Developers! Please read and respond - connection issue

neilm86

<div class="IPBDescription">This issue needs addressing</div>Hi,

Since release I have been on the UWE and steam forums, trying to help people with connection issues.

A lot of people are experiencing an issue in which they can connect to a server but almost immediately time out and get the red ethernet cable indicator. They are not losing there internet connection and the server is not crashing, it is an issue on there end.

This fix seems to help some people:

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8YiopTocPk" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8YiopTocPk</a>

It involves changing telnet settings which, I think, opens ports (I'm am not technically minded and dont pretend to know anything of the problem or the fix)

As i said, this seems to help some people, but others are unable to access telnet or there ISP blocks it and are currently completely unable to resolve this issue.

Can you please update me on this and maybe explain what the problem is?

My brother is also suffering from this and has been unable to play the game since he pre-ordered around a year ago.

Also, Sky broadband customers have had a recenet firmware upgrade on there modem which is causing them to be unable to connect as well:

<a href="http://bskyb.lithium.com/t5/Sky-Broadband-Gaming/The-Cause-of-the-High-Pings-TS3-etc-issues/td-p/529736" target="_blank">http://bskyb.lithium.com/t5/Sky-Broadband-...ues/td-p/529736</a>

I appreciate you are very busy but a response to this would be very much appreciated.

Thanks

mlykke

Yeah it would be nice to hear something from the devs on this matter. I'm having this problem and the only way I can play this game is by typing retry in the console after I've timed out on a server. it seems to let me stay on a server if I join it this way

neilm86

I think (heard) it might hve something to do with UDP flooding as well?!

kiwii

I got the exact same issue. Not just with NS2, but with alot of steam games and games requiring an open NAT type (assassins creed and the cod series). But weirdly enough, when i join an NS2 game trough a friend it doesnt dc me and i can play fine :S.

neilm86

kiwii i think there is an issue with UDP packet flooding caused by server browser refreshing, sounds like you might have this as by joining through a friend you do not have to get server list.

Might wanna try this website to browse and join servers to circumvent having to refresh server browser:

<a href="http://hypernovadesign.co.uk/nanogrid/" target="_blank">http://hypernovadesign.co.uk/nanogrid/</a>

xStahl

I'm having the same issue with the red connection icon and timeout the link from Neilm86 totally works so it must be UDP flooding like he described I have no idea what that is though. :D

TheCarbster

I appreciate the help Neil, on an update to do with SKY customers... they are aware of the problem it has been there for a few months now and were rolling back the software on peoples routers but recently they have stopped doing this and have decided to wait for a fix/update. How long this is going to be who knows but the massive forum post on the sky forums really worries me. I'm definitely changing ISP's when my contract ends though thats for sure.

The weird thing is many of my games work and other people on different ISP's in different countries are having the same issues. NS2 is the first ive had trouble with due to this problem so if the developers could find anyway to fix this then that would be fantastic!!

TheCarbster

bump

kiwii

so far connecting via the nanogrid site helped me, so i gues it is the UDP flooding thing you were talking about.
thanks alot :F still makes me wonder what happends in games without server browsers like AC, COD and L4D..

IronHorse

I passed this onto our lead programmer yesterday and he said he'd look into it as possibly being the reason for disconnects.
Thanks!

neilm86

Thank you ironhorse

iKoyy

Hello guys,

I am currently experiencing the same issue. I would like to add precisions.

Symptoms : Whatever server I join : loading is OK. But one connected to the server I don't even have the time to select the side I wanna join that I get this red icon indicating a connection issue.

I was able to play on November the 1st. I think the issue is linked to the last build released (228) though I'm not sure.

I tried various things and stuff. I am in France using Bouygues Telecom ISP on a Windows 8 Pro computer. I opened both UDP/TCP 27015-27016 ports and 23/8023 to enable telnet but my box does not allow telnet connections to it even though I allowed traffic through the telnet port. I installed the game on my girlfriend's laptop (Windows 7) same network but using WIFI : same problem.

Also tried a few things found on these boards like changing the steam max pings settings or browsing servers on <a href="http://hypernovadesign.co.uk/nanogrid/" target="_blank">http://hypernovadesign.co.uk/nanogrid/</a> without success.

I hope you will find a solution asap. I was a bit depressed not beeing able to play for the entire week end :'(

Cheers

Murtaugh

I have the same issue as iKoyy, its fine until I start playing and it was working on November 1st, but not anymore. I live in the United States and I have a Linksys WRT54GL router, and disabling the firewall/unblocking all the ports did not work. When I bypass the router entirely I can play fine with no connection problems.

