#1 2017-12-31 00:58:44

ziba128
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Can't connect to servers because of router?

Hello,
I've got a router with coaxial input from my new ISP. Internet and multiplayer in BF3 (used for checking) work fine, but BF1942 multiplayer doesn't.
Server info in server list refreshes successfully, but when I try to connect to any server "Failed to connect to server" happens.
I've googled it, seems like the router blocks ports used by BF1942. So I tried to do port forwarding (and port triggering also later):

Tr3-nDN3o_0.jpg

dyga6q-siE8.jpg
192.168.1.10 is my PC IP in local network.
No luck.
There is one more problem - I can't check what ports are opened, both PFPortChecker and port-checking websites show that every port is closed (22, 23, 53, 67 etc.; but I'm not sure if they should be opened really - is there one always opened to check?).
So it's impossible to determine a real cause of this.
Also it's not possible to connect a PC to Ethernet directly, there is a coaxial cable only in the room, and it's connected to router input (as I said at the beginning of post).
Router is Sagemcom F@st 3686.
Help much appreciated.

Last edited by ziba128 (2017-12-31 01:33:49)

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#2 2017-12-31 09:07:06

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Re: Can't connect to servers because of router?

...

To play only on servers you don't need to open any special ports i thought.

Ya, normally it's Port Forwarding instead of triggering.

Is your IP in the BanList?

For a test you can Enable DMZ and disable Firewall in the router, just only for a test, Dude. Set it back later, otherwise your 65000 doors are all open.

...

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#3 2017-12-31 10:08:24

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Re: Can't connect to servers because of router?

Arkos wrote:

...

To play only on servers you don't need to open any special ports i thought.

Ya, normally it's Port Forwarding instead of triggering.

Is your IP in the BanList?

For a test you can Enable DMZ and disable Firewall in the router, just only for a test, Dude. Set it back later, otherwise your 65000 doors are all open.

...


Arkos is correct the ports only need to be opened if you are trying to run a server, your issue seems to point to an incorrect version number.
Is this a fresh installation of the game?

Last edited by (BB)DinkW (2017-12-31 10:10:23)

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#4 2017-12-31 11:01:49

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Re: Can't connect to servers because of router?

Best way is creating a local server on your pc and then connecting to it to check if ports are open or not then you can  enable DMZ and check if it works or not , also check  inbound outbound rules af firewall settings ,

Btw you have telegram you can send me pm there wink

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#5 2017-12-31 13:58:41

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Re: Can't connect to servers because of router?

Try to disable your Windows firewall temporary. If it works, then you have to enable your firewall back and create the rules for these ports. Don't forget the rules in your firewall have three profiles: local network, VPN and Internet. I am not sure from the first post of this thread what are you trying to do. Are you trying to run BF1942 server on your PC or what?

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#6 2017-12-31 16:24:18

ziba128
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Re: Can't connect to servers because of router?

Thank you for your replies.
To make it clear: I moved to another location with new ISP. Before it I played almost every day through Wi-Fi of another ISP. Nothing connected with the game has changed since that time.
Moreover, today I made a test - I tethered Wi-Fi from my phone, and everything worked fine, I played on Simple a bit.

So, the problem is in router/connection settings/whatever. Again - server browser in game refreshes when pressing the button.
At first I thought ports aren't needed for playing too, but I googled the problem and found a lot of mentions about it

https://www.google.com/search?newwindow … cn2O6tFarA

And there are many people telling that closed ports can cause such a problem. I don't know much about it so I'm not sure if it's true.

Arkos wrote:

...
Is your IP in the BanList?
For a test you can Enable DMZ and disable Firewall in the router, just only for a test, Dude. Set it back later, otherwise your 65000 doors are all open.
...

I can't connect to any server so it's not a ban.
Also I can't find router firewall settings, this is all related with firewall.

