[Guide] How to get autorefresher to work!

XplittR · #1 04-03-2007, 02:14 PM

Okay, I don't know how many times I have told people how to make the autorefresher work, so now I will make an guide on how to use it.

Step 1: Can you host?

First check if you can host customgames at battle.net at all. You do this by logging into Warcraft III and Battle.net and click Custom Games and then Create Game. Choose a game that is very popular, like Dota. Call it "Dota -apem" or something like that. If people join the game, then you are fine.

You can host, and can skip to step 2.

If nobody could join your game, then you either did it at the wrong time of day, hosted a not-popular map, or you have firewall that blocks it. If you use an software-firewall, try to turn it off and then try to host again. If you got Windows Firewall activated (only Service Pack 2 and 3), you should try to deactivate it. You do this by going into Start -> Control Panel -> Windows Firewall. Try to host now.

If it still does not work, it's most probably because you've got an router. Most routers got an built-in firewall, so you need to open some ports in the router, as you can't deactivate it. To open ports you must enter your router settings. Go into Internet Explorer or another browser, and type the IP to the router. To find your router's IP, press Start -> Run... -> type "cmd.exe". Once cmd.exe is open, type "ipconfig", then check the row "IP-Adress" and remember the numbers and dots there (Format: ***.***.***.***, what it will be is up to the router to decide) and type it into your browser, where you normally enter website-addresses (If you have problems with finding your IP, visit www.portforward.com). Here you will be prompted to enter a username and a password. The username and password is not the same on all routers, so visit www.portforward.com and find your router there (It is sorted by brands, then models), then click on it and select Warcraft III. Here you will find information about what your router's IP is (your gateway), what the default username and password is, and also how to open the ports.
Another way is to look in the user manual of your router.

When you are "inside your router", maneuver your way into the tab called "Firewall". It might be hard to spot on some routers, but it should be there somewhere.
Now you've got to type this into the blank fields:

- Check for Enabled
- Type whatever you want in Name
- Check for Allowed
- Interface: Both or *
- IP Range Start: *
- IP Range End: *
- Protocol: Both or *
- Port Range: 6112-6119
- Schedule: Always

Ofcourse these vary from each router, but it should be something along those lines. After you have filled in all fields, press Apply. Now try to host again at Warcraft III. If it still don't work, then I think you have skipped one of the previously steps. Go back an try again. Follow the steps at www.portforward.com

Step 2. The Autorefresher

Now that you can host, open the Autorefresher (Download-link at the bottom of the guide) and host a game. This time you should host an map with a high number of max players (like 12), and it could also be an unpopular map. If you see alot of "Autorefresher has joined the game" and "Autorefresher has left the game", you are set up, and it's working. Good job.

But if Autorefresher don't join your game, then there might be these problems occuring:
- Warcraft III is not in your registry
- Warcraft III is not installed at the default path

To fix this, you should reinstall Warcraft III. First of all you should take an backup of the maps and replays and such you want to have. If you bought Warcraft III from the store, then it is time to get your CD-covers ready, as you need the CD-key when you reinstall it. If you bought your CD-key from the internet/lost your CD-cover, then you can use a program to get it for you again. Make sure you write down the key! When you have the CD-key(s) in front you, it is time to uninstall Warcraft III, and install it again. When you install it, make sure you dont change the path that it installs to. By default it's C:\Program Files\Warcraft III\. Do not change it to anything else. When it is installed, try to host again. If it still does not work, then it might be your operative system that's the problem, or the file may be corrupt. Try download the autorefresher again from another place.

There you go, the guide to make autorefresher work. Please also look at my other thread on how to make the autorefresher refresh with your name (max 11 letters/symbols).

Useful links

- Autorefresher
- Dota

-XplittR