mp crash problems

[schrja]

Some friends and I have been playing multiplayer, but we are experiencing a significant number of crashes. The characteristics of the crashes are as follows.

1. Two players always seem to crash simultaneously, without obvious reason.
2. Both players on different networks.
3. Other players behind these same networks do not crash.
4. Both players control different countries.
5. The crashes occur at the rate of about one every thirty minutes.
6. One player (though not one of the frequently crashing players) has taken over Germany, which was previously controlled by the AI. This has caused other non-crashing problems, such as an endlessly repeating series of great war demonstrations, despite the fact Germany has occupied Cologne.


I understand that some degree of crashing is normal, but its seems that this amount is abnormally high. I'm afraid that at least one of the crashing players is losing interest because of the frequent crashes. Although we haven't yet had a chance to test it, my current hypothesis is that something about taking over an AI country (described in point six) could be causing the crashes.

Has anyone experienced similar problems?
Can taking over an AI country cause these sorts of crashes?
Any recommendations?

Thanks in advance for your help. I really appreciate it.

 

[unmerged(12303)]

what game version are u useing? Is anybody behind a NAT / router? Have those players who crash checked if they have a clean system, switched off all other programs when they play hoi2? Are they sharing their connection with somebody else? Is it a wireless?

And yes taking over an ai country seems to (at times) cause more crashes.

 

[schrja]

Thanks for your reply. In answer to your questions:

We are using DD 1.3a (JCJS)

All players are behind routers, the host is DMZed

All players (including non-crashing players) are running ventrillo in the background. I know that one of the crashing players was running no other programs.

Both crashing players were sharing their connection with other players, but not with each other. Specifically, players 1 and 2, were behind one router while players 3 and 4 were behind another router. Players 1 and 3 crashed frequently and simultaneously, but players 2 and 4 did not.

One of the crashing players was on wireless, but the other was not. Also, as noted above, a non-crashing player was on that same wireless connection.

Thanks again.

 

[unmerged(12303)]

Hehe all the red flags caught no wonder u crash.

1) Get a host thats not behind a router
2) Switch off ventrillo
3) Dont use wireless

that should sort your issues.

You can also try hamachi (www.hamachi.cc) to connect - but wireless and sharing is a BAD idea so u will prolly crash anyways.

 

[schrja]

Thanks for the suggestions. I have a couple of follow up questions.

1. Are there VoIP products that are better suited to use with HOI2 than ventrillo? Or do all such products cause instability?

2. Regarding points one and three, it may not be possible to completely implement both suggestions, but we could do one (but not both) of the following:
a. Connect the host directly to the internet through a hard line (no router) while a player that has previously been sharing an internet connection instead connects through a network that is wireless.

b. Connect both the host and the other player just mentioned to the same router through a hard line.

Based on your experience, do you think solution a or b would be more stable?

 

[unmerged(12303)]

1. all of them can cause a crash - esp with hoi
2. c you can connect the host to the hard line and the client to the host (ie host acts as router) - if u have win xp - just make sure none of them have any shit running in the background and of course the hosts "hard line" has a min of 512 upload + (I would imagine that the host would have that kind of upload anyways as less prolly can cause lag).

 

[unmerged(12303)]

remember to enable in the hosts comp that other clients can use his internet connection - i.e the client must be able to access the internet on his comp - thats done in the advanced option of the connection settings tab - and of course u need to switch off the hosts firewall program (usually - unless u know how to set the firewall so it allows the clients hoi.exe file to access the internet).

 

[schrja]

Unfortunately, the problem with C is that the host is a laptop with only one cat5/6 jack. Thus it can't both connect and share by hard line. It could connect by hard line and then perhaps broadcast a wireless signal (though I really haven't looked into this). Under these circumstances, though, we would be sharing an internet connection and one computer would still connecting wirelessly.

Would this solution still be better than A?

 

[unmerged(12303)]

both are laptops? Maybe u can switch hosts? I would really avoid wireless. I guess b could be better.

BTW I think you can get another jack in a latop through another slot - forgot the correct term in english PCMCIA slot?

 

[schrja]

Yeah, both are laptops, and unfortunately all the other players are behind a campus NAT which isn't configurable. Thus, one of the laptops is stuck being the host.

Thanks for the heads up on on the PCMCIA jack, I'll have to look into that.

Thanks again for the help. I really appreciate it.

 

[unmerged(74599)]

Since it came up I am interested in this DMZ concept, which I assume means turning off all the hosts firewalls. I have my system properly ported, and give HOI2 and exception on my Windows Firewall, while keeping my McAfee Firewall on, and I have no problem hosting. Last Saturday I hosted 5 people, (6 players in total) and only one of our players CTD in the entire 8 hours.

So what is this about host being DMZ'd?

 

[schrja]

DMZing allows you to place one computer on your network outside of your router's firewall. While in this state, the computer is especially vulnerable to hacking attempts. Theoretically, for purpose of playing hoi, I don't think there should be any difference between a host that has proper port forwarding and one that is dmzed. However, I've found (and apparently so have some others) that some players cannot connect to the host unless it is DMZed. I have no idea if DMZing might fix your crash problems, though Fiendix might.

 

[unmerged(74599)]

Ahh, I see now I know. Thanks for that.

Well, actually having one CTD in 8 hours is not a problem with this game as far as I am concerned. I am pretty proud of it actually.

In other words, I have not had to completely open up my computer, and only had to port it, and that seems to be working fine with me as host.

It sounds to me like Hamachi might be the answer to your problems, as obviously the university ISP is not going to give you access to their router so that you can port forward for HOI 2.

You should look into it. It is a free online download. And very simple. And self explanatory. And also has a nice Hamachi chat feature, whch is useful when setting up the game. There are some problems though with the networking and some people can not join the host through the "LAN" menu of HOI2, (which is what you are supposed to be able to do) but they may join by simply by entering the Hosts IP address into the "Internent" menu.

 

[schrja]

Yeah, the trouble with hamachi is that apparently (I'm getting this third hand, so its probably a very muddled explanation) the university restricts the ports that hamachi uses (perhaps by bandwidth limitation?), so that we can't successfully connect through it.

 

[unmerged(74599)]

I suggest you occupy the deans office.

 

[schrja]

The primary culprit in this case appears to have been a human taking over for an AI Germany. We were able to play tonight for three hours without any crashes by starting from scratch, but without making other changes. Even still, I'm sure that the other suggestions would improve our overall stability.