Yes, a long time ago this is how people used to play RTS. Those were the days before Hamachi, virtual networks and "easy" connecting. Here are a few steps to help you connect with someone who doesn't have Hamachi. These can also be useful if Hamachi ever goes down, which it does from time to time.
Option #1 (the easy way) - If you are not behind a router or firewall all you have to do is obtain your IP address. This can be done easily by googling "what's my IP address". You'll find a number of sites that can give you your IP address just by going there. Once you have this address provide it to your opponent, host a new game and they can connect.
Q - How can I tell if I'm behind a router?
A - Go to your start menu and choose Run. Type CMD (or command) and click OK. In the black window that opens type ipconfig and press enter. In the information that's displayed if your IP address looks like this 192.168.#.# then you're behind a router.
Option #2 (requires some technical skill) - If you are behind a router there is still hope. You'll need to configure your router to allow RTS connections to pass through.
To start with you'll need to access your router configuration page. This is usually done from a computer that is connected to the router from a cable (not wireless) by opening Internet Explorer and typing the routers IP address in the address bar.
Your router IP address can be found in your user manual and sometimes even on a sticker on the bottom of your router. This is also where you'll find the default username and password to access your router configuration. The default address for Linksys routers is 192.168.1.1 and for Netgear it's 192.168.0.1
Once you're into the router configuration pages you need to look for a section that indicates it's for "Port Forwarding" or "Gaming". Once you find this section set up a rule to allow port 10945 to forward to the IP address of the computer you use for RTS (see instructions for obtaining your private IP address in step #1 Q&A).
Don't hesitate to contact the manufacturer's tech support line for assistance. Since each brand and model of router is different you might need thier assistance. Just ask them to help you set up port forwarding for port 10945 to your 192.168.#.# IP address.
Enjoy the games!