2m-XxwYh8Gk.jpg

ABAS wrote:

Best way is creating a local server on your pc and then connecting to it to check if ports are open or not then you can  enable DMZ and check if it works or not , also check  inbound outbound rules af firewall settings ,

You can create a server and connect to it even if you don't have any LAN/WLAN connection at all. Anyway, I did it, server IP was 192.168.1.10, could connect to it normally.
Enabled DMZ didn't do the trick.

nämeless wrote:

Try to disable your Windows firewall temporary. If it works, then you have to enable your firewall back and create the rules for these ports. Don't forget the rules in your firewall have three profiles: local network, VPN and Internet. I am not sure from the first post of this thread what are you trying to do. Are you trying to run BF1942 server on your PC or what?

I've disabled Windows firewall completely, and nothing has changed.
I just try to play. Can't connect to any server.

Last edited by ziba128 (2017-12-31 16:27:49)

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#7 2017-12-31 17:06:24

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Re: Can't connect to servers because of router?

ziba128 wrote:
nämeless wrote:

Try to disable your Windows firewall temporary. If it works, then you have to enable your firewall back and create the rules for these ports. Don't forget the rules in your firewall have three profiles: local network, VPN and Internet. I am not sure from the first post of this thread what are you trying to do. Are you trying to run BF1942 server on your PC or what?

I've disabled Windows firewall completely, and nothing has changed.
I just try to play. Can't connect to any server.

If you can share your 4G via mobile wifi hotspot and connect the server with no problem, I think you have to ask your new ISP if they block some ports or not.

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#8 2017-12-31 19:05:01

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Re: Can't connect to servers because of router?

...

Not even 1 server is going? Do you use VPN or wrong version?

...

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#9 2017-12-31 19:23:19

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Re: Can't connect to servers because of router?

When you open game what version number is displayed in the bottom left corner of the server browser window?

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#10 2017-12-31 19:50:18

ziba128
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Re: Can't connect to servers because of router?

Arkos wrote:

Not even 1 server is going? Do you use VPN or wrong version?

(BB)DinkW wrote:

When you open game what version number is displayed in the bottom left corner of the server browser window?

Well, as I wrote

ziba128 wrote:

To make it clear: I moved to another location with new ISP. Before it I played almost every day through Wi-Fi of another ISP. Nothing connected with the game has changed since that time.
Moreover, today I made a test - I tethered Wi-Fi from my phone, and everything worked fine, I played on Simple a bit.

hmm

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#11 2017-12-31 20:23:44

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Re: Can't connect to servers because of router?

I made a test server with non standard ports you can try (33333). If it works its your ISP that is blocking some ports.

ziba.jpg

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#12 2017-12-31 21:04:01

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Re: Can't connect to servers because of router?

bud wrote:

I made a test server with non standard ports you can try (33333). If it works its your ISP that is blocking some ports.

Wow, thanks, bud!
Result:
5wb43-zy2pI.jpg

nämeless wrote:

If you can share your 4G via mobile wifi hotspot and connect the server with no problem, I think you have to ask your new ISP if they block some ports or not.

Thanks, nameless. I think I'll try to contact my ISP if no one helps me.

Last edited by ziba128 (2017-12-31 21:37:39)

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#13 2018-01-02 06:38:51

bud
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Re: Can't connect to servers because of router?

Check if there is any Bridged_mode you can try out (google), it might be that the router part has some NAT problems.

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#14 2018-01-02 14:14:40

ziba128
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Re: Can't connect to servers because of router?

bud wrote:

Check if there is any Bridged_mode you can try out (google), it might be that the router part has some NAT problems.

Seems like there is no bridge mode in my router... Also in NAT section there is only this:
XsQ_Fqq9DB0.jpg

Found firewall settings, everything is turned off
diSMK4Kq0p0.jpg

Last edited by ziba128 (2018-01-02 14:33:04)

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#15 2018-01-02 15:02:42

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Re: Can't connect to servers because of router?

...

If you can play any other game online without problems, then there is no reason why 1942 is not working except, except...

There was a case, that when you login to a server, while the map changes, it can orrupt somehow the router.

Try a restart otherwise a reset. (You see those yellow Buttons on your last pic?)

