start - control panel - windows firewall (if classic mode) Security center (if standard mode) - exceptions tab - add program - browse to BF2 exe file and repeat for each.
this is my router firewall!
hymen the ones that are needed for BF2 are actually in the manual there are some tcp and some udp
bf2
UDP:27900,29900,1500-4999
TCP:80,29900,29901,28910
TS
tcp: 8768
xfire:
· What ports does Xfire use?
Xfire uses TCP/IP port 25999 to connect to cs.xfire.com.
This is the only port that you HAVE to be able to communicate on in order to use Xfire. Xfire can and will attempt to use a myriad of different UDP ports, however, and they can be somewhat random.
Game servers use various ports, usually between 4000 and 60000 UDP, which is what Xfire is receiving data from when you log on. It does this to get the ping, playerlist, map and other info that is then displayed in your Xfire client for each of the game servers your friends are playing on.
If you have the Friends of Friends option enabled, all the queries from the servers they are playing on get sent out and returned on the ports those games use.
There are 3 other features in Xfire that use UDP as well.
Typing notification - This is a randomly negotiated port above 1024 using the UDP protocol between you and the user you are typing an IM to. This can be disabled in your Tools|Options|Chat tab.
P2P File Download system - This is a randomly negotiated port above 1024 using the UDP protocol between you and as many as 20 other users in the Xfire network. You can disable this by going to Tools|Options|Files in your Xfire client.
Voicechat (1:1 and Group) - This is a randomly negotiated port above 1024 using the UDP protocol between you and the user or Group voice host you are voice-chatting wit
thanks guys!
looks like I got a lot of tinkering to do!