Here's a clarication of Passive DCC...
Passive DCC creates the connection in "reverse" of a normal DCC connection. This means that the person receiving has to configure their router/firewall correctly to receive the file and the sender doesn't have to do anything. In a normal DCC connection, the sender has to configure the router/firewall correctly and the receiver doesn't have to do anything. See where the difference is?
Basically, in Passive DCC, if YOU as the sender cannot configure your ports correctly, then you are stuck using Passive DCC and hoping that anyone wanting to receive from you IS able to configure theirs. If they also can't configure their router/firewall, then they will not be able to receive files from you. That's where the problem is with using Passive DCC... everyone receiving files from you has to configure their router/firewall or they can't receive files from you.
In comparison, if you're using normal DCC, you're the only one who has to configure the router/firewall so it makes it easier for everyone involved and you're pretty much guaranteed to be able to send to everyone as long as they aren't blocking DCCs.
Let me ask you this... you made 2 main changes after setting up port forwarding failed for you. You removed those port forwarding settings AND you changed your Local Info settings. Have you tried setting up port forwarding with your current Local Info settings? That may be all that you needed to change. Remember that you cannot send using normal DCC if you do not have a valid IP address in Local Info (or //echo -a IP: $ip). If it isn't being picked up for one reason or another, you can manually enter the IP into the Local Info section and it will work as long as it remains there and your IP doesn't change.
Beyond that, if you're still having trouble setting up the ports, it would be useful if you provide your router name (and model information) and whatever firewall software you are using. Also, provide the port forward information you entered into your router (something like: mirc 1024-5000 TCP 192.168.1.1 Enabled) and also what you have in your mIRC settings for the DCC ports (something like: DCC Enabled, Other Disabled, 1024-5000, Randomize Ports disabled). As a note, I don't recommend using 1024-5000 as you'll never need anywhere near that number of ports. A range of 20 ports is usually plenty. Of course, as far as whether or not it works, the port range doesn't matter as long as the same range is used in mIRC *and* in the router/firewall.