But you should save all custom settings somewhere, by BackupFunction from your router or at Screenshot. (If you have custom settings.

...

Last edited by Arkos (2018-01-02 15:03:08)

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#16 2018-01-02 15:38:33

ziba128
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Re: Can't connect to servers because of router?

Arkos wrote:

...
If you can play any other game online without problems, then there is no reason why 1942 is not working except, except...
There was a case, that when you login to a server, while the map changes, it can orrupt somehow the router.
Try a restart otherwise a reset. (You see those yellow Buttons on your last pic?)
But you should save all custom settings somewhere, by BackupFunction from your router or at Screenshot. (If you have custom settings.
...

I've changed all possible settings related with network already so router has been rebooted like 20 times. Hard reset was done today as well. I'd check if some other games work but I don't have any except BF1942, BF3 and BF1

Last edited by ziba128 (2018-01-02 16:08:25)

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#17 2018-01-03 01:01:18

ziba128
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Re: Can't connect to servers because of router?

Just bought Counter-Strike with addons in Steam for $0.41 (lol), and also remembered that I have War Thunder installed - all of them work fine in multiplayer.
Anyway, thanks everyone trying to help me, now it's time to harass ISP

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#18 2018-01-03 01:33:36

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Re: Can't connect to servers because of router?

Never shown or mentioned, so just to confirm: That "Port Blocking" page we can see the tab for in your router's web interface has an empty list of things, and doesn't show some default entry that even "reset to factory defaults" wouldn't have eliminated?

If it ends up helping in your investigation, if you want to PM me what your current public IP address is, I'd be happy to LAN trace my server to see if any port 14567 traffic is actually making it out through your connection.  i.e. Determine whether it's an issue of the game traffic simply never escaping your router, or never escaping your ISP, and therefore never reaches the public servers.  Or -- if we do see your traffic in the LAN trace at this end -- whether it's an issue of the traffic not being allowed "back in" when the public server does actually respond to you.

Note I do assume that you're seeing non-9999 pings for the servers you're able to successfully "Update" in the Multiplayer list, which confirms that port 23000 is able to both send and receive at your end.  Never played Counter-Strike, but Google suggests to me that their default game port is also in the 23000 range, FWIW.

-Trench

EDIT: English double not negatives.

Last edited by Trench (2018-01-03 01:38:26)

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#19 2018-01-04 03:09:45

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Re: Can't connect to servers because of router?

The LAN trace confirms that ziba128's UDP port 14567 traffic is making it out of his ISP and to the public servers, and the public servers are responding to him.  But his BF1942 game client just repeats the initial negation packet three times and then gives up, as though the server replies shown in the LAN trace are simply never seen by the BF1942 game client.  So apparently some kind of inbound traffic block, or inadvertent inbound traffic drop at the ISP or the router.

ziba128 also confirmed that the Port Blocking tab does not show any default or defined blocks that are active.

-Trench

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#20 2018-01-05 22:39:48

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Re: Can't connect to servers because of router?

We did try with another server ports,  37.187.19.136:33333:44444  cant imagine those to blocked by ISP? Weird tho as it works with the mobile phone internet.

Checked the port the game binds to on my computer just for curiosity (connected to server), and got this (every possible IP or Loopback?). Dunno if this is praxis for all games.
-
bf42_loopback.jpg

Last edited by bud (2018-01-05 22:43:40)

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#21 2018-01-06 17:04:37

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Re: Can't connect to servers because of router?

Something really weird is going on.
I called ISP, they said "external IP" service should be a solution. I activated it, all ports now can be checked via PFPortChecker - they are all opened (UDP - 14567, 14690, 23000-23009, TCP - 28900).
And guess what? Still nothing works, fuсking "Failed to connect to server", that's all!
BUT (see below)

bud wrote:

We did try with another server ports,  37.187.19.136:33333:44444  cant imagine those to blocked by ISP? Weird tho as it works with the mobile phone internet.

