Problems entering your own chat room.

If you are hosting a chat room on a third party server (ie. a seperate chat server rather than on winmx) and are unable to enter then the most likely cause for this is a router.

Check your configuration

First, check that the ports are forwarded correctly in your router and allowed in any firewalls. If this is set correctly then others should be able to join.

If others are able to join your chat room but you cant then this is almost certainly a loopback issue. Some routers prevent you from being able to connect to your own Internet IP Address "for security reasons" (or more accurately because they messed up the software in the router) so you have to instead connect using the special "loopback interface" in your computer.

Using the "loopback interface" to join your room

To enter your chat room using this interface you need to enter the room under a slightly modified name, this means you have to either use WinMX 3.53+ or some other chat client that allows you to join a custom channel name.

To calculate the channel name you need to enter first take the room name, without the last bit on it, for example "RoomName_827261AA1A2A" you would get "RoomName" and also take the last 4 digits of it (the "1A2A" in this example)

Once you have your RoomName and 1A2A you then insert _0100007F in to the middle, so in this example we would get RoomName_0100007F1A2A.

To find your room loopback and external hash try http://www.winmxworld.com/tutorials/php_test.php

Here are a few more examples

Loopback changed into the Hex WinMX uses:
RoomName_A71B193C1A2A >   RoomName_0100007F1A2A
Some Test Room_4D5291B50003 >   Some Test Room_0100007F0003
Example Room_45AB874A1A2B >   Example Room_0100007F1A2B

You can also enter the number in 'raw' form as shown here:
RoomName_A71B193C1A2A   >  RoomName_127.0.0.1:6698
Some Test Room_4D5291B50003   >   Some Test Room_127.0.0.1:3
Example Room_45AB874A1A2B   >   Example Room_127.0.0.1:6699
NOTE: The numbers above must have the Local IP (127.0.0.1) with then the ':' then port number (6698, 6699, or any number you use) to work.


Using this method for two computers on your LAN (router)

Sometimes you may have two computers, one hosting and one you'd like to enter a room but cant get the second PC in, here is the method used to enter using the LAN IP.

If your not sure what your hosting LAN IP is you can find that by going to the
Start Menu > Run then in the box type 'cmd'
Then when the black DOS box appears type 'ipconfig'  then hit the Enter key.
get your IP address shown here.
NOTE:  This must be done from the PC you use to host with.

Because there are many LAN IP addresses that could be used the best thing is to first download this tool made by Josh that will calculate your IP and Port in Hex for you.
Hashantor (0.3)

Once you have this downloaded open it and type into the IP bar your IP:Port  in this exact syntax.  The IP 192.168.1.202: port 6698 shown below.



Once you have this click the IP:Port>Hash button to get the Hex of the room number that you need to use to enter your room

RoomName_A71B193C1A2A   >  RoomName_CA01A8C01A2A  (192.168.1.202:6698)
Some Test Room_4D5291B50003    >  Some Test Room_4201A8C00003 (192.168.1.66:3)
Example Room_45AB874A1A2B   >   Example Room_2D0A1A2B (10.0.0.45:6699)

Again as with the LoopBack addresses you can also use the Raw numbers
RoomName_192.168.1.202:6698

Remember that the IP you need to use is the one from the Hosting machine.
Note: If you are using WinMX v3.5x, you can add this room to favorites once you have entered using your LoopBack address simply click the 'Command Button and Choose 'Add Channel To Favorites'.  It will save it as the LoopBack address you used to enter.