Client/Server app only works on PC within a private network

[oontvoo]

Hi,

So I made this simple chat application, which consists of a server and a client component. When I run the server part on my PC, and run the client part on another PC connected to the same router in my house, the two parts are able to send and receive messages. But when I send the client component to my friend (who's elsewhere in the city!) to run, it couldn't connect with the server. And we usually get this "Connection timed out" or "Refused connection" exception.

So what could be the problem here?

Thanks!

[vic_Rattlehead]

How are you connecting ? By static ip and port?
Your private ip is probably not available outside your lan
You can add exception on you router to transfer all data on port x to your ip

[oontvoo]

Yes, I connect via IP and port, but I dont know if my IP is a static one.
HOw do I know if it is a static anyways?
I went only and search for those website that'd give me my current IP. And that's how I got my IP.

[coiner]

Typically you will not have a static IP address if you pay for basic Internet service. However, in most cases, you will always have the same IP unless you turn your router off and your lease on that address expires. It's not reliable for a production environment, but in your case, having a static IP probably doesn't matter. Go into your router's configuration and find port forwarding, forward the port that your server program is using to the machine's local IP. Then all traffic coming to your router on that port will be directed to your server app.

[anthropamorphic]

I think you need to port forward it.

[Grkn]

They are right :)

You have to do port forwarding from router (Modem)