Topic: I can't play anymore.... (Read 3910 times)

Forgetful_Duck · « **on:** September 09, 2005, 11:30:55 pm »

Hi, i used to play on Alternate B server nearly maybe... 11 months ago? or less.
I had dialup back then and i JUST got the game working at the time, some of u i remember still here, helped me make the game work before.

Now i've got ADSL.... on a 4port modem/router.
Same old problem all over again. Starting direct play host..... 90....60...30..... using different ip..... No aval....
I am behind NAT, and have port forwarded ALL ports to my machine, Ive set ZONE ALARM on Medium secutiry level which WORKed back when i had dialup.

I now also have Norton Anti Virus 2005, and tried disabling Internet Worm Protection even though ive set all ALLOW connections to SFC3.

What now? I thought port forwarding ALL the ports to my machine would definitly work but it seems not to....

Im stuck.... help. Also ive disabled windows XP firewall.
Also my ISP runs a transparent proxy, but ive entered my REAL world IP (WAN) into the game and it still says it cant find me even though ive reduced security to barely anything.

Bonk · « **Reply #1 on:** September 10, 2005, 08:52:01 am »

Ack! Disable both the windows firewall and Zonalarm (having both running at any time can produce completely unpredicatable network behaviour), also disable Norton entirely, add the ipaddress line for your current IP address to SCF.ini as described in other threads, and reboot then try to login.

If you insist on running software firewalls and the like then you must also allow permissions for the "directplay helper" and is allowing pings.

Make sure your router is allowing pings from the WAN side in addition to forwarding the appropriate ports (2302, 2303 and 6073 for SFC3 as I recall)

Ask a friend to ping your public IP address, if he gets no reply then it is no fault of SFC. (make sure their firewall and router will allow pings of course...)

Forgetful_Duck · « **Reply #2 on:** September 10, 2005, 08:09:53 pm »

My windows firewall IS disabled, and in case it really isn't i've ste the appropriate settings for it anyway, but im very sure it isn't on because the box sayign what it is protecting is unchecked for my LAN-HIGH SPEED internet connection. Only my back up dialup is checked.

In the past, say early this year i played SFC3 on alternate B with Zone alarm on, MEdium setting allows sharing of resources but cannot change my files etc, so im 100% sure medium setting works and allows the game to run.

Pings.... now thats a different matter, i remembered not allowing those on my router. Which i will delve into now.
I checked my zone alarm, directplay8 and helper thing is both set to allow, norton antivirus worm protection also manual configerd to allow firectplay8 and the helper and SFC3 all pass to the internet and In to my PC.

Now il just have to check out this ping thing....

Forgetful_Duck · « **Reply #3 on:** September 10, 2005, 08:44:02 pm »

No Go

Ive come to shut down ZA and disabled the auto protect stuff on norton, forwarded the ports as usual, set BehindNAT=1 in the .ini file which automatically detects the outside IP and uses it, still no use.
Ive checked the security settings on my router, its set to allow pings from WAN.

this blows, they should of made the game NAT compatible, its not that old. Even AOE2:Conqs works online.

Bonk · « **Reply #4 on:** September 10, 2005, 09:05:16 pm »

Quote from: Forgetful_Duck on September 10, 2005, 08:44:02 pm

No Go

Ive come to shut down ZA and disabled the auto protect stuff on norton, forwarded the ports as usual, set BehindNAT=1 in the .ini file which automatically detects the outside IP and uses it, still no use.
Ive checked the security settings on my router, its set to allow pings from WAN.

this blows, they should of made the game NAT compatible, its not that old. Even AOE2:Conqs works online.

It is NAT compatible. I have logged into the D3 from behind my Linksys router no problems. Do not use the BehindNAT=1 setting, but use the IPAddress= line as described here:
http://www.dynaverse.net/forum/index.php/topic,163344600.msg1122438939.html#msg1122438939
and change the entry when your public IP address changes

Forward ports 2302,2303 and 6073 to a static IP address on your LAN where your SFC3 client is installed.

Also, DO NOT run the windows firewall (on any connection) and ZoneAlarm in the same windows session, or it will screw with your networking badly... Try disabling both altogether and reboot and see if you can login. Then turn only one of them back on to see the effect, but I strongly advise against it. Software firewewalls can only add lag and multiplayer instability. You are already behind a router, a software firewall is redundant.

Forgetful_Duck · « **Reply #5 on:** September 10, 2005, 10:42:09 pm »

WHats the point....

I tried playing in single player and whenever i hit READY on a mission the game crashes.

I ahve version 1.01 5...soemthing b version, not this c one, and alternate B mod installed.

I rememeber i could fix it by deleting somehting... forgot what.

Bonk · « **Reply #6 on:** September 11, 2005, 07:15:13 am »

Hey, there's always Orion Pirates!

(I was extremely grossed out by SFC3 for other reasons, but I am nice about it as many enjoy it...)
Come over to the dark side... hehehe.

To login to the Dynaverse on Orion Pirates - short version

Bonk · « **Reply #7 on:** September 11, 2005, 07:29:07 am »

An additional note about SFC3 and (SFC2): They differ from other games in that all the other players that you must be able to connect to are not known when you login, and cannot be known. (drafting) Thus the need for the firewall detector. Considerably different from most other games.

Forgetful_Duck · « **Reply #8 on:** September 11, 2005, 07:47:50 am »

huh? Fire wall detector, ive lost you...

Bonk · « **Reply #9 on:** September 11, 2005, 09:00:36 am »

Its serverside stuff, dont worry about it. The access server detects wheter or not you have a firewall up before you login so that you can be drafted or draft reliably. Related to SFC and NAT but not directly to your issue...yet...

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