How to: see/connect-to/host SERVERS!

Published on January 31, 2008 By the_Monk In Technical

I have already posted this information to several other forums including the World in Conflict forums where it has received much attention and helped many people with posts such as "I can't connect to servers" , "I can't see all the servers" , "my friends can't see/connect to my server" etc. I have decided to post it again and hopefully it'll be made into a sticky!

I work in IT (design complex NAT/network structures for coporate clients) so that's how I know what I'm talking about. Second, I've had my server the Monk's [PROVING GROUNDS] running a dedicated server for most multiplayer games released since HW1/Operation Flashpoint, so anyone with game hosting issues, ask away! NAT and the misconceptions/inability to configure it are the single largest cause for people not being able to see/connect to/host internet servers today!

A quick lesson on NAT:

NAT (Strict) - Port AND Address-restricted NAT (the router/firewall insists that the packet return from both the same IP Address AND Port the packet was originally sent out to)

NAT (Moderate) - Port-restricted NAT (the router/firewall insists that the packet return from the same Port the packet was originally sent out to but doesn't care if the IP Address isn't the same)

NAT (OPEN) - Port AND Address independent NAT (the router/firewall doesn't care which Port OR IP Address the return packet comes from and simply forwards the data packet on to the internal IP you will have specified in your "port-forwarding") Obviously OPEN-NAT is the least secure and also by extension the most flexible for hosting/connecting-to games.

MOST games will work having TCP set to STRICT and UDP set to MODERATE. ALL games will work setting both TCP and UDP NAT filtering to OPEN. (your routers may or may not even let you modify NAT filtering, many SOHO routers do not!) I have "real" routers/firewalls (very expensive also ) so I have granular control over many things that many SOHO routers don't even reference such as the above.

If your router DOES allow NAT control then my suggestions above willwork! Plain and simple. NAT, when not implemented with any sort of controls (like on many SOHO routers, and crappy retail anti-malware/firewall software) is the single biggest reason for sour gamers!

Happy gaming/hosting, monk out!

xfire: the1monk

EDIT: here is a link a "networking guide for the gamer" I wrote which may also come in handy the "[url=http://www.themonk.ca/Monk/Networking_for_the_Gamer_by_the_Monk.pdf]Networking for the Gamer[/url]" guide I compiled of all the "generic" networking information I posted to various forums.

EDIT:

Here is the link to my SINS-specific guide "Networking and SINS" (version 1.0 written Feb 14/2008) which contains all information necessary in order to play/host SINS!

http://themonk.ca/Monk/Networking_and_Sins_by_the_Monk.pdf

Comments (Page 6)

killer_pain89

on Feb 21, 2008

well i cant host or join games i have a dsl modem and it connected 2 a old d-link router that i cant get into 2 forward ports in i think that may be the problem but not sure but i have the port forward on my computer 6112 but i still cant join or host any games im a computer tech in training but im not to good with networking tho any help would be very nice

killerpain89

the_Monk

on Feb 21, 2008

Hi,

1. Please download, read and try to follow my second guide "Networking and SINS", linked-to from page 3 of this thread (POST #66) or also linked-to from the Technical Hosting FAQ. Doing that will help you completely understand the WHAT you must do.

2. Should you have issues with the HOW after reading my guide and understanding the WHAT, I will be glad to talk you through the steps via my TeamSpeak server.

thanks,

the Monk

the_Monk

on Feb 22, 2008

Please contact me tomorrow. I will have my TeamSpeak server up again and I'll talk you through getting your issues solved.

thanks,

the Monk

the_Monk

on Feb 22, 2008

I was actually able to solve my problem. It was such a stupid problem too (as it always is). I miss typed 1 number in my IP address when forwarding.

Monk, your guide and forum responses were very helpful in solving my hosting problems. Thank you.

You're welcome. Glad I could help.

CrazyBolas

on Mar 17, 2008

OK guys.... I click on "ironclad online"... I type in my user name and password... it accepts both and then shows me a blank window with a highlighted button saying "add player". That's it. Nothing else. Where's the list of servers? Where's the players looking for a game? How do I join a game? Is Xfire the only way to play a game of this? What am I missing? I've forwarded port 6112 to this IP address already, and turned off windows defender and my firewall...

thanks,
Bolas

the_Monk

on Mar 17, 2008

Click "add player" and ADD your online persona!

