Home Game Server for Friends... Can't get port forwarding to work

So here is the need and background:

Is there a tool that can trace the path of a request through your network to determine where the signal is getting blocked? Computer firewall, router firewall?

I spoke to multiple support people who, for one reason or another, were unable to help me. Got this advice from the admins here that got me into the router port forwarding area:
Could you please open the Xfinity App, then open the Xfinity Assistant at the top right-hand side? It should look like a chat bubble with 2 dots.

Once the Xfinity Assistant opens, please type "Port Forward", the chat assistant will populate with some options. From these options, select "Network".

Once you have selected "Network", please click on "Open Advanced Settings". Finally, you should be able to see an option for Port Forwarding. Please select the "Port Forwarding" option and see if the assistant is able to redirect to the Port Forwarding Getting Started Page.

While this worked, and I was able to set the ports needed, there is still not an external connection. This is easily tested by the game's server browser. If it was working, I should be able to search the server name and find it easily but no luck.

I turned Windows firewall off as well as my  Bit Defender just to see if it was that but no luck. I'm not sure what to do now so I am looking for ways to pinpoint the issue. 

Oh, and I can't buy my own router at this point, no money tos spare.