Known multiplayer issues in Halo: Combat Evolved (829469)

MORE INFORMATION

Port and network settings

By default, Halo connects to the Internet through the following ports:

• 80 (Transmission Control Protocol (TCP)) - Auto-update looks for and downloads updates through this port.
• 2302 (User Datagram Protocol (UDP)) - Game host listens on this port.
• 2303 (UDP) - Game client connects to host through this port.

You can set the Host and Client ports if you have to customize Halo to work on your network. If your network is configured in such a way that the default port range does not work, you must set the ports to values that you know will work. To customize the Host and Client ports for your network, follow these steps:

1. Start Halo.
2. Click Profiles.
3. Select the profile that you want to change network settings for.
4. Click OK.
5. Click Settings, and then click Network Setup.
6. Click Host Port or click Client Port, and then type the correct number as appropriate.
7. Click OK.

For more information, see the second article link in the "References" section later in this article.

You can play Halo games from behind most routers and Network Address Translation (NAT) devices. If you have difficulty connecting from behind a router, review your router documentation to make sure that the Host and Client ports are not blocked for your PC.

Software updates

Each time you join or create an Internet multiplayer game, Halo automatically checks the Internet for the latest update. You may also run the stand-alone updating tool, Haloupdate.exe, from the root of the folder where Halo is installed. Halo checks for updates by using Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP).

If you know that a game update is available but the game does not detect the update, check your Internet Explorer proxy settings to make sure that you can connect to the following Microsoft Web site: Halo uses the same proxy settings as Microsoft Internet Explorer when checking for updates.

To check these proxy settings, follow these steps:

1. Start Internet Explorer.
2. On the Tools menu, click Internet Options.
3. Click the Connections tab.
   • If you connect to the Internet manually, double-click the appropriate connection in the list at the top.
   • If you connect through a local area network (LAN), click LAN Settings.
4. In the Proxy Server text boxes, make sure that the settings are set correctly for the proxy server that you or your network administrator has set up.
5. If you are connected to the Internet and can reach http://www.microsoft.com, your proxy settings are set correctly.

If there is a Halo update available, download and install the update if you want to start or join an Internet multiplayer game. If there are issues with Auto-update, to obtain the update visit the following Microsoft Web site:Note You must be logged in as an administrator of the computer to successfully install any updates for Halo.

Multiplayer issues and workarounds

The following table contains the most common multiplayer issues and their workarounds:

Issue	Workaround or resolution
In non-team games (such as Slayer), all vehicles are spawning in front of the Red Base	You must select two of each type of vehicle to make sure that one vehicle is placed in both the Red Base and the Blue Base. In non-team games, the default base is Red when vehicles are assigned. If there is only one type of vehicle spawned, only the Red Base will be populated with vehicles.
You cannot join a direct Internet Protocol (IP) multiplayer game that is hosted behind a Network Address Translator (NAT) or router, or on an Internet Connection Sharing Server in Microsoft Windows 98 Second Edition, Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition (Me), or Microsoft Windows 2000	You have to join multiplayer games that are hosted behind a router or on an Internet Connection Sharing server by means of the external GameSpy Arcade Lobby
You cannot join a multiplayer game with an Internet Connection Sharing Client in Windows 2000 or Microsoft Windows XP	You may have difficulty joining a multiplayer game if someone who is using a Windows 2000 or Windows XP Internet Connection Sharing client has joined and exited this game before you tried to join the game. The host has to re-create the game before you can join.
You cannot look for games on a LAN on a computer that has two network adaptors in Windows XP	You cannot browse for multiplayer games on a LAN if the two network connections are not configured correctly. The Internet must be configured on the first network connection, and the LAN must be configured on the second network connection. For more information about how to configure a network connection, click Start, and then click Help and Support.
Microsoft Base Station MN500	Halo does not offer automatic Network Address Translation (NAT) negotiation of Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) devices such as the MN500. If you have difficulties connecting to games or hosting a server behind this device, it is a good idea to manually set the device to forward the required ports, 2302 and 2303 (UDP), to the IP address of the game computer behind the router.
When you try to connect to the game, you may receive the following error message: "Attention: An error has occurred trying to contact the GameSpy master server."	Download and install the latest game update. To do this, visit the following Microsoft Web site: http://www.microsoft.com/games/halo/downloads.asp If the issue continues to occur, disable the firewall (McAfee Personal Firewall or Norton Firewall). If you still cannot connect, follow the troubleshooting steps in the following Microsoft Knowledge Base article: 819836 How to troubleshoot multiplayer issues in Microsoft games