Then click "Lobby" to join the ICO lobby, "Join" to join a game...etc.

Good luck!

the Monk

CrazyBolas

on Mar 17, 2008

OMG too funny.. that's it?!? I was trying to add OTHER players to my game.... not my name to the list of people accessing ironclad online LOL... thanks for the tip, that's a winner.

Lionheart06-RG

on Mar 20, 2008

OK well i just successfully became an able host thanks to Monk and his wisdom.

Had to be straightened on a couple things and from there i worked out the rest.

Props to Monk. Great stuff.

Scroll_Lock

on Mar 25, 2008

Didn't take me long to find your thread.

I was asking for that link tonight and I hope it does indeed help me host games etc etc.

Triztor

on Mar 30, 2008

This is confusing.

the_Monk

on Mar 30, 2008

This is confusing.

@ Triztor

Please follow the yellow link at the top of the page to my SINS-specific guide which takes you through everyhing you need to do in a step-by-step fashion.

Please read my guide carefully, don't skip pages/steps in the .pdf guide and then come back bitching that it doesn't work!

the Monk

Earthpigg

on Apr 12, 2008

I have a question.

Any word on when the devs are going to fix their game so you don't *need* to do all this silly stuff?

The vast majority of reasonably well designed games... work... when you install them.

Call of Duty 4? installed, connected, worked perfectly.
WoW? installed, connected, worked perfectly.

etc

Keep in mind folks that those of us that visit the forums are a minority.

Things like this are why folks are moving over to console gaming

That being said, thank you for the grunt work you did putting all this info together, Monk and others.

the_Monk

on Apr 12, 2008

1.
As has been stated several times

patch 1.1 will give us "optional" (hopefully it stays optional) tunneling netcode which should eliminate the need to forward ports on routers etc.

2.
One cannot compare client-server games to peer-to-peer games. There are many inherent differences in the network transport model alone (SINS doesn't have a "server" per say, all players run the etire game sim on their own machines, the "host" just sync's all of the clients together) which makes any attempt at comparison moot.

3.
Honestly....if people are so averse to learning HOW to do something that they'll use that as a reason to go to console gaming......nothing much to say about that!

You're welcome for all the work/time etc. I've put into this. I've done this for (and continue to do it) for several gaming communities. Just so you know, I have spent several hours on ICO most days/evenings since release to catch those people having issues that don't post on the forums. My TS server has seen more use in "support" than gaming over the last few years...

Earthpigg

on Apr 12, 2008

"One cannot compare client-server games to peer-to-peer games. There are many inherent differences in the network transport model alone (SINS doesn't have a "server" per say, all players run the etire game sim on their own machines, the "host" just sync's all of the clients together) which makes any attempt at comparison moot. "

then perhaps that early on descision (peer-to-peer) was the questionable one?

... or was it a money-saving one because these folks aren't such an established company that it was certain enough money would be made to support servers?

i dunno, im just a bit dissapointed - this minor technical aspect of online gaming isnt something new. starcraft came out a long time ago.

for a game as great as this to be hampered by something so silly... bleh.

its like buying an awesome new 2009 model luxory car... only to discover that it came with a casette thing instead of a cd player. wtf should i have to get a portable cd player and one of those little casette converters? its a brand new car!

CD players are expected to come standard.

i shouldn't have to fiddle to play my damn Tool cd.

**done venting**

the_Monk

on Apr 14, 2008

@ Earthpigg

Not to take this thread too far "off-topic" but.....

Think of the massive number unit/econ etc. updates that would need to flow to/from each client to the host and back if SINS had been made client-server. Now try to imagine how much network bandwidth that would consume for only one 10-player game.

As far as your "car analogy"...hehe Let me add this....

Try driving a car without first knowing which is the gas or brake pedal, how fast you're allowed to drive and where to stop etc. The "rules of the road" are no different on the internet.

People have no problems with having to teach themselves how to use facebook, torrent anything and everything, rip&burn movies, etc. I have no sympathy if those same people complain about having to learn how to configure a router (and that with me to hold their hand no less.

)

I hope that answers your questions......

Now back on topic!

the Monk

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