Checked the port the game binds to on my computer just for curiosity (connected to server), and got this (every possible IP or Loopback?). Dunno if this is praxis for all games.
-
http://bfo.pm/pic/bf42_loopback.jpg

I tried to check that earlier and discovered that the game uses port numbers like that for some purpose. Today I decided to make another investigation and look those ports range with Port Finder.
During around 30 attempts of detecting the port number I managed to connect to different servers 3 times, but there were no 2 consecutive successful attempts. When it happened first, I got stuck because nothing had changed since previous failed attempt, I just closed and opened the game.
Here's a list of ports I got (2 of 3 succesfull attempts, the 3rd one was when I tried to join the game without Port Finder running):

udp: 65142-65143
udp: 65273-65283,65287
udp: 53510,53844 - success
udp: 56792
udp: 52202
udp: 55282
udp: 55284
udp: 51380
udp: 55793
udp: 55795
udp: 63985
udp: 52565
udp: 58864
udp: 50709
udp: 62199-62202,62205,62207-62209,62211
udp: 62213,62217,59564 - success
udp: 60324,60327
udp: 60328-60329
udp: 52323-52334
udp: 49267-49268
udp: 54684-54685
udp: 59902
udp: 56690
udp: 62513

I have no idea what these ports are, why do they have different number and why are they needed. Anyway, I tried to add the whole range (50000 - 65535) to Port Forwarding list but that changed nothing.
This bullshit is driving me insane big_smile

Last edited by ziba128 (2018-01-06 17:21:34)

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#22 2018-01-06 17:41:37

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Re: Can't connect to servers because of router?

Managed to join Simple right now on 4th attempt, lol
Edit: the game crashed, took 17 times to reconnect

Last edited by ziba128 (2018-01-06 18:01:04)

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#23 2018-01-06 21:07:16

Trench
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Re: Can't connect to servers because of router?

ziba128 wrote:
bud wrote:

Checked the port the game binds to on my computer just for curiosity (connected to server), and got this (every possible IP or Loopback?). Dunno if this is praxis for all games.

I tried to check that earlier and discovered that the game uses port numbers like that for some purpose.

This is actually normal, and is how IP communication always works over UDP and TCP.  The application (Battlefield 1942 in this case) is connecting to a "well known port" of the server such as 14567.  That's the port you're sending to.  The port your local computer uses to send that communication -- meaning the local port the server will see this communication as coming from -- is actually what's referred to as "an ephemeral port number", which simply means "an unused, available local port number."  These will typically be from the high end of the 65535 port range, since well known services live in the lower port numbers.

So think of it like making a phone call.  You're calling the Battlefield 1942 server (port 14567), but your phone call is coming from somewhere, and your local computer "randomly" assigned an available local port number such as 55984 for making that call.  Or, go find someone who has made a better explanation.

With regard to bud's observation of the application binding to address 0.0.0.0, that's typically the representation of INADDR_ANY or "unspecified address", meaning the application has no desire or intention to bind to "just a specific one of the available local network interfaces", and instead is happy to use any of them (for sending ) or all of them (for listening).

ziba128 wrote:

Something really weird is going on.  I called ISP, they said "external IP" service should be a solution. I activated it, all ports now can be checked via PFPortChecker - they are all opened (UDP - 14567, 14690, 23000-23009, TCP - 28900).  And guess what? Still nothing works, fuсking "Failed to connect to server", that's all!

Well, you certainly still needed to try their "external IP" service as a possible solution.   But it sounds like this alone wasn't the root cause.  Or at least, that you'll need to understand more about what the "external IP" service is actually providing, before being able to make a conclusion about whether it's necessary to keep or not.

The key point for me -- based on the screen shots you had posted -- was that you had simply disabled the router's firewall, even if just for troubleshooting purposes.  The other configurations -- Port Forwarding, Port Triggering -- are unnecessary for this situation, but there was no harm in doing them either.  You shouldn't have to disable the firewall on your router, but doing so eliminated the major source of "variable decisions within the router itself for allowing traffic to pass."

