Introduction - F.G.Comms
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This chapter -and most of this document- focuses on FG "Classic" (as opposed to the future release of FG "Unity", currently planned for the end of 2019 in Early Access as of september 2020) on a Microsoft Windows machine.
The current release of FG ("Classic") as of this writing is v3.3.7 v3.3.8, but all versions of FG "Classic" should work in the same way.
As a Game Master, hosting a virtual table implies that the table (= actually the GM's FG program) has to be reachable from the the players' FG programs running on distant computers.
Fantasy Grounds ("Classic") uses by default TCP port 1802 on IPv4 for communications between the GM and player Fantasy Grounds instances.
So, to join a GM's virtual table, a player's FG only has to know/find the GM's IP address where it will be able to connect to (on the TCP 1802 port).
The target IP(v4) address used will be one of :
the GM's "public IP" address for players connecting through the Internet
the GM's "private IP" address for players located in the same local network
Be aware of the above distinct requirements for players connecting from the Internet vs. from the in-house network (same ethernet LAN or wireless access point).
There are multiple points where security features or technical niceties may prevent incoming connections from players to your GM FG program.
Network setup combinations are infinite; in this document we focus on the usual "home" network with a single "Internet router" (or a cascade of 2 devices) connecting all your personal devices to the Internet (PC/Mac, Phone, Tablet, SmartTV,...).
So let's have a quick look at the barriers between your players and your shiny new virtual table, starting from your own "GM Fantasy Grounds" outwards; with "Barrier 4" we'll go into the "Port Forwarding" subject many GMs are afraid of.
Then we'll talk about some no-go situations that relate to the last 3 barriers and are "out of reach" for the GM.
And finally we'll introduce VPN solutions and more specifically the non-intrusive "transparent" setup we present in the rest of this document, and how it enables a GM to overcome these barriers when port forwarding is not an option.
You can test the first 3 "barriers" locally with 2 different machines : one being the GM sharing the virtual table, and the other acting as a "local" player : a player on a different machine than the GM's, but connected to the same LAN or WLAN.
A demo version of FG on the second machine is ok for this kind of test.
If a test "Player" FG on a second machine in your local network is unable to connect to your "GM" FG, then begin with clearing the first 3 barriers, because each of these is also a show stopper for remote player connections.