hosting Connecting to My Hosted Dedicated Server

[MrMacTaco 0]

Hello there!

 

I've recently set up a dedicated server to play Reforger with my group in a private setting.  The server runs and seemingly operates as it should, (no unusual errors in server logs) and everyone can connect and play on the server without issues, except for myself. When I set "gameHostRegisterBindAddress" to my public IP, it prevents me from not only connecting to my server, but seeing any other Reforger servers available in the server browser. Leaving this form blank, (defaulting to 0.0.0.0) allows me to connect and play no issues, but for everyone else trying to connect, the server displays a ping of 999+ and rejects their connections.

 

I wouldn't consider myself an expert of hosting/managing servers, especially dedicated ones like this, but am I missing something to enable connections both locally and externally, or is this just not possible with Reforger's current state?

 

If anyone has any recommendations, I would be grateful for any and all of them! If I can provide any additional information which could help solve my issue, I would be happy to provide it! Reforger is a fantastic platform so far and I'm just really excited to play the next generation of Arma as soon as possible :P

[Blackheart_Six 283]

Hi MrMacTaco, 

 

Have you read this wiki? 

Server Hosting - Bohemia Interactive Community (bistudio.com)

 

Check this video out, if you haven't already. 

How to setup a Dedicated Server | Arma Reforger Tutorial [Windows] - YouTube

[MrMacTaco 0]

Hey Blackheart,

 

I had gotten a chance to read the wiki but at the time, the notice about 'Listen Servers' wasn't there!

 

I can only assume this means even with a functioning dedicated server running on my PC, there currently isn't a way for me to connect to said server from my game client on the same computer.

 

As a precaution, I did follow that video you recommended and it led me to the same results. Either I can connect, or everyone else can.

Guess I'll just have to wait until Bohemia goes live with 'Listen Servers'.

 

Thanks for your advice!

[Sgt3agle3ye 0]

Hey MrMacTaco,

So you are hosting the server on the same computer you are playing on right?
Do you get any messages like "I am a teapot" when everyone except you can connect and you try connecting?

[goertzenator 1]

I am observing similar problems trying to locally access a dedicated server (same subnet, inside NAT router).

 

When I have the dedicated server registered with the external IP address, I cannot direct connect through its local, internal address.  I get a "server not found" error, and a packet trace on the dedicated server shows that my computer is not even making an attempt to connect there.

 

I have to conclude that even for direct connect the address first gets looked on Bohemia's server browser.  Since my server was registered with the external address, the internal address lookup fails and it gives up instantly.  It is too bad direct connect is still coupled to the browser in this way.  In my mind the whole point of direct connect is to avoid server browser problems.

 

Anyway, I am going to try monkeying with my router to allow my client connections to the external address to get properly DNATed to the dedicated server. 

[goertzenator 1]

I've got it all figured out.  I was going to add the content below to the wiki (https://community.bistudio.com/wiki/Arma_Reforger:Server_Hosting), but I see the wiki is not allowing new registrations.  Could somebody with wiki access add this?

 

------

 

Firewall, Port Forwarding and local Direct Connect

 

The game port (default is 2001) is the only inbound port and may require firewall configuration and port forward setup.  The other steam ports are outbound only and do not require any special setup.

 

The dedicated server requires you to specify `gameHostRegisterBindAddress`, which indicates where game clients are to connect to play on your server.  If you are behind a NAT firewall, this value should be the external IP address of your router and then your firewall needs to forward the game port to the internal LAN address.

 

Game clients can only connect to the server through this address; you cannot Direct Connect through the LAN address because this is not the address that was registered and it will not be found on the server browser.  For example, if you registered your server on external address 65.40.30.10, your server sits at LAN address 192.68.1.50, and your game client is at 192.168.1.100, you will NOT be able to direct connect to 192.168.1.50.

 

A local client must connect to the external address (65.40.30.10 in this example), and the firewall must be configured such that the connection passes through both port forwarding(DNAT) and masquerading(SNAT) machinery.  For example, this is what both machines must see:

 

game server perspective:

192.168.1.50 (game server)  <--> 65.40.30.10 (game client)

 

game client perspective:

192.168.1.100 (game client)  <--> 65.40.30.10 (game server)

 

The game server will produce "I'm a teapot" errors if DNAT is triggering but SNAT is not.  In this scenario the traffic flow looks like this:

 

game server perspective:

192.168.1.50 (game server)  <--> 192.168.1.100 (game client)

 

game client perspective:

192.168.1.100 (game client)  --> 65.40.30.10 (game server)

192.168.1.100 (game client)  <-- 192.168.1.50 (game server) unknown address, traffic dropped!

 

[sarogahtyp 1108]

4 hours ago, goertzenator said:

but I see the wiki is not allowing new registrations

There is a wiki channel on arma discord. If u ask there then they will register you.

[ovialop 1]

hello,

i think i have the same problem. if i write my public ip in the GameHostRegisterBindAdress, then the ping is ok and my friends can join, but i can not. not with the pc and not with the xbox. 

if i leave it empty the ping is 999+ and i can join, but my friends can not. 

how can i see if i am behind a NAT firewall? 

how do i do this correctly?

sorry for noob question & bad english. 

[fatatris 0]

I see that this post is a year old, so I hope you've managed to find a solution to your issue. However, in case you haven't, I wanted to chime in and offer some advice.
It sounds like you may be experiencing some issues with port forwarding and/or firewall settings. Have you tried checking if the necessary ports are open on your router and on your dedicated server? Also, make sure that your firewall isn't blocking the connection.
Another thing to consider is the possibility of using a hosting provider to run your server. ishosting offers a variety of dedicated server options that may be worth considering.

[Blackheart_Six 283]

Another option is to use a DDNS server like noip.com. I set one up, keeps my public IP static. It's free. You have to update every 30 days, but that is not a hassle. Email link, click, login, done.

[Nomontgx 0]

Connecting to a hosted dedicated server can feel like trying to herd cats sometimes, especially if it's your first rodeo. Here's my two cents on the matter, keeping in mind the wisdom of the internet (ewebguru.com is a goldmine for server troubleshooting!).

First things first, check the basics. Is your server up and running? Double-check the IP address you're using to connect –  a typo there throws a wrench in the whole operation. If that seems all good, it might be a firewall issue blocking the connection. Firewalls are like bouncers at a club – great for security, but sometimes they get a little overzealous.

Here's where things get creative. I've seen some folks recommend tweaking config files or messing with port forwarding, but that can be a recipe for disaster if you're not careful. My advice? If you're not a server guru,  it might be worth reaching out to your hosting provider. They've probably seen it all before and can get you up and running in no time.