherwise doing something that warrants removal from the game

4) Please don't abuse your powers. People rely on hosts to be fair and kind, and failure to do so makes you look bad and also makes everyone feel bad. Before you kick someone or use your new powers for any reason I beg you to remember what it was like before you could host, and remember how tough it was. Besides, if word gets out that you're a bad host no one will want to join Your games

IV. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy hosting!

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