Now that you have the "external IP service" from your ISP, what exactly do you "have" or see that is different?  Meaning is there a new web page in your ISP account you have access to where you have new controls, or is there just "nothing different" at your end and they simply say you "have it"?  Since it's a service provided by your ISP and not a VPN service or similar, I'm not exactly sure what "external IP service" from your ISP really means in technical terms.

If you can describe whatever you know about this new service that is now in the mix, we can try and decide from there what configuration or troubleshooting might make the most sense to perform next.

One generic thing I might try at this point, with the unknown "external IP service" now added to the mix, is to simply reset the router to factory defaults again, to erase all the attempts at troubleshooting and explicit port configuration, and get back to the default "we want this to work for our customers when they turn on the router" defaults.  i.e. Firewall will be back on, port forwarding list will be empty, etc.

-Trench


Just to provide some background (you can skip this until later if desired):

Let me start by saying "what normally allows you to play after simply installing your Internet service and turning it on" is the firewall.  Not the fact that you explicitly "open ports" through your router.  There isn't anything wrong with opening ports through the router, but typically that's a "required" activity because you intend to run a server behind your router, and not just a game client.

Firewalls differ in both functionality and defaults depending on who made them, but a typical "this needs to work for the customer by default, out of the box" firewall configuration is going to allow by default any "outbound communication" attempt.  Meaning when your Battlefield 1942 game client attempts to send from port 57813 (or any other local ephemeral port) to port 14567 of a public game server, the firewall allows this outbound communication because there is no rule blocking "outbound communication attempts to port 14567."

And the firewall then allows replies to that communication, at least for a period of time, since responses coming "back from the server's 14567 port to the local ephemeral port" are now expected by the firewall too, because it had allowed the outbound communication.  So a firewall that intends to work "out of the box" without configuration will simply "work" in this scenario, because the outbound communication was allowed by default, and replies were allowed in response to the outbound communication.

That's in contrast to "unsolicited inbound communication."  (Unsolicited meaning "not in response to a previous outbound communication.")  Typically by default inbound communication is blocked by default.  If you're running a Battlefield 1942 server on your computer, although the server might have opened up the necessary ports in your local Windows machine's firewall to allow inbound communication, your ISP's router/gateway likely still blocks such inbound communication by default.

That is when the "opening ports on your router" becomes necessary, because you need to allow any random, unsolicited inbound communication to port 14567 and port 23000, in order to allow game clients around the world to talk to your server.

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#24 2018-01-07 13:52:16

ziba128
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Re: Can't connect to servers because of router?

Thanks for such a detailed explanation, Trench. I feel a bit awkward because you put so much effort to help the noob big_smile

Trench wrote:

The key point for me -- based on the screen shots you had posted -- was that you had simply disabled the router's firewall, even if just for troubleshooting purposes.  The other configurations -- Port Forwarding, Port Triggering -- are unnecessary for this situation, but there was no harm in doing them either.  You shouldn't have to disable the firewall on your router, but doing so eliminated the major source of "variable decisions within the router itself for allowing traffic to pass."

No, I haven't changed anything there, all firewall settings are default, including "Firewall services" off.
Anyway, there are 3 possible states:
3Arq2fo90KY.jpg
Results:
Low - no difference;
Medium - no difference except game server browser showing 9999 and 28900 TCP port not available in PFPortChecker;
High - same as Medium.

Trench wrote:

Now that you have the "external IP service" from your ISP, what exactly do you "have" or see that is different?  Meaning is there a new web page in your ISP account you have access to where you have new controls, or is there just "nothing different" at your end and they simply say you "have it"?  Since it's a service provided by your ISP and not a VPN service or similar, I'm not exactly sure what "external IP service" from your ISP really means in technical terms.

Changes:
1) router IP has changed to that external one (see screenshot). It was 10.4.143.65 before;

dzTPgh0e1ug.jpg

2) now ports can be checked if they are opened or closed (using PFPortChecker for example).

