Players Unable To Connect

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thegreysentinel
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Players Unable To Connect

Post by thegreysentinel »

Hello!

I just started playing with MapTools today, and I have been unable to have one of my players connect. My husband can connect using the LAN, but my friend who is several states away has been unable to connect through any method. I opened port 51234 as I assume is intended, but we have had no luck. The connection just keeps timing out. Am I doing something wrong?

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metatheurgist
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Re: Players Unable To Connect

Post by metatheurgist »

You also need to let javaw.exe through the firewall.

Phergus
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Re: Players Unable To Connect

Post by Phergus »

The first thing to do is check whether your server is visible to the outside world. You mentioned opening a port and I'm assuming you were talking about doing so in your network router. Your port-forwarding setup should include both TCP and UDP traffic. Once you've done that you can check if it is working through the web service www.canyouseeme.org. With a MapTool server running, got to that site in your browser. There will be a blue box in the middle-ish that shows your external IP address. Double-check that against what MapTool reports from File -> Connection Info. Then put in 51234 in the Port to Check field and click on Check Port. If it comes back Success then your server is visible to the outside world.

If not, your port forwarding setup is perhaps wrong or, as Metatheurgist suggested, your OS firewall is not letting the traffic through. When you install MapTool and it first runs your OS should have prompted you about letting it have network access. On Windows accepting the default would be the correct action.

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Full Bleed
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Re: Players Unable To Connect

Post by Full Bleed »

thegreysentinel wrote:
Wed Oct 09, 2019 2:01 am
Hello!

I just started playing with MapTools today, and I have been unable to have one of my players connect. My husband can connect using the LAN, but my friend who is several states away has been unable to connect through any method. I opened port 51234 as I assume is intended, but we have had no luck. The connection just keeps timing out. Am I doing something wrong?
Are you using UPNP when you start your server? If you have the right setup, this can be the path of least resistance.

When you ran MT for the first time did you *accept* the security exception? A lot of new users see this alert and do not accept the exception or change the defaults to something they think is better and it causes failure.

Have you taken a look at the Networking FAQ? If not, it might help: viewtopic.php?f=22&t=3370
Maptool is the Millennium Falcon of VTT's -- "She may not look like much, but she's got it where it counts."

thegreysentinel
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Re: Players Unable To Connect

Post by thegreysentinel »

First, thank you to everyone who responded! I appreciate your time and guidance.

When I went to canyouseeme.org, it couldn't find the port, which tells me I must have done something wrong when I opened it, but this kind of thing is not my forte, so I admit I don't entirely know what it should look like. Below is a screenshot of my router's forwarding (with my IP blacked out for security). I've done the whole opening ports for games before, and I did the same thing I did for those. Perhaps it doesn't work for this one?

Image

I did allow it to access my internet when I installed it, though I'm not sure how to double check what it's allowed to do to ensure I did it properly.

I am not using UPNP as much as I wish I were. I cannot find a way to turn it on in my router, and when I tried to have MapTool use it, it told me it was unable to. So that is, unfortunately, not an option.

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Re: Players Unable To Connect

Post by Phergus »

thegreysentinel wrote:
Wed Oct 09, 2019 4:36 pm
When I went to canyouseeme.org, it couldn't find the port,
You did have a MapTool server running? And did you verify that the IP address canyouseeme.org saw matches what MapTool reported? This is really important as you appear to be on DSL and DSL providers are notorious for double NATting their users.
Below is a screenshot of my router's forwarding (with my IP blacked out for security).
It's only showing TCP. You'll need both TCP and UDP. Sometimes that means two port forwarding rules in the router and sometimes you can select Both as an option. So check that.
I did allow it to access my internet when I installed it, though I'm not sure how to double check what it's allowed to do to ensure I did it properly.
As long as you accepted the defaults (assuming Windows Firewall) then you should be good. You said a computer on your LAN was able to connect so probably okay.

thegreysentinel
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Re: Players Unable To Connect

Post by thegreysentinel »

Phergus,

I didn't know I needed TCP and UDP both. I've changed that, and we'll see if it works out. The IP and everything did match up to what canyouseeme.org saw, so that's good news at least. Let's cross our fingers that this is going to fix it.

Thank you so much!

thegreysentinel
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Re: Players Unable To Connect

Post by thegreysentinel »

The address matches MapTool's reported. I have the port set up to open TCP/UDP both, and I am still unable to connect. :( I am most perplexed.

