problems

updated 2002-12-20
This is the general trouble shooting page. Mac users can find beyond these informations additional informations in the Mac section.

Routers, firewalls, DSL and ports

I got a DSL-router, enabling several computers to have a local area network and simultanous internet access via DSL. The router has a built-in firewall which prevents C&C playing on the internet. I tried to allow the ports C&C uses according to Westwood's knowledge base on the web (search for firewall there) but I had no success with that: Each time after WChat started C&C, the game remained "connecting...". After enabling for my computer the "DMZ" (demilitarized zone) of the firewall, C&C worked on the internet finally. Basicly "DMZ" means direct connection without firewall to the internet.

In Westwood's support area you can search for C&C as product and "firewall" as text and you get 1 single hit which tells beside some other things:

    Attention: The original C&C DOS version (also the white label version) is not compatible with Westwood Online. You must have the Gold (Win95) version to play online.

    Command & Conquer can be played over the Internet by using Westwood Chat, a program that connects you to Westwood's online game servers. A version of this program is located on the original game CD, but we recommend you either patch your existing version or download the latest version.

    - Current Version -
    The latest version of WChat can be downloaded from the File Updates section.

    - Firewall/Proxy Server -
    Command & Conquer was not designed to work with a Firewall or Proxy server. If you find you cannot connect to Westwood Chat due to one of these network configurations, you can try enabling UDP traffic on ports 4000 and 4010-4016 to play. However, we do not currently support this type of connection with Red Alert.

In addition to this I read from Camchanky while he was helping Eshez on my forum, that the UDP port 5009 should be opened too. I added that port to the others mentioned above and it worked. I can now put my computer out of the DMZ again and still play.

Players who connect to the Internet over a PeeCee running WindowsXP (by internet connection sharing e.g.) should refer to this page of Microsoft and learn how to set up XP's built in firewall.

According to Camchanky only the 5009 port needs to be open, nothing else: "First, this info applies to any form of access, not just DSL, if a firewall is used. I have a cable modem connected to my switch/router/firewall.
Second, Westwood's help page is completely dead wrong. All of the ports they say to open should be left closed. They are not needed for the game in any way and only expose your system. The only port that should be opened is 5009. It's the only port I have had open for a year now."

I tested it and Camchanky is was right: Only UDP port 5009 is necessary to play CNC on WChat.

Latest version

If you need the latest version of C&C you should visit Westwood's updates. There's a patch that enables you to play C&C on WindowsXP and new versions of WChat for PeeCee. As a Mac user you find the latest versions here on my site.

PeeCees need the C&Cgold version (with 640*400 points resolution) also known as C&C95 (resp. C&Cgold) to play on WChat. The older DOS-version (with 320*200 points resolution) cannot play on WChat. C&Cgold is no update for the DOS version, it's a new release.

If you don't have C&C then visit my links page for getting it.

Screenshots

Mac OS X users simply press the keys Apple-Shift-3 for full screen pictures - works even in the CNC movies. (This I recommend for CnC.) Apple-Shift-4 lets you select an area by dragging. Apple-Shift-4 and Space lets you select a window, menu bar, the dock or any other desktop object area. (Mac OS 9 and earlier have similar hot keys.) You find the screenshot pictures then on your desktop. Use Apple's built in help and search for "screen pictures" to get more informations. You can use OS X's "Grab" utitility program too to get sceenshots. I recommend the shareware "GraphicConverter" to work with pictures like converting and compressing them.

Windows users should visit The Barracks. They have an explanation for you and all the files you need to make screenshots in CnC with Windows.


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