Trench wrote:

One generic thing I might try at this point, with the unknown "external IP service" now added to the mix, is to simply reset the router to factory defaults again, to erase all the attempts at troubleshooting and explicit port configuration, and get back to the default "we want this to work for our customers when they turn on the router" defaults.  i.e. Firewall will be back on, port forwarding list will be empty, etc.

Done, no changes.

But still, I don't understand:
1) What else does the game need besides ports opened? Internet connection is active, ports are opened, they do work, firewall doesn't block them. What else???
2) Why is it possible to join a server on 17th attempt (for example, or just on 4th sometimes)?! What the hell is changing from one attempt to another when I don't even restart the game?! I thought those ephemeral ports can affect it in some way because it was the onliest thing I saw changing...

Last edited by ziba128 (2018-01-07 14:14:10)

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#25 2018-01-07 15:07:23

bud
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Re: Can't connect to servers because of router?

As Trench say, you dont need to open any ports in your firewall. It opens the right port that your game use because "the call out" is coming from your computer, so it already knows this connection is allowed. Or atleast thats how its supposed to work. It seems the game client often use ports between 500000 and 65535 so you could try open them (UDP only) just for checking (check manual for open a IP range)

Its a really weird problem because other game works, and also it works with phone internet.

I know some modem/routers use one of the outgoing ports special for television services, but that seems far fetched to. Maybe check for a firmware update?

edit: just to sure, you have the game set with compabillity mode and run as admin? i guess you have, but better ask once to much.

Last edited by bud (2018-01-07 15:10:42)

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#26 2018-01-07 17:47:11

ziba128
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Re: Can't connect to servers because of router?

bud wrote:

As Trench say, you dont need to open any ports in your firewall. It opens the right port that your game use because "the call out" is coming from your computer, so it already knows this connection is allowed. Or atleast thats how its supposed to work. It seems the game client often use ports between 500000 and 65535 so you could try open them (UDP only) just for checking (check manual for open a IP range)

Well, firewall "levels" (low - medium - high) do affect ports (see previous message). When it's disabled completely, all ports are available but only if they are added to Port Forwarding list. Also:

ziba128 wrote:

I have no idea what these ports are, why do they have different number and why are they needed. Anyway, I tried to add the whole range (50000 - 65535) to Port Forwarding list but that changed nothing.

...

bud wrote:

Its really weird problem because other game works, and also it works with phone internet.

That's for sure...

bud wrote:

I know some modem/routers use one of the outgoing ports special for television services, but that seems far fetched to. Maybe check for a firmware update?

Not sure if I'm eligible to change something in ISP's router but I'll look for the info.

bud wrote:

edit: just to sure, you have the game set with compabillity mode and run as admin? i guess you have, but better ask once to much.

No, I don't. Compatibility modes have some side effects on my laptop like scaling problems. Win XP SP3 compatibility mode even leads to "banned from server" message on all servers (not joking, I have no clue how the hell). By the way, couldn't it be related with current problem? Uhm...
I tried all compatibility/admin modes now though - no effect.

Last edited by ziba128 (2018-01-07 17:54:15)

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#27 2018-01-08 10:18:17

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Re: Can't connect to servers because of router?

ziba128 wrote:

No, I haven't changed anything there, all firewall settings are default, including "Firewall services" off.

Okay, understood now.  I assumed seeing "Firewall Services" set to "Off" was a troubleshooting step, and didn't think the router would use that as it's default configuration.  But "Off" is exactly what we wanted to test with, so that doesn't hurt us.

ziba128 wrote:

Changes:
1) router IP has changed to that external one (see screenshot). It was 10.4.143.65 before;

Ah, that makes sense now.  So before, we were "double-NATed", meaning we were going through the NAT in the router itself, but then also going through a NAT for the ISP service provider's own internal network, too.  Which isn't too unusual, and just reflects that the ISP doesn't have an abundance of public IPv4 addresses available, and so they only provide external addresses "on demand" when the customer requests them.

