Multiplay connection

[Goff_nznr]

Weird things happening tonight. Both my son and I could connect to FS2004 Multiplay on our computers...but not at the same time.

We're located in different towns and each tried several multiplay servers. With each of them, if I got on first, he couldn't connect and vice versa. If I disconnected, he could get on - and vice versa.

Our copies of Fs9 are 2 different legit versions. Our Mplay names are different.

Any clues?

[Ian Warren]

When i had to XP systems i was able to run a MP with myself .. that was the early day of late FS9 and early FSX , ideal and easy to create screen shots ... i ve forgot how you setup a FS9 MP now and we used Gamespy , they shut down .. is ita possible chance this may be the cause ? FS9 MPs ? I now use the LAN and recent MP in FSX was the STUKA mission .

If you describe the setup , i do have FS9 running on my FS Win7 ... you could try me to experiment ?

[Goff_nznr]

QUOTE (Ian Warren @ Sep 23 2013,9:28 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

When i had to XP systems i was able to run a MP with myself .. that was the early day of late FS9 and early FSX , ideal and easy to create screen shots ... i ve forgot how you setup a FS9 MP now and we used Gamespy , they shut down .. is ita possible chance this may be the cause ? FS9 MPs ? I now use the LAN and recent MP in FSX was the STUKA mission .

If you describe the setup , i do have FS9 running on my FS Win7 ... you could try me to experiment ?

We both have Win7 machines. On different ISPs, in different towns.

We spent about 45 minutes trying to connect to public servers, (found via FSHostSpy), and were able to connect - but not at the same time.

After thinking about it, maybe we struck a bad time for NZ internet traffic to these offshore servers...but possibly unlikely over a period of 45 minutes. I think the FS9 mplay connection speed to the various servers showed around 256ms.

[Ian Warren]

Quick looks now ... Guess Zone.com has folded like the Gamespy that was so easy with FSX , or wonder if it is still working .. other than that i'd have to search or create a FShostspy account . ... surely must be another way around it or the problem .

[AlisterC]

Possibly one of you had port access issues? or antivirus stopping the show?
Maybe try this?
http://www.chocolatesoftware.com/forum/index.php?topic=737.0

[Goff_nznr]

We both use the FS2004 multiplay connection; i.e. not Gamespy or Gamezone.

We both run Bitdefender antivirus..but in "Game Mode".

QUOTE (AlisterC @ Sep 23 2013,10:08 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Possibly one of you had port access issues? or antivirus stopping the show?
Maybe try this?
http://www.chocolatesoftware.com/forum/index.php?topic=737.0

Thanks, Alister, I'll check this out. Neither of us have problems connecting to various mplay servers.
Our FS9 settings have not changed...and we've had many mplay sessions before.

[AlisterC]

You may not have problems connecting to a session on your own, but I have seen this before that if friend "A" is connected, friend "B" can't connect. And vice versa. But it's been so many years since I've had to think about this I can't remember the cure. That's why I think that maybe someone won't have their ports exactly right, so both of you can't be on a server at the same time. Individually yes, but because you can't have a link between the two of you, then you can't both join together.
Wish I could be more help! Good luck!

[ardypilot]

Me and my mates use Hamachi for online gaming. Creates a fake local area network over the internet for everyone to connect to. Works a treat with FSX.

[Goff_nznr]

QUOTE (AlisterC @ Sep 23 2013,9:21 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You may not have problems connecting to a session on your own, but I have seen this before that if friend "A" is connected, friend "B" can't connect. And vice versa. But it's been so many years since I've had to think about this I can't remember the cure. That's why I think that maybe someone won't have their ports exactly right, so both of you can't be on a server at the same time. Individually yes, but because you can't have a link between the two of you, then you can't both join together.
Wish I could be more help! Good luck!

Ah..possibly, Alister, thanks. What's weird, though, is that we have been ok in the past and neither have altered any settings.

I'll give it a go and will report results.

Cheers.

QUOTE (Trolly @ Sep 23 2013,9:49 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Me and my mates use Hamachi for online gaming. Creates a fake local area network over the internet for everyone to connect to. Works a treat with FSX.

Cheers, Trolly...would it be the "LogMeIn Free" plan?

[ardypilot]

QUOTE

Cheers, Trolly...would it be the "LogMeIn Free" plan?[/quote]
Affirm

[Goff_nznr]

Ok...I found this on another forum:

error "Unable to connect to all players"

This error is displayed by FS2004 when trying to connect to a session. Usually it happens when someone else that's already in the session is using a router and hasn't forwarded the correct ports. When your FS2004 tries to join, it gets a list of all the players currently in the session and tries to connect to them. But when it tries to connect to the player with the bad router, it isn't able to communicate with it, so FS2004 aborts the connection (note that FS2002 would happily connect anyway and just not show that player, but FS2004 now uses newer DirectX functions that return an error in this case, so FS2004 actually isn't able to connect this way anymore).

Unfortunately there's not an easy way of figuring out which player is causing the problem, but if you ask everyone if they're using a router, and one of them says they are, and doesn't know about port forwarding, it's a good chance it's him Smile


The person using the router needs to configure it so that certain ports are forwarded to the machine running FS2004. Typically the port is UDP 23456, but you should ask the person hosting the session if they're using the default hosting ports, or something different. If things still aren't working, try also forwarding UDP 6073 and the range of UDP 2300 to 2400, since these are the DirectX "alternate" ports, which are sometimes used when the host is using something other than 23456. Sometimes enabling or disabling UPnP (Universal Plug-n-Play) can help also -- I've received reports from users saying both ways have helped, although I'm not sure why.

What's 'thrown me' is the fact that both computer/internet setups are unchanged and yet we suddenly struck the aforementioned problem.

Thanks for your help, guys. I'll report progress here.

[Goff_nznr]

Well well...all worked ok tonight without fiddling around. Just one of those things, I guess.

[Ian Warren]

The fickle finger of the PC , has been a lot dramas across the international board , get a lot of maintenance mail from bargin-voice recent regard world wide speeds and connections .

[AlisterC]

Glad at least to hear it's going t for you now

[Goff_nznr]

Cheers, Alister.