Can't play on any server

[Xpress]

I've got a new laptop and isp, I installed ut and allowed it to communicate through firewall, using win 8.1 if you need other specs i can post.
I see all servers in browser but when i'm trying to connect, I do download maps and stuff and when it finishes it shows 'connecting' and when i check in browser for this server again, it's shown as offline. I can't play on any of ut servers.I tried installing different versions of ut, no luck, hopefully you guys can help me

[Higor]

UTversion?

[RocketJedi]

what antivirus are you running I know avg with firewall enabled always causes issues

[Xpress]

problem solved, my router which is belkin had additional firewall installed and I disabled it. For those who will encounter same issue disable router's firewall.

[JackGriffin]

Bad idea. Set up an exception but don't shut it down. If you doubt the reason why just spend some time looking at the logs from your router. Hackers (especially Chinese) routinely hammer across IP ranges and they will hack into any network they find that's open. I'm not saying yours is but it's not worth removing an entire layer of protection to allow a couple of ports.

[UT99.org]

Your computer's should each have their own firewall. Although I *am* making assumptions here. Anything later than Windows 98 this should be the case. Linux is a more 50/50. That extra layer would still require rules on where to forward that stuff, it's usually a case of adding individual port forward rules just to log that traffic. There's so many routers out there and I don't know what router's actually log all of this on their own. If you do this, don't leave those rules in place, opening ports just to log who is connecting to is opening you up to being attacked. And with that said you should probably stop your router replying to pings and such by test pinging your internet IP address from an outside source

[JackGriffin]

Even with firewalls at the towers you still have a lot outside that protection if your hardware firewall is shut down. Printers, media streaming devices, local cell phones, there's really a lot if you open your router and look at the "connected devices" section. Currently we have 14 and just four are tower CPUs.
Every so often I print messages to my neighbor's printer spool. "Secure your network", stuff like that. He never does :/

[UT99.org]

Yes good point. Only forward the ports you need and forward them to the correct computer. Don't let in anything else, even for logging. That's what I should've said. hehe. And wireless is crazy these days, I know what you mean about your neighbors! One mistake in windows file sharing and a non passworded (secured) network could spell big disaster. Although on a side-note I've heard these can be cracked quite easily if someone knew what they were doing. Add to the equation today's bitcoin mining computers and liquid nitrogen cooled superly overclocked machines and this problem can only get worse

[Chamberly]

I tried to help him the other day. He have v436, and belkin router.

So far, we enabled UT to work with the firewall thing on his Windows 8.1 OS, then I opened a few port for UT99 in his router firewall. Apparently, it didn't seem like I didn't get them all. I was using this site to get the Firewall ports for UT: http://findports.com/document.php?tag=unreal-tournament

So hmmm... yeah opening the router firewall is dangerous, especially DDOS/HTML Attack from chinese as they always do against my home web server anyway.

Xpress, if you don't mind, give them what is the router model so they can probably do it right? (I probably done it wrong anyway, my router configuration is different and easier... but it wasn't easy for me to work on your because I never worked with those kind of set up before.)

[JackGriffin]

I mentioned this before but I had a hell of a problem with my router and setting up my home coop server. No matter what I tried it just would not work. The only thing that did was setting the laptop that had the server into a DMZ. It left the laptop open so I wiped it of anything but the server. If you have to go this route at least you can use a software firewall on the DMZ'ed computer.

[Dr.Flay]

If they have your model, the PortForward site can automate the process of configuring the router.
http://portforward.com/help/portcheck.htm

Note: A hardware firewall is always the preferred front line of defence, and a software firewall as a backup.