Hello everyone,

I'm a fairly experienced user of my Archer A8 router and have been very happy with its performance. However, I've hit a wall with a very specific configuration issue and I'm hoping someone here might have some advanced networking insights.

The issue is related to hosting a multiplayer session for a specific game on my Android device. The game is a modified version, which is likely the root of the problem.

The Setup & The Problem:

• Router: Archer A8 (Latest Firmware)
• Game: GTA San Andreas, but specifically a version known as GTA San Andreas Mod APK with a CLEO Menu. This version allows for custom scripts and, more importantly, a direct-connect multiplayer mode that isn't part of the original game.
• Goal: I want to host a game session so my friends can connect to my public IP. I understand this requires port forwarding.
• The Problem: Standard port forwarding guides for GTA San Andreas don't work. I believe this is because the CLEO Menu and custom multiplayer scripts use non-standard, dynamic, or hard-coded ports that are not documented anywhere. My friends' connection attempts always time out, which strongly suggests the Archer A8 is blocking the incoming traffic.

What I've Tried:

1. Enabled UPnP (no effect).
2. Tried forwarding the standard ports for the game (e.g., 7777), but it seems this GTA San Andreas Mod APK doesn't use them.
3. Looked for configuration files in the APK to find the port, but couldn't locate it.

For full context, this is the specific version of the game I'm trying to get working. Perhaps someone is familiar with its network requirements:  https://gta-san-andreas-mod-apk.s3.ap-southeast-1.amazonaws.com/index.html

My theory is that this particular build uses a unique port that I need to identify and forward correctly in my Archer A8's "Virtual Servers" settings.

My Questions for the TP-Link Community:

1. Does the Archer A8 have any built-in traffic monitoring or logging features that would allow me to see which ports my Android device (running the GTA San Andreas Mod APK CLEO Menu) is attempting to listen on when I host a game? I need to identify the blocked incoming connection attempts.

2. If identifying the specific port is impossible, is there a better way to configure the QoS (Quality of Service) on the Archer A8? Could I set my Android device's MAC address to the highest priority to ensure its traffic isn't being throttled or deprioritized in some way?

3. As a last resort for testing, is putting my device in the DMZ a safe way to confirm that the router is indeed the blocking element? I understand the security risks, but it would be a useful diagnostic step.

This is more than just about a game; it's a genuine question about the advanced diagnostic and configuration capabilities of the Archer A8 when dealing with non-standard applications. Any guidance on how to tackle this kind of port forwarding puzzle would be immensely valuable.

Thanks for your time and expertise!