Port forwarding woes

[MDF11]

I have the Actiontec MI424WR Rev. I router. 

I am attempting to forward ports 2300-2400 and 47624 to my PC, to enable me to play a certain online game.  The PC is running Windows 7 Home.

I have set up a static IP address for my PC at 192.168.1.8

I have (apparently) successfully created a port forwarding rule, which shows up in the router's web interface port-forwarding rules list as follows:

Networked Computer/Device: [x] 192.168.1.8    (the [x] is a checkbox with check mark in it)

Applications & Ports Forwarded:  Destination Ports 2300-2400,47624              
                                                            TCP Any -> 47624
                                                             UDP Any -> 47624
                                                            TCP Any -> 2300-2400
                                                            UDP Any -> 2300-2400

WAN Connection Type:  All Broadband Devices 

Status:  Active

I have turned off the Windows Firewall, and disabled the "intrusion protection" in my Norton Security program.

Despite all this, port-scanning websites such as http://www.whatsmyip.org/port-scanner/  show that the ports in question are "closed."  Interestingly, when I test ports which I have NOT attempted to forward, the port-scanner website says the connection to the (non-forwarded)  port has timed out.  (This is the same result I get with the forwarded ports when my firewall is on.)  In other words, port scanners are drawing a distinction between the ports which I have forwarded (port-closed error) and ports I have not forwarded (timeout error).  So, my port-forwarding has accomplished something, but just not . . . you know . . .  actual port forwarding.

Anyone have any ideas?  Thanks in advance.

-- Marc

[Anti-Phish1]

Yes, there is a distinction between closed and timed out.

In order for a port to show as OPEN, there must be an application running and actively listening on that port that will accept a connection.  You appartently didn't have your game running when you ran the port scanner.

In summary there are threee conditions:

Closed - Not forwarded.  Rejected by the router.

Timed Out - Opened in the router, but no application running to accept the connection.

Open - Forwarded and application accepts the connection.

[MDF11]

Hey, you're right!  Now I get a "Port open" message when the application is running.  Let's just hope that everything runs smoothly when I try to connect to a game server!  None are running right now.

Thank you! 

-- Marc