SUPPORT: Solving Connectivity Problems

Tips and Tricks

By Frogboy on April 6, 2009 2:58:10 PM from

Demigod Forums

Frogboy

Join Date 03/2001

+1482

Most PC games are client/server. That is, someone creates a game and others join that game. The data then goes from you to the host (the server) and then back to the other players. Sins of a Solar Empire is client/server.

In Demigod, it is peer-to-peer. This was necessary because it needed to have the least amount of latency possible since your moves are directly sent to the other players rather than to a server first. Because the action in Demigod focuses a great deal on Melee in the third person (i.e. players can see their hits) a lot of traditional methods to mask latency aren't possible. Peer-to-peer reduces the problem of "lag".

The downside of peer-to-peer is that everyone has to be able to connect to each other. In a client server game, many people have heard someone say "I can join games but I can't host them." In a peer-to-peer game, everyone is technically a host thus greatly increasing the challenge of connecting players.

The solution developed is known as CVP NAT, a new feature of Stardock's Impulse Reactor development library.

So what problems can people have? Below are the most common issues:

Windows may fail to create a local socket. There's a million reasons for this unfortunately and your options are to try to rejoin a game or try hosting the game instead. It's not terribly common but feels very common when it happens to you. It will be more common if you have an older router as we have learned that older consumer routers are more likely to be problematic when opening sockets.
Your ISP is sending your messages with different IP addresses. This is common in Europe where people have DSL lines that have multiple IP and the router picks and chooses which IP to send things. It can also happen for people who have multiple Internet connections going. For instance, I have a Verizon 3G Internet connectiont that's always on. I also have a Comcast line on. If I'm trying to play a game, turning one of these connections off will likely help. At Stardock, we have a thornier issue -- we have 2 comcast lines in which our router picks the one with the most available bandwidth to send out a particular packet. CVP NAT has been designed to deal with a lot of oddball issues like this but it's not infallible.
Firewall. If youre firewall is blocking TCP or UDP packets, you won't be able to connect.
Windows failed to configure a local socket. This is another one of those annoying issues that can come up. It's similar to item #1. The best way to reduce these kinds of problems is to use Skirmish or the Pantheon. The "Custom Game" setup in Demigod is the most likely case this will come up since it requires multiple sockets to properly connect players.

TIP:

If you know what you're doing (and only if you know what you're doing) you can load a program that's in the bin directory of Demigod called ImpulseReactorOptions, set up the options there and then seperately go to your router and make sure those ports are port forwarding to the right machine.

To learn how to port forward, see this website: http://www.portforward.com/

To learn more about what ports to open see this document provided by the Monk (THANKS MONK!)

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

Hey Monk - I read your guide - very helpful, thanks. I noticed that you aren't a fan of cable modem + router setups what with the double NAT. Can you recommend an all-in-one cable/wired/wireless router? I need the wireless for other PCs, even though mine is wired into the router. Thanks

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[quote who="Ke5trel" reply="1" id="2140131"]Hey Monk - I read your guide - very helpful, thanks. I noticed that you aren't a fan of cable modem + router setups what with the double NAT. Can you recommend an all-in-one cable/wired/wireless router? I need the wireless for other PCs, even though mine is wired into the router. Thanks
[/quote]

Ke5trel,

It's not that I'm not a fan of modem + router setups.... in the guide I'm simply saying that some people have modems that perform NAT (have NAT'ing enabled by the ISP) and then their router is also performing NAT which will cause problems.

I for instance have a modem + router setup, but thankfully my ISP (up here in frozen Canada...hehe) decided to keep the modems "dumb" (as in......they simply pass data through in either direction.......no NAT....no firewall.....etc.) and therefore my router is the only thing I ever need to configure. My modem is essentially a dumb switch!

thanks,

the Monk

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When looking at the connection status in the Connection Info window, I notice that I often see one person who is trying to connect to my game, who no one else can connect to. New players who try to connect seem to be trying to connect to this person, even though he is not in our game. This seems to prevent people from joining. This also seems to happen occassionaly when somone leaves the game...I think that if people only tried to connect to those other players who are already in the game, the connection problems could be reduced.

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Yea sadly i think im one of those that cant connect to anyone i dont know if its my ISP's fault cos i have run my router in the DMZ mode before too. So i hope someone finds a solution

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There is a difference between the_Monk's guide and what the default is in ImpulseReactorOptions.exe. the_Monk says that UDP ports 6073, and 6100-6200, all need to be forwarded to the PC running Demigod. The default in ImpulseReactorOptions.exe is 6112 to 6132 (no mention of whether that's TCP or UDP, but probably UDP). Which is correct?

