How to set up your own free Ventrilo or TeamSpeak Server (even if you are behind a router)!
Abstract: This article will detail how to set up your own Ventrilo or TeamSpeak server if you are behind a router/firewall or if you are directly connected to the outside internet (Wide Area Network WAN). While the install may be different for other operating systems, such as Linux, or OSX, the basic process may still be the same; however, these instructions are on a windows install Detailed installation and setup can be obtained from the manufactures websites.
1) Download an up-to-date server from the manufacture’s website.
Ventrilo: http://www.ventrilo.com/download.php
TeamSpeak: http://www.teamspeak.com/?page=downloads
2) Install the server.
Ventrilo: Docs http://www.ventrilo.com/setup.php#Server_Installing
TeamSpeak: Faqs http://www.teamspeak.com/?page=faq
3) Configure the Server (optional and recommended).
Ventrilo: Go to Start, VentSrv, Edit INI File. The only variables to edit are the first few:
[Server]
Name=Server 1 ((change to your server name))
Phonetic=Server 1 ((change to your server phonetic name))
Auth=0 ((0 does not require password, 1 requires password below))
Duplicates=1 ((no change, 0 to disallow duplicates))
AdminPassword= ((type your password here for server admin access))
Password= ((type your password here if Auth=1 to log on to server))
TeamSpeak: Right click the TeamSpeak Server icon in your system tray and go to Admin. This launches a web browser where you can log in with the information provided to you during set-up. Here you need to edit a few things: Click Servers from the left then click select on the current server. Now click Server Settings from the left menu. This is where you can set various details about the server. If you are behind a router, make note of the port number.
4) If you are not connected to the internet through a router, go to Step 6!!!
Determine your internal IP, go to your network connections (XP: right click network places on desktop and go to properties. Vista: click network icon in system tray, go to network and sharing and click network connections.) Right click on your current active connection and go to Status. Click on the Details tab and take note of your IPv4 Address.
Determine your external IP, go here: http://www.whatismyip.com/
5) Next, you need to make the following modifications to your router setup:
a) Open a web browser, and go to 192.168.1.1. This should bring up your router page and, the default username/password should be admin/admin (if it does not work for you, please Google your model of router and find out what the default router IP, username and password is, if the defaults do not work, you must get a hold of the person who changed them =).
b) Go to your Application and Gaming or Port Forwarding page. Enter in the port and Internal IP address here:
Note: If you are setting up Ventrilo, the default ports is 3487, and if you are setting up TeamSpeak, enter in the port number from the configuration I told you to take note of earlier.
6) Connect to the server. Enter your External IP address. Make sure you have the correct port number as well.
Ventrilo: the port line is separate from server in this client, enter in the correct port number.
TeamSpeak: enter the server and port together as follows: 127.0.0.1:8767 (if your external IP was 127.0.0.1 and your port was 8767).
7) If any firewall warnings have popped up for incoming and outgoing connections for these server applications, they all need to be allowed. If you are having connection issues that you think are related to your firewall, please disable your firewall and continue diagnostics.
Congratulations, you now have your own working Ventrilo or TeamSpeak server set up for free. If you are having issues connecting after following all these instructions, please refer to this thread on my forum http://forum.shanesblog.net/viewforum.php?f=12
