Need help opening closed ports

[Zilidget]

Hello!

For the past week and a half, I've been successfully playing on an online gaming server, however this week (Sunday to be exact) suddenly the server wont connect. I've checked the server properties and everyhing seemed fine, so I went into my router settings - the port was there, then to the "Open Port Check Tool" - www.yougetsignal.com, and each check of the assigned port came up "closed" I checked all of the common ports, and all of them are closed for my external IP address!

I've tried restarting my computer, tried a different computer, restarting that one, restarted the router... multiple times. I've checked my firewall, the exceptions/rules are there. I've gone online to research it and have found nothing (everyone uses Belkin or some other router other than Verizon's apparently.) Has anyone encountered this before?

Stats:

I'm using a Windows 7 64 bit 

the port I'm trying to fix (actually all of them apparently, but namely) is the Minecraft Server port 25565

I have checked the cmd > netstat -a thing and that port (both TCP and UDP) shows up as "LISTENING" 

I'm sure it's something simple (or I'm praying it is!)

Is there some other setting I need to have changed?

Help is GREATLY appreciated! 

[viafax999]

Are you running a minecraft server?  if so you would need to port forward the required ports to your internal device

should say

UDP any -> 9987

TCP any -> 30033

TCP any-> 10011

TCP any -> 41144