Regardless, in either case, that's a lot of ports to forward.

-HM

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What exactly do you mean by alot of ports to foward isnt it just keying in the 6100 and 6200 when it requires to foward the ports ? and select the UDP of course.

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If it is a range of ports could you kindly please type out which ports i should foward ? im very confused sorry.

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[quote who="Hollow Man" reply="5" id="2141270"]There is a difference between the_Monk's guide and what the default is in ImpulseReactorOptions.exe. the_Monk says that UDP ports 6073, and 6100-6200, all need to be forwarded to the PC running Demigod. The default in ImpulseReactorOptions.exe is 6112 to 6132 (no mention of whether that's TCP or UDP, but probably UDP). Which is correct?

Regardless, in either case, that's a lot of ports to forward.

-HM
[/quote]

Hollow Man,

In theory we've been told the game may utilize only 20 ports (depending on how many people one plays with). That would be the size of port-range which ImpulseReactor defaults to. The DEMIGOD manual states a range of 6100 - 6200 (which I agree is a rather large and probably unecessary range).

I have suggested what I suggested in the guide to be safe in knowing you're not blocking something. Eventhough 20 ports SHOULD BE enough, while so many people are experiencing connection issues I'd say for now open more than necessary and pare it down later?

....and yes I can confirm it is only UDP which is required.

thanks,

the Monk

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Hmm weird i tried opening all the required ports and used portfoward test program to send packets to those ports, and they were not accessible any ideas on this ??

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[quote who="hypersuper" reply="9" id="2141395"]Hmm weird i tried opening all the required ports and used portfoward test program to send packets to those ports, and they were not accessible any ideas on this ??
[/quote]

hypersuper,

That means somewhere "UPSTREAM" of your PC or router (UPSTREAM of where ever you opened the ports) is something still blocking them. (ie. another router, a modem doing filtering etc.)

the Monk

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I know that I cannot be the only one with Multiplayer connectivity issues...

Let me give ya the rundown on my setup at home. I'm behind a NIC > Buffalo Router Air station which funtions as a router betweem my NIC for my comp and my Xbox 360. That then goes to a switch which then goes into a netopia router. So I have a router connected to a router.

The proper ports are forwarded to BOTH the Buffalo and the Netopia for this game:

here's pics for proof/checking

http://i388.photobucket.com/albums/oo324/chipkimble/chipsnetopiathingy.jpg <--- netopia port forward page

http://i388.photobucket.com/albums/oo324/chipkimble/chipsbuffalothingy.jpg <--- buffalo port foward page

So then I do a port check from ShieldsUP for port 6100. It says the port is closed. I am honest to God baffled, because dammit, it's not closed.

To further compound my frustration not once since I bought the game have I been able to play multiplayer. I get 3 possible errors:

1) Connecting to Players. Please wait...

During the time I have waited I could have started and finished a grand campaign in Empires: Total War. I've never gotten past that window (this happens 1% of the time)

2)Attempt to Join Game Failed

I get this one 98% of the time

3) *Long pause after clicking join* Attempt to Join Game Failed

The other 1%

So, obviously there's people playing and having fun so it must be a problem on my end.

I have no firewall (daring I know. But that's a lie I have windows firewall but it's turned way the hell off) my connection is pretty solid anywhere: speed test puts me at over 5.8kb/s a state away. Why can I not play a multiplayer game?

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Nope cant be because i only have 1 modem i even turned off all the fire walls ... bleh this thing is pissing me off so badly.

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hey ragedemonz alot of ppl like you and me are having this freaked up issue p2p is crap period.
ps i have the EXACT same problem as you rage so no worries you are not alone lol

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I've gone through the connectivity guide, but I'm still unable to join any games.

I can confirm the following points:

* UDP ports 6073 and 6100 - 6200 have been forwarded to the private IP of my desktop. I've tested this by using portforward.com's port check utility. I've used the reactor utility to force Demigod to use the 6100 - 6200 range.

* The SPI function of my routers firewall is now off. I do not have any other Firewalls on my network, either software of hardware.

* NAT for UDP connections has been set to End-point independent.

* Upnp is off.