IronHorse

<!--quoteo(post=2010246:date=Nov 4 2012, 02:45 PM:name=iKoyy)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (iKoyy @ Nov 4 2012, 02:45 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=2010246"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->but my box does not allow telnet connections to it even though I allowed traffic through the telnet port.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Theres your problem right there, then, id say

IronHorse

<!--quoteo(post=2010266:date=Nov 4 2012, 02:56 PM:name=Murtaugh)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Murtaugh @ Nov 4 2012, 02:56 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=2010266"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->When I bypass the router entirely I can play fine with no connection problems.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
There ya go then :-P

Somethings up with your router..
<a href="http://www.unknownworlds.com/ns2/forums/index.php?showtopic=123383" target="_blank">another thread started here</a> talks about more ports to open that ns2 needs..
Try it out just in case.

neilm86

Ironhorse, its not an issue with the router, this problem is not isolated to a few people here there are A LOT of people with this issue and the game needs to change to allow people to connect. Or are you expecting people to change ISPs to be allowed to play the game?

iKoyy

neilm86 is right. NS2 is the only game I have issues with. I the game cannot work without telnet or anything just tell us precisely what is the matter when you are sure.

As much as I searched for them, I could not find the official and exhaustive list of all the ports used by NS2 which should be a sticky on the support forum...(just saying)

There is no way I buy another router or switch ISP to play NS2 even if I am interested in the game and have already payed for it. This is a 1 game issue so I expect support or changes on that specific game.

TheCarbster

bump red plug issue

iKoyy

I wish someone could give us updates.

I played once on the first day and since I am spending days on forums trying to find a solution without success. This is getting long.

IronHorse

I'm not saying the game can't be changed to accommodate.
But I am saying obviously your router is the source of the issue.

It would be more helpful to narrow down the cause and Isolate whats causing the router to not play nice with ns2 over just saying "its the game, fix it." Info can help find a fix, you see?

diagnose it further, murtaugh, I say. Dmz it, check nat settings etc.

Sheepish

Ok, so i have a BT homehub v2 and have the same problem (unplugged ethernet symbol). The exact same problem happens on Red orchestra 2 and there is a simple fix on RO2 which is to type reconnect into the console and it fixes the problem for the remainder of the time on that server.

Anybody know of a reconnect command on NS2?

Wilson

Try "retry" in console.

Sheepish

seems to get me an "authentication failed" error.

Sheepish

ok so this retry command works sometimes, better than not at all.

FunkyMike

@Ironhorse

Several people have noticed their internet connection getting cut but being left on for steam because of some form of flooding that NS2 does. (ie. IE, mIRC, etc etc)

Has this been taken into consideration at all?! I have seen several people report this on steam and on the forums.

TheCarbster

bump :/ given up on NS..

TheCarbster

Noticed they might be releasing a fix for red plug of doom, if the developers actually fix this so we can all play then wow much cake is deserved!

On a note when i get the red plug of doom and i type retry in console it can never reconnect, "Cant establish connection to server"

Cee Colon Slash

What's been working for me (specifically to counter the UDP flooding which has reset my router):

<a href="https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=5623-QOSV-5250" target="_blank">https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article...=5623-QOSV-5250</a>

Short version: add the -tcp launch option to the steam shortcut. Forces a TCP connection to Steam rather than UDP. Don't ask me the difference.

Please note: this is a steam problem, not a NS2 problem.

dvide

<!--quoteo(post=2013177:date=Nov 6 2012, 09:32 PM:name=Sheepish)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Sheepish @ Nov 6 2012, 09:32 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=2013177"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->ok so this retry command works sometimes, better than not at all.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Just keeping trying it until it works. My guess is that on the server side it needs to wait for you to timeout before it'll let you back in.

There might be an <a href="http://steamcommunity.com/app/4920/discussions/0/864950181814251921/#c864950181827464155" target="_blank">easier way</a> though:

<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Issue isn't really fixed, but this kludgy workaround worked for me:

1. Favorite the server I want to join [star on the left-hand side]
2. Join and inevitably timeout
3. Go back to server browser, sort by favorite, join the same server a second time
4. It stays connected this time

Just played a couple full games.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
My intuition is that you could probably skip step 2, but you might need to close the server browser and re-open it again. I can't test it myself though because I already fixed my own Thomson router. You should try doing that first if you haven't already:
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8YiopTocPk" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8YiopTocPk</a>
<a href="http://forums.tripwireinteractive.com/showpost.php?p=516832&postcount=4" target="_blank">http://forums.tripwireinteractive.com/show...amp;postcount=4</a>

Some Thomson routers/ISPs don't allow you telnet access, so those unfortunate people will have to use annoying workarounds like this one, or the 'retry' until it works method.

The issue with the Thomson routers is semi-explained <a href="http://forums.tripwireinteractive.com/showpost.php?p=682366&postcount=121" target="_blank">here</a>. It's not to do with forwarding ports, because you shouldn't need to do that anyway if you're just connecting to a server. Hosting your own server is when you need to forward ports, to allow incoming connections. This is just some faulty rule on the router that is probably trying to do something clever (don't know what), but ends up messing up and timing out after 60 seconds, and Thomson apparently won't fix it or acknowledge responsibility.

Diago

BUMP this thread, I have a similar issue. Joining a server inevitably timeouts, but I don't ever see the red plug of death like other users do. Also this problem is only present <i>some days</i>(???) and not others.

Using the -tcp launch option does not resolve the issue.

Retrying from the console yields a different error, eg. "Could not establish a connection".

What do?

neilm86

Interested to know if latest patch has solved any of these issues??