What is wrong with multiplayer ? connection issues ...

[ihatebeingcooper 10]

Ok I have seen posts about not connecting to different hosts , but not one BIS employee help at all . I noticed that this is the only option for support you cannot contact them or I cannot find how to . Getting official response would be a nice and welcome change . Getting answers from DEV would help me eliminate time spent trying all kind of crazy ideas .

Spending over 12 hours the last 2 days trying to figure out connection issues is a bit much to spend on a game that has little to zero support . I really thought relic online was badly netcoded , then the mighty BIS takes a supreme lead . I still cannot simply connect to a friends game or host one . Been down opening ports route , from 2302-2308 ports opened , then to DMZing my PC (which in theory would work). But the DMZ stopped me from joining all games altogether(WTH?!?!?!?) . I can join about 5% of games online without DMZ just the ports open . No other firewalls are on . In my amra2.rpt at the bottom i get .

NAT Negotiation failed (NNThink - result 3)

What does result 3 mean ?

Does the build have anything to do with connection issues ? I run the steam version build 58136 . Does gamespy need extra ports open to host ? Does ICMP need to be on or off ? Does the deaf cows have anything to do with this ?

[Redfield-77 10]

BIS DEVs are on Vacation until August.

[panty 10]

I hate steam, I would never download any game from them, just another thing to go wrong...

.... Have you tried resetting your router and doing a reconfigure?

another thought!

did you download the new patch and manually install it?

if so you shouldnt have as the new patch is not compatible with the steam version, try a re install.

[Bulldogs 10]

Yep, try verifying integrity of local cache on arma 2 in steam.

Other than that, make sure nat isn't turned off on your router (especially if there's more than one computer on your network) and make sure your router isn't set to block icmp's

[Redfield-77 10]

I've tried it multiple ways with and without a router it just wont work.

[ihatebeingcooper 10]

I hate steam, I would never download any game from them, just another thing to go wrong...

.... Have you tried resetting your router and doing a reconfigure?

another thought!

did you download the new patch and manually install it?

if so you shouldnt have as the new patch is not compatible with the steam version, try a re install.

I have reset my router and reconfigure from scratch , and updated firmware .

I did not install the patch , I just let steam do its thing .

I do agree on steam making things go wrong . But I do like the idea of not having a certain number of installs like direct2drive .

Bulldogs - I'll try the verifying integrity check now . NAT is enabled for sure , I have tried disconnecting all pcs on my network and only one PC connected all the same .

Next I'm try to have my PC act as the pppoe connector , since right now i removed my router from the picture .

[ihatebeingcooper 10]

Verifying integrity did not do it . I used TCPView from sysinternals and can confirm that only 2302 ,2304, and 2305 UDP are listening when I host a game . But no ports are blocked regardless . Its strange sometimes while testing too , sometimes my friend can see 2500 ping other times (alot less) normal ping 62-75 . But still can't join at all . Makes me wonder about ICMP playing a bigger role . But its still not set to block ICMP's .

[Bulldogs 10]

That is a little odd, I gather you've tried running a ping -t to your friends computer and neither are on wireless

[rorypat 10]

I get the connecting failed message for servers which i could join easily only a week ago. Dont know what has changed? is it my problem or theres? Considering others are playing i assume its mine

[Tincup 10]

I hate steam, I would never download any game from them, just another thing to go wrong...

Not sure why you are busting on Steam, I have bought many games on Steam without the first issue. I use the Steam version an I have joined and hosted many games. Anyway...

I read the post stating that you had opened ports and all, I am assuming this is on your router and firewall? From what I read from your post, you are computer literate, so more than likely it is a small issue that is being over looked. What firewall and router are you using?

Also do you have Arma2 set in Steam to auto-update?

VERSION 1.02.58134 HIGHLIGHTS

Improved AI driving skills

Lowered enemy AI skills for regular and recruit difficulty levels

Improved Micro AI tactics, attack in pairs, path limiting to avoid passing through walls.

Fixed multiplayer session NAT negotiation

Improved game stability (various crash opportunities fixed)

Multiple save slots supported

Improved terrain shape beyond map borders

Various campaign and localisation fixes and improvements

Modules (F7) support added in the Mission Editor

Antialiasing enabled in Video options

Different logic of fillrate optimizer: separate settings for 3D Resolution and UI Resolution implemented instead

Edited July 21, 2009 by Tincup

[Redfield-77 10]

Not sure why you are busting on Steam, I have bought many games on Steam without the first issue. I use the Steam version an I have joined and hosted many games. Anyway...

I read the post stating that you had opened ports and all, I am assuming this is on your router and firewall? From what I read from your post, you are computer literate, so more than likely it is a small issue that is being over looked. What firewall and router are you using?

Also do you have Arma2 set in Steam to auto-update?