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Re: Players Unable To Connect

Post by Nin »

Do you have an ipv4 or ipv6 access?
Which ones do the others have?

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Re: Players Unable To Connect

Post by Phergus »

thegreysentinel wrote:
Wed Oct 09, 2019 9:29 pm
The address matches MapTool's reported. I have the port set up to open TCP/UDP both, and I am still unable to connect.
By that you mean that canyouseeme.org can't see your server, correct? I ask because in most cases you will not be able to connect your own server via the RPTools connection tab or the Direct tab to your external IP address. For local connections you would always use the LAN (or Direct using your internal IP address).

Nin asked if you are on IPv6 and that will matter for external clients but doesn't affect the canyouseeme.org test.

There are a couple possibilities here. First is that you are using the wrong local IP address for the computer running your server. The MapTool Connection Information window will also show you that address.

Another possibility is that you do have some security software that is blocking outside connections. You haven't given any information on your system so I can't even make a guess about it. You've said that clients on your LAN can connect so that's good but it's still possible that firewall software is blocking outside connections.

Lastly, your ISP might be blocking the connection. This normally only happens with folks on corporate, government or university connections but some ISPs can be very restrictive as well.

So we'll need more info in order to help you figure this out. OS and what firewall/security software you're using would be a good start.

thegreysentinel
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Re: Players Unable To Connect

Post by thegreysentinel »

Phergus wrote:
Thu Oct 10, 2019 9:37 am
By that you mean that canyouseeme.org can't see your server, correct? I ask because in most cases you will not be able to connect your own server via the RPTools connection tab or the Direct tab to your external IP address. For local connections you would always use the LAN (or Direct using your internal IP address).
Unfortunately, one of my players is several states away, so just using LAN isn't an option.
Nin asked if you are on IPv6 and that will matter for external clients but doesn't affect the canyouseeme.org test.
I'd have no idea how to tell that anyway. Is that in ipconfig?
There are a couple possibilities here. First is that you are using the wrong local IP address for the computer running your server. The MapTool Connection Information window will also show you that address.
The IP address in both locations matches. That was the first thing I checked. Unfortunately, no dice here. :(
Another possibility is that you do have some security software that is blocking outside connections. You haven't given any information on your system so I can't even make a guess about it. You've said that clients on your LAN can connect so that's good but it's still possible that firewall software is blocking outside connections.
I'm running Windows 10 (appropriately updated) and using Avast as my antivirus. Windows Defender is up and running, also. Sorry for not providing this information sooner.
Lastly, your ISP might be blocking the connection. This normally only happens with folks on corporate, government or university connections but some ISPs can be very restrictive as well.
I hope not because I can't fix that one! I'm on a home network, and I've had no issues with other programs utilizing my internet when I open ports etc. on my router.

thegreysentinel
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Re: Players Unable To Connect

Post by thegreysentinel »

Update: I just turned of Windows Defender entirely, and it's still not working. So I know for sure it's not that.

thegreysentinel
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Re: Players Unable To Connect

Post by thegreysentinel »

Nin wrote:
Thu Oct 10, 2019 3:31 am
Do you have an ipv4 or ipv6 access?
Which ones do the others have?
No idea. :(

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Full Bleed
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Re: Players Unable To Connect

Post by Full Bleed »

thegreysentinel wrote:
Thu Oct 10, 2019 4:30 pm
I'm running Windows 10 (appropriately updated) and using Avast as my antivirus. Windows Defender is up and running, also. Sorry for not providing this information sooner.
I've never seen Windows Defender be a problem. I have, however, seen users mention that Avast was a problem.

That said, I'm not sure we've got enough info to work this out. Earlier it was mentioned that you were on DSL... and that always throws up the possible red flag that you might be double-natted or that there might be some restriction on the connections we don't know about. You might want to share your Help>Gather Debug info (from within MT) to see if anything stands out.

You've also mentioned not having a problem with opening ports for other games... but if you can't open this port for canyouseeme.org, the issue isn't certainly isn't specific to Maptool. It's specific to opening a port (i.e. it's not open.)

You also might want to contact your ISP and ask them if there is anything special you need to do to open a port (provided that you are using their modem and router.)
Maptool is the Millennium Falcon of VTT's -- "She may not look like much, but she's got it where it counts."

Nin
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Re: Players Unable To Connect

Post by Nin »

thegreysentinel wrote:
Thu Oct 10, 2019 5:00 pm
No idea. :(
For example just call https://torguard.net/whats-my-ip.php or https://whatsmyip.com/ etc.

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