Strange Connection problem

[heathan666]

Ok so I'm trying to get my maptools server up and running but I seem to have a problem....It says cannot see the computer from the internet...or whatever...however when I check off the UPnP setting it works fine...but when I try to connect it won't let me...however if I do a local network connection it works??? Does this mean I have to go through the whole mess of reconfiguring my router again??? I know I will but I just wanted to make sure that this hasn't happened to anyone else before.

Edit: I configured my router, now it will say Success regardless of the UPnP being checked off or not. That it can connect to my computer from the internet.
However when I try to connect from another app it will not let me connect says, "Could Not Load Campaign. Java.net.ConnectException: Connection Timed Out: connect."

something strange is going on here.

[heathan666]

oh btw I'm using Windows XP, Maptools b63.

[kristof65]

I'm not an expert here, but I think I know what this one is. There is also a Networking FAQ around here somewhere with some common problems, if this doesn't help.

If you can connect via the LAN tab and the computer you're testing the connection with is on the same network as the MT server, then the "problem" is most likely the router doing its job. Most routers do not like computers on their internal network trying to access each other by going outside the network. You'll have to try to have someone outside your network connect to it to test it.

Oh, and IIRC, UPnP should not be used if you manually configure port forwarding in the Router and vice versa.

[heathan666]

ok so I tried having someone else connect and unchecked the UPnP. The person tried to connect and recieved the same error that I did. However I did see them connect to the server, and then they "disconnected".

[Full Bleed]

What network card do you have?

[heathan666]

no clue its just one that's built into the motherboard. However I worked with the guy who I got the router from today to try and get it working and it basically would let him on then it would time out and a few times it actually locked maptools up so I kinda gave up on it.
Now I did have the UPnP settings, I haven't tried it with disabled UPnP and just port forwarding. But the router is set up the exact same way it was set up beforehand when it did work.

[heathan666]

ok I found out I am using an NVIDIA nForce Networking Controller. I hope that helps.

[Jshock]

I would be the friend that was helping him out. I can tell you what I saw from my end: it would consistently try to connect, but would hang on the "connecting" screen (it never made it to the "connection timeout" message). Router is a Rosewill wireless router (doubt if that matters).

[heathan666]

lol I need some Pawtucket Pat plz. lol

[booga]

That's just plain weird,

starting this morning I've been experiencing a similar problem. I GM a game with several players every Sunday morning. I use b62 which so far has been working fine for me. I use port 12345 and have that port forwarded (has been for months, without any problem). Now today only one of my players could ever be connected to my server at a time. Any subsequent attempt to connect from another player would just hang on "connecting". I have restarted router, modem, checked my port forwarding (still there, and I now the router is still forwarding ports because my FTP server and TeamSpeak server are still working fine, both using forwarded ports). I've rebooted the servers as well, had my players try to connect using Direct connect by IP (no go), and tried serving from two separate computers on my network: same behavior.

That's far fetched: Could that be something going on with my provider ? I'm using Comcast. My router is a D-link GamerLounge.

[heathan666]

I use comcast as well, but my sister also is a manager there and I got one of the IT guys on the phone and he told me that Comcast's network wouldn't block it like that.

[booga]

Thanks for checking,

I don't expect them to block something like that, but my guess was that they may have a glitch. Like I said it's far fetched, but it's so strange an issue that I'm checking any possibility.

Thanks !

[Azhrei]

Since only one player at a time can connect and others can't, and it's not always the same player (I'm assuming that from your description), it's unlikely to be Comcast.

Have the players run traceroute (or on Windows, tracert) to your external IP address and see if the packets go all the way through. It's just the command name, a space, and your IP address, typed into a command prompt window.

If the packets get all the way to your IP address, then it's your router blocking them for some reason. And if they don't make it all the way to your computer, then someone along the way is blocking them...

[booga]

Thanks Azhrei,

we actually did those troubleshooting steps (we're a bunch of IT guys playing together, so generally we're fixing those problems real quick, but this one is puzzling !). They have no problem finding/pinging/tracerouting my exernal address, but those tests are not using the Maptool ports. I also checked my router's log and my firewall's log and none show any kind of denial. It's odd, and I'm still digging.

Thanks for the suggestions.

[heathan666]

yes I actually went the distance and turned my firewall off completely just to see if that was the problem, but it wasn't I will see if my friend can run the trace route and see if that works.