VERSION 1.02.58134 HIGHLIGHTS

Improved AI driving skills

Lowered enemy AI skills for regular and recruit difficulty levels

Improved Micro AI tactics, attack in pairs, path limiting to avoid passing through walls.

Fixed multiplayer session NAT negotiation

Improved game stability (various crash opportunities fixed)

Multiple save slots supported

Improved terrain shape beyond map borders

Various campaign and localisation fixes and improvements

Modules (F7) support added in the Mission Editor

Antialiasing enabled in Video options

Different logic of fillrate optimizer: separate settings for 3D Resolution and UI Resolution implemented instead

The steam version comes as the latest build.

[ihatebeingcooper 10]

My version is 1.02.58136 weird it is not 1.02.58134 like the non steam versions .

I did notice the patch highlights , Not sure if my version somehow skip these fixes tho I doubt it .

I have removed all routers and firewalls out of the picture . Only my netopia modem is connected , the firewall is off , ICMP forward and Snooping is on , NAT is on . I don't have any software firewalls install , and windows firewall is disabled . Tonight when I get home I'm going to put my modem in bridge mode and use my PC as the connector as my last test .

[ihatebeingcooper 10]

Ok using my PC as a connector works like a champ , but nothing is blocked at all .

So for now play then enable a firewall after i play . My mind is too tired to do any more tests with ports and such . Thanx for all the help guys .

[Bulldogs 10]

Only other thing I can suggest is to make sure upnp is enabled

[Hammer_RLG 10]

not sure where this upnp stuff is coming from. it is for devices that get connected to a network so they can be auto discovered. it has nothing to do with gaming and NAT and such.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_Plug_and_Play

[Yapab 10]

It will open your ports up automatically when a device/game requires it.

Yapa

[Hammer_RLG 10]

arma II is a upnp application and written with dot net?

then of course the router/firewall has to support it (admitedly any newer one do/should).

[Hammer_RLG 10]

so i have done a lot more testing now.

i get disconnected after being in game for a while, anywhere from 1-10 minutes, or am not able to get into a server at all. when i can connect and get into a mission, after a while i get a yellow chain which goes to red chain and the messages of 'no message received for xx seconds' until eventually i am disconnected. once this starts it never recovers.

checking the arma2.rpt file always shows the nat negotiation failed error message, sometimes with NNThink result - 2, sometimes with - 3. checking the server arma2server.rpt file gives the below. maybe someone has a clue as to what is going on. remember that others can connect to the server with no issue, and i have tried other servers with the same results so it is something unique to me or my environment. this is the server error when i am able to connect and the connection fails after a while:

NAT Negotiation completed

Unknown entity: 'copy'

File description.ext, line 7: '.respawn': Missing ';' at the end of line

Mission CO12-ChemLab[RLG].utes: Missing 'description.ext::Header'

Server: Update of object 2:208 arrived from nonowner

NetServer::SendMsg: cannot find channel #292291072, users.card=0

NetServer: users.get failed when sending to 292291072

Message not sent - error 0, message ID = ffffffff, to 292291072 (Hammer)

NetServer::SendMsg: cannot find channel #292291072, users.card=0

NetServer: users.get failed when sending to 292291072

Message not sent - error 0, message ID = ffffffff, to 292291072 (Hammer)

NetServer::SendMsg: cannot find channel #292291072, users.card=0

NetServer: users.get failed when sending to 292291072

Message not sent - error 0, message ID = ffffffff, to 292291072 (Hammer)

---------- Post added at 09:15 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:51 PM ----------

when i can not connect to the server at all i am getting a connecting failed message with this in the client arma2.rpt:

Exe version: 1.03.58627

NAT Negotiation failed (NNThink - result 2)

and sometimes the server shows NO HINT of me trying to connect most of the time. the other times it shows this in the arma2server.rpt file:

NAT Negotiation failed - partner not found

Edited August 11, 2009 by Hammer_RLG
spelling

[Repcsi 10]

Hi,

I have a strange NAT error too. ver 1.03 client and server.

I have an OpenBSD PF setup on my gateway, which is a stateful firewall.

I can connect to a lot of servers, but there is one, that is making these problems, and its password protected(i don't think thats makes a difference). I would like to ask whether is there a configuration switch for this, or maybe the router on the servers side is natting rather "poorly" (randomly setting up ports despite that it should stick to the port that is being expected on clients side). There was some change in the 1.03 update for handling NAT.

I have a local network and I'm connecting through the gateway with pppoe, lets use these definitions for making it simplier:

LAN_IP = my ip on the local network

PUB_IP = the ip of the outside interface on the gateway that is reachable from the internet

SERV_IP = the ip of the server I would like to connect to.