Now that you have the "external IP service" enabled, you're going though just a single NAT, the one that is built into the router.  And the issue connecting to Battlefield 1942 servers still exists, so we can rule out that the double-NAT of the ISP provider was the part of the issue.

ziba128 wrote:

But still, I don't understand:
1) What else does the game need besides ports opened? Internet connection is active, ports are opened, they do work, firewall doesn't block them. What else???

Indeed, that is the puzzling thing.  Our expectation here is that when your Battlefield 1942 game running on your computer at 192.168.1.10 makes a connection from, say, ephemeral port 57894 to port 14567 of the Team-SiMPLE or EA117 game server, the router's NAT (and Firewall) are already accounting for "and any replies that come back from port 14567 to port 57894 should be passed back to the computer at 19.168.1.10."  Not because you configured or enabled that, but because "that's what it means to be a NAT."

So you're not expected to have to "open port 57894 to allow inbound replies to the game traffic", nor can you predict that 57894 would even be the ephemeral port used, anyway.  That's supposed to be automatic behavior of the NAT, and allowed so long as it's not blocked by the firewall.

One thing this has me wondering: We confirmed using the EA117 server that replies are being sent back toward your ISP & router.  Might we want to confirm "Are those replies actually making it through your ISP & router, but are being rejected by your computer itself?  Versus whether those replies simply never make it past your ISP & router, and you computer never has opportunity to accept or reject them.

Have you ever used Wireshark?  Which is the LAN capture utility I used at this end to capture the traffic in and out of the server machine.  If you can run that on your machine, start a capture, and then minimize it, launch Battlefield 1942 and attempt to connect to a server, I wonder whether we'll see an absence of replies in that LAN trace.  (Which would mean the replies aren't getting back through your ISP and/or your router.)

Versus would we see that the replies ARE visible in the LAN trace, which means they're being rejected/blocked by some firewall or other IP filtering driver on your actual Windows machine itself.  Wireshark isn't too difficult of an application to drive; the "hard part" is the analysis of the actual captured LAN trace, but you can just email that if you're able to get it.

ziba128 wrote:

2) Why is it possible to join a server on 17th attempt (for example, or just on 4th sometimes)?! What the hell is changing from one attempt to another when I don't even restart the game?! I thought those ephemeral ports can affect it in some way because it was the onliest thing I saw changing...

Yeah, that too is an unexpected behavior.  Is as though either the NAT is working on occasion.  Or, as bud alluded to, maybe certain ones of the ephemeral port range are actually being "allowed" (not that this makes sense in context of NAT) and the game happens to work if and when the game happens to pick one of these "magic working local ephemeral port numbers."  That latter description makes no technical sense; there is no reason "only certain local ephemeral port numbers should have worked."

In trying to picture other possibilities for why "old ISP service worked" and "using my cell phone hotspot instead of my ISP still works", is it possibly some unforeseen difference in the network profile selected by Windows for your latest ISP-provided router connection?  e.g. Did Windows classify your previous old ISP connection as "Private", and also classifies your cell phone hotspot connection as "Private", but defaulted to classifying your new router's ISP connection as "Public"?  Or maybe vice-versa.

I'm hesitant to suggest that, because I can't think of a way for me to define a rule where "that's going to make a difference."  Because for example the Windows firewall, even if a rule no longer applies because the rule is defined for "Private network profiles only", the default for allowing outbound connections is still "allow them unless any rule exists to block them."  So even if the network profile is different, it still doesn't seem "likely" to me that this would be the difference.

However, I am familiar with Windows Firewall behaviors such as "on Public networks, inbound UDP traffic is only accepted from the local subnet", whereas on Private or Domain profile networks, it's allowed even from remote networks.  But I've only encountered that affecting things like BOOTP/DHCP traffic, and not application data.  But maybe it's worth looking at.

You can see the network profile in the Windows settings "Network & Internet settings".  The main page will show something like "Ethernet - Private network" or "Ethernet - Public network" in the pseudo-diagram of your network.  Once you see what profile its showing for your current "Ethernet" (ISP connection through your router), perhaps then connect your computer through your cell phone hotspot and see what Windows shows as the network profile (Public or Private) for the Internet connection through your cell phone.

