Hello Sharples65,
Thank you for contacting 2K Support.
I understand you are having issues finding games in Civilization V. Thanks to the work of diligent players like you, we've been able to collect enough information about this issue to notify the development team, and they are currently working toward a solution. Unfortunately, we do not have visibility on their progress here in customer support, and so we don't have a timeline for a fix to be implemented. That said, please follow us on Twitter (@2K and @2KSupport), as this is where new info as well as upcoming updated and fixes will be announced.
In the meantime, please take a look at our connection troubleshooting guide:
Check all the physical devices on your network to ensure they are plugged in and powered on.
Perform a connection test on each device connected to the network.
PC Connection Troubleshooting Guide
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/network-connection-problem-help
Note: In order to better understand your network and how it works please see the information below.
NAT Types
Open
Moderate
Strict
Open NATs can connect to any of the three types. --> Probably the least common type
Moderate can only connect to open and moderate. --> Probably the most common type
Strict can ONLY connect to open.
Strict NATs are a difficult problem with peer-to-peer games. Since most people don't have open NATs, the player with a strict NAT won't be able to find many joinable games.
Also, if the player with a strict NAT does manage to join a game, if another player with a moderate NAT joins later, the player with the strict NAT gets kicked out.
The problem is even worse since it is sometimes difficult for software (i.e. Games for Windows Live) to detect which NAT type it is running behind, and can often report that the player has a moderate NAT when they actually have a strict NAT.
Another problem is that sometimes the ISP (Internet Service Provider) is also NAT'd which often means even if you have a direct connection to the internet (without a router/firewall), the ISP still acts as a strict NAT.
Port Forwarding
The following ports are beneficial to have open for Online console gaming:
TCP: 53, 80, 443, 465, 983, 1863, 3074, 5223, 10070-10080
UDP: 53, 88, 1863, 3074, 3478-3479, 3658, 10070
If you need assistance with opening these ports, please refer to the following website for more information (you will need to know your router brand and model, as the website guides are based on specific routers)
http://portforward.com/english/routers/port_forwarding/routerindex.htm
Here are some additional tips that have helped many players improve their connectivity:
Make sure your router's firmware is upgraded the latest version (very important).
Unplug your router for 10 minutes and plug it back in. Some older routers degrade in performance over time until it is rebooted, similar to a PC.
Disable any firewall or other network filtering for the game.
Enable uPnP (universal plug and play) on your router.
If you don't care about security, enable DMZ (de-militarized zone) on your router for your PC's address. This turns off all of your router's firewall features for that specific PC.
Contact your ISP and ask them what your DNS setting should be.
Direct Connection/Power Cycle
If you are still having issues connecting to the online servers after trying the above steps, try connecting your broadband modem directly to the console or PC on which you are playing this game. At this point, please disconnect your Broadband modem from power for Five (5) minutes. After this time has elapsed, plug the modem back into power and allow the normal power-up cycle to finish.
If you have any questions or concerns, do not hesitate to ask.
Sincerely,
[REMOVED NAME]
2K Support
