Deprecated Darkstar fourms

So I am a bit confused on getting the server setup properly. For the sake of this post, I am going to make up some numbers.

Router: 192.168.1.1
Server PC: 192.168.1.100 -> 100.1.168.192 -> 1677830336
Client PC: 192.168.1.5
External IP: 99.98.97.96 -> 96.97.98.99 -> 1616994915

So I am familiar that in order for everything to work, you have to use that site and put the IP addresses in reverse order. My issue though. If I put the Server IP Decimal (1677830336) into the MySQL database and put the regular Server IP (192.168.1.100) into the Ashita client onto my Client PC, I am able to connect to it. I have not tested a computer from outside my residence, but I can only assume it would not work because their computer would not resolve the zoneip in the MySQL database.

So I put in the External IP Decimal (1616994915) into the MySQL database and then put the External IP (99.98.97.96) as-is into my Ashita client on my Client PC, and I am not able to even get logged into the server. If I leave the External IP Decimal (1616994915) in the MySQL database and change my Ashita client to the Server IP (192.168.1.100), it logs in, but it will not get passed the "Downloading data" screen. The game is loaded and it's ready to go, but it can't load the zone because the IP addresses don't match the formula in the database's zoneip. It's about to show the zone with my character.. but gives a 3001 error instead.

So I'm confused as to how to get it setup so clients outside my server location can connect as well as me connect myself. Any help would be appreciated.

Edit: I also set DMZ to 192.168.1.100 and it did not change anything.

try using the --hairpin (or is it -hairpin?) on the pol.exe line

I had issues setting this up recently as well. They way I got it to work was putting the external IP decimal into the database (1616994915) and the external IP into the Ashita client along with the --hairpin option ( --server 99.98.97.96 --hairpin --user YourUserName --pass YourPassword). With this configuration I was unable to reach the login server as you described and the fix for it was port forwarding on my router. You need to setup the below ports to be forwarded to your internal server IP (192.168.1.100).

54230 -TCP/UDP
54231 -TCP
54001 -TCP
54002 -TCP

Just ensure that anyone connecting from inside your LAN uses the --hairpin option and everyone outside does not use it.

If your server is set to use the external IP and you are also setting the client to use the external IP too, there is no need to use the hairpin option then as you are defeating the purpose of it entirely.

I'm still having problems trying to get the computer that has my server on it- also connected with a client. I have followed the setup guide perfectly three times and I haven't been able to do it. I even tried transferring the PlayOnline folder and registry from my working computer, but that doesn't even let me load anything because it's probably missing classes and all that junk.

Sad panda.