If they are different profiles, then we should probably try making the Windows profile for your Ethernet / router ISP connection to be the same as whatever is working for how Windows classifies your cell phone hotspot, to see or rule out whether that's any part of the issue that is still occurring here.

-Trench

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#28 2018-01-08 19:40:04

bud
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Re: Can't connect to servers because of router?

ziba128 wrote:
bud wrote:

edit: just to sure, you have the game set with compabillity mode and run as admin? i guess you have, but better ask once to much.

No, I don't. Compatibility modes have some side effects on my laptop like scaling problems. Win XP SP3 compatibility mode even leads to "banned from server" message on all servers (not joking, I have no clue how the hell). By the way, couldn't it be related with current problem? Uhm...
I tried all compatibility/admin modes now though - no effect.

The compabilitymode is needed if i run a (windows) server and use the bfsm program, there was a time when win7 couldt connect thoose two programs together even when it ran at the same computer, i think it might had something to do with the Loopback/Eth connection or winsock, but not sure. They changed this later with a update patch, but it is telling that there is something fishy with windows and its netstack.

Do you have any other computer you could try with, or perhaps try a virtual instance running win xp ?

Last edited by bud (2018-01-08 19:52:43)

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#29 2018-01-08 19:51:52

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Re: Can't connect to servers because of router?

Trench wrote:

Ah, that makes sense now.  So before, we were "double-NATed", meaning we were going through the NAT in the router itself, but then also going through a NAT for the ISP service provider's own internal network, too.  Which isn't too unusual, and just reflects that the ISP doesn't have an abundance of public IPv4 addresses available, and so they only provide external addresses "on demand" when the customer requests them.

Now that you have the "external IP service" enabled, you're going though just a single NAT, the one that is built into the router.  And the issue connecting to Battlefield 1942 servers still exists, so we can rule out that the double-NAT of the ISP provider was the part of the issue.

He could still be in a shared subnet, if so im wondering if it could be a congestion problem as he seems to be able to connect some times and others times it refuse.

The mobilephone internet most certainly does share a subnet, IPv4 has been running low on IP numbers for a long time now, and IPv6 just sucks (in my opinion)

edit:example of an IPv6 address is: 2001:0db8:85a3:0000:0000:8a2e:0370:7334

Try and remember that adress lol

Last edited by bud (2018-01-08 19:54:42)

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#30 2018-01-13 16:48:28

ziba128
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Re: Can't connect to servers because of router?

Didn't have enough time to do more tests this week so replying only now.

Trench wrote:

Have you ever used Wireshark?  Which is the LAN capture utility I used at this end to capture the traffic in and out of the server machine.  If you can run that on your machine, start a capture, and then minimize it, launch Battlefield 1942 and attempt to connect to a server, I wonder whether we'll see an absence of replies in that LAN trace.  (Which would mean the replies aren't getting back through your ISP and/or your router.)

Tried it.
PCBqD-usf8U.jpg
As I understand, this is what is received from BF1942 server through 23000-23009 ports which aren't responsible for "playing" itself. But this is all what is received (I checked the whole list sorting by IP) - no other ports like 14567. Not sure if I did all right.

Trench wrote:

You can see the network profile in the Windows settings "Network & Internet settings".  The main page will show something like "Ethernet - Private network" or "Ethernet - Public network" in the pseudo-diagram of your network.  Once you see what profile its showing for your current "Ethernet" (ISP connection through your router), perhaps then connect your computer through your cell phone hotspot and see what Windows shows as the network profile (Public or Private) for the Internet connection through your cell phone.

No difference between connections, both are Public, and all settings are same.

bud wrote:

Do you have any other computer you could try with, or perhaps try a virtual instance running win xp ?

Tried with Win 7 netbook - same thing. 1/10-20-30 chance to join the server.

I think the onliest option left is to ask ISP if they can help. When I talked to their support, they said I can send an e-mail with detailed problem description.

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