Due to my router setup, i cannot seem to open ports. So, I tried connecting using local network, by typing in my IP address. Can other people use this feature if they know my IP and port LFS is runnig on? Any info would be appreciated as my team hasnt had a server in ages!

No. The whole reason to forward ports is to make the server publically available.

The only caveat would be if you had a publically routable IP (i.e. not in the following ranges: 10.0.0.0 - 10.255.255.255 (10/8), 172.16.0.0 - 172.31.255.255 (172.16/12), 192.168.0.0 - 192.168.255.255 (192.168/16)). 99.9% of home users don't have this. The remaining 0.1% would know it, because this is something you have to request additional IPs and setup manually.

You could run a VPN server, or do an equally crazy setup to get it working, but port forwarding will most likely be required at some stage down the line, or the performance would be terrible.

Quote from the_angry_angel :

No. The whole reason to forward ports is to make the server publically available.

The only caveat would be if you had a publically routable IP (i.e. not in the following ranges: 10.0.0.0 - 10.255.255.255 (10/8), 172.16.0.0 - 172.31.255.255 (172.16/12), 192.168.0.0 - 192.168.255.255 (192.168/16)). 99.9% of home users don't have this. The remaining 0.1% would know it, because this is something you have to request additional IPs and setup manually.

You could run a VPN server, or do an equally crazy setup to get it working, but port forwarding will most likely be required at some stage down the line, or the performance would be terrible.

but i cant open/forward ports! iv tried countless times but nothing happens!

Quote from dougie-lampkin :

but i cant open/forward ports! iv tried countless times but nothing happens!

Either you're doing something fundamentally wrong, or you've got some form of firewall in the way also.

You can't get around port forwarding, unless you use one of the cases I've roughly listed above.

If it doesn't work then consider getting someone in your local area to help you, or consider renting a server from a provider. There's a limit to how much people can assist over the internet, sometimes it just takes sitting in front of the network physically to sort the problem - there are hundreds of bits of software, hundreds of bits of hardware, and sod knows how many ways to configure them. That gives you a ridiculous number of combinations, and unless you can get someone to describe it perfectly you might never be able to get it fixed by talking someone through the issue.

I don't want to sound elitist, but some people will never understand what they're doing wrong, in the same way that I will probably never be a master at physics, or a master at plumbing..

Quote from the_angry_angel :

Either you're doing something fundamentally wrong, or you've got some form of firewall in the way also.

You can't get around port forwarding, unless you use one of the cases I've roughly listed above.

If it doesn't work then consider getting someone in your local area to help you, or consider renting a server from a provider. There's a limit to how much people can assist over the internet, sometimes it just takes sitting in front of the network physically to sort the problem - there are hundreds of bits of software, hundreds of bits of hardware, and sod knows how many ways to configure them. That gives you a ridiculous number of combinations, and unless you can get someone to describe it perfectly you might never be able to get it fixed by talking someone through the issue.

I don't want to sound elitist, but some people will never understand what they're doing wrong, in the same way that I will probably never be a master at physics, or a master at plumbing..

thanks for the help, but my router just won't open! I downloaded a guide off the net made specifically for my router, and disabled all AV/firewall programs, but I still couldn't connect! Also, my team is very small, so we can't buy a dedicated server, we just need one every week or so.