* My ISP (www.vivaciti.net) states that it does not block any ports or shape traffic. P2P connections are allowed across their network.

* I'm using a single ADSL connection and my ISP provides a single fixed public IP for me.

I can reach the stage of finding a game and then waiting for other players. However, the connection info states that all players have yet to connect to each other.

Is there anything else I can try? Of note, I can play Supreme Commander without a hitch. Doesn't it also use P2P for multiplayer connectivity?

Cheers

Onix

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I even put my router on DMZ once and it still cant work, yup checked with my ISP too no prob on their side lol i suppose its just the way this game system is mapped, which is in a mess.

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Might as well throw these 2 cents in, whenever that 1% comes along where I'm connecting to the players please wait... I check out the Connection Status thingy at the bottom right. Generally I'm connected to 2 people confirmed, yet some people aren't connected to me, some aren't connected to other people totally.

So it makes me think perhaps in this case i'm fine, everyone else is not. That still doesn't explain why generally I have the "Attempt to Connect Failed" error.

Also, double checked my ports, they are forwarded (or so says portforward.com's lil app)

My ISP bellsouth does not throttle P2P, I have uPnP disabled for both routers. All systems should be GO!

Alas, they are not

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I guess we are just unlucky ... seriously did everything i could already well my ISP was a total dork probally didnt even know what a simple internet connection was so i didnt get a clear ans from them, just might be the ISP prob if so then theres kinda nothing to be done ... unless change of ISP or they scrap this dumb system and make a sever based infrastructure.

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Just played my first game =D

here's what I did, and it worked tihs time (may have been luck)

First at Portforward go and download their portforwardportchecker it's on their main page.

Second, test ports 6101-6125 make sure all pass. If they don't forward those ports correctly (as to how you can find it AT portforward.com)

now, go to where you installed Demigod usually it's:

DRIVE>Program Files>Stardock Games>Demigod>bin

In the "bin" folder there's an exe called ImpulseReactorOptions. Click it and change Specify NAT port range. for the Start port box use 6101, and for end port use 6125. Truth is the ports can be arbitrary as long as they're within 6100-6200, are truly open (use the portfoward tool), and the endport has the be +20 more than the start port. I did that and what it just made connecting between me and other players MUCH faster if not immediate. I got into a lobby within 10 seconds and another minute the lobby was full 3v3. The game was seamless. I can truly say it's paid for itself now with that one game

EDIT: I typo'd the ports to be forwarded to the router, as well as inputted into the ImpulseReactorOptions (lysdexia ftl) These ports will ALWAYS be UDP.

Also, uPnP is always finnicky and I always recommend keeping it off =\. If you set up the portforwarding properly there is no need for uPnP.

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Why do you have to check ports 1601-1625 and is it UDP / TCP ?? whats the use in forwarding these 2 ports ?? and what exactly do i have to key in for the port fowarding 6101 and 6125 ?? or 6100 and 6200 ?? lastly, in the bin impulsefile thingy i have to change it to 6101 and 6125 eh ?

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Quoting hypersuper,

reply 19

I think there is a typo in Ragedemonz post. I'm pretty sure he forwarded 6101 - 6125 on his router, not 1601 - 1625. Like he says though, as long as as you open up 20 ports in the 6100 to 6200 range (and Demigod's settings are changed to reflect that), it should work.

Would it be worth noting the make and model of our respective routers?

I'm on a Dlink DGL 4300

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can someone explain why upnp doesn't just pick up and forward the right ports when you go to play? (on a 'modern' router that is)? Why do you need to turn it off?

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I think its the bloody stupid mcafee firewall im using even if i disable it, its still on ...... any ideas on how i can get rid of it without uninstalling ?

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Quoting hypersuper,

reply 22

I think its the bloody stupid mcafee firewall im using even if i disable it, its still on ...... any ideas on how i can get rid of it without uninstalling ?

Right click on My Computer and select 'Manage'.

On the left hand column, select 'Services and Applications'.

Open up 'Services'

Look through the list for any entries that refer to McAphee. Right click on them and select stop.

If you reboot your PC after doing the above, the services will start running again.

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Ok its not my virus software problem something to do with the router i fowarded all ports but still cant seem to check it as opened.

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I don't see what's wrong with a host/client system... it works just fine for DotA. This is not a FPS - 200-300ms of lag is perfectly fine.

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SUPPORT: Solving Connectivity Problems

Tips and Tricks

Frogboy