I can see the following happen on my gateway, with numerous logging and diag tools:

My Firewall stores and maintains this connection in the nat session table, so everything coming back from this initial connection should get back to my client:

udp LAN_IP:2304 -> PUB_IP:60269 -> SERV_IP:33307

the connection goes like this:

PUB_IP:60269 > SERV_IP:33307 PASSED

After this the server tries to make a new connection to my computer on another port (WTH???):

SERV_IP:32971 > PUB_IP:53074 BLOCKED

SERV_IP:32971 > PUB_IP:53074 BLOCKED

SERV_IP:32971 > PUB_IP:53074 BLOCKED

SERV_IP:32971 > PUB_IP:53074 BLOCKED

The udp port on the servers side is random every time I try to connect, so editing the firewall rules is out of the question. However I tried setting up explicitly to pass the connection to the server and back, it was no use, the problem here is NAT, and NAT wont work if there is no outgoing connection to the server from the client that is initiated by the client.

I have upnp set up on the gateway so that should be working too, I tried making the port range broader for the upnp setup, but it was not working, and new ports are not showing up on the gateway.

I tried the stuff, forwarding the ports needed for server and voice (2302 2303 2305 2307) to the client on lan. There should not be open ports on the client in this situation in my opinion.

So the last question is: Is there something you can do to make rid of this error on the servers side?

Or there is no such thing, and the network setup on the other side is wrong(I don't know if there is a router in front of the server yet :|, but I will ask, and we will try to debug this situation with the servers owner).

Thanks in advance :).

[Elric de Melnibone 10]

Would BI look at the multiplayer problems, please?

I'm getting really frustrated, nothing I could do fixed the 'connection failed' issue, now way I can play multiplayer now. And without multiplayer, ArmA 2 can go catch some dust on the shelve.

Edited August 20, 2009 by Elric de Melnibone

[rekrul 7]

Hi,

I have a strange NAT error too. ver 1.03 client and server.

I have an OpenBSD PF setup on my gateway, which is a stateful firewall.

I can connect to a lot of servers, but there is one, that is making these problems, and its password protected(i don't think thats makes a difference). I would like to ask whether is there a configuration switch for this, or maybe the router on the servers side is natting rather "poorly" (randomly setting up ports despite that it should stick to the port that is being expected on clients side). There was some change in the 1.03 update for handling NAT.

I have a local network and I'm connecting through the gateway with pppoe, lets use these definitions for making it simplier:

LAN_IP = my ip on the local network

PUB_IP = the ip of the outside interface on the gateway that is reachable from the internet

SERV_IP = the ip of the server I would like to connect to.

I can see the following happen on my gateway, with numerous logging and diag tools:

My Firewall stores and maintains this connection in the nat session table, so everything coming back from this initial connection should get back to my client:

udp LAN_IP:2304 -> PUB_IP:60269 -> SERV_IP:33307

the connection goes like this:

PUB_IP:60269 > SERV_IP:33307 PASSED

After this the server tries to make a new connection to my computer on another port (WTH???):

SERV_IP:32971 > PUB_IP:53074 BLOCKED

SERV_IP:32971 > PUB_IP:53074 BLOCKED

SERV_IP:32971 > PUB_IP:53074 BLOCKED

SERV_IP:32971 > PUB_IP:53074 BLOCKED

The udp port on the servers side is random every time I try to connect, so editing the firewall rules is out of the question. However I tried setting up explicitly to pass the connection to the server and back, it was no use, the problem here is NAT, and NAT wont work if there is no outgoing connection to the server from the client that is initiated by the client.

I have upnp set up on the gateway so that should be working too, I tried making the port range broader for the upnp setup, but it was not working, and new ports are not showing up on the gateway.

I tried the stuff, forwarding the ports needed for server and voice (2302 2303 2305 2307) to the client on lan. There should not be open ports on the client in this situation in my opinion.

So the last question is: Is there something you can do to make rid of this error on the servers side?

Or there is no such thing, and the network setup on the other side is wrong(I don't know if there is a router in front of the server yet :|, but I will ask, and we will try to debug this situation with the servers owner).

Thanks in advance :).

Great work. Could it be some sort of GameSpy thing trying to get some data from your server? Could you try setting your server as non-public and also try the dedicated server to see if the behavior is the same?

[Repcsi 10]

Great work. Could it be some sort of GameSpy thing trying to get some data from your server? Could you try setting your server as non-public and also try the dedicated server to see if the behavior is the same?

Thank you, I wanted to get to the bottom of the problem, but it looks like that its on the servers side, I can play and connect to other servers without any problem.

This connection comes from the server to my client computer, so Gamespy is out of the question. BTW is there a way to add servers to favourites, is there a favourites menu("WHAT WERE THEY THINKING???")? Right now I'm using a launcher to connect to the servers I like to play on.

I got no feedback from the servers admin unfortunately.

If I have any more data regarding this issue I will post it here!