Unable to host. The ability comes and goes.

[sir dooble]

Hello.

I have been hosting servers ever since it was made possible to host without port forwarding.
I have had the exact same router for a number of years and have had multiple problems with port forwarding which has always resulted in failure, even after following many guides for my exact router. For whatever reason, whenever it has been set for a route to be opened, it fails to do so, even though it insists that it has.

My problem is not about port forwarding, as I have said, that with this router, it has been able to host via UpNp since the ability was delivered to us.

My server has never had any real connection problems, otherthan a bad internet connection at times, either due to the local weather or my actual internet supplier, but for the last 2 years, I have had no problems beside the normal bad connection due to uncontrolable events that happens every now and then.

Recently, it has come to my attention, that for the past few months, whenever I host, the connection is mostly perfect and players have no problem with recieving a Ping from my server and joining and maintaning this connection.
However, during these past few months, at times, my router has lost connection while hosting.
Whether this is due to bad weather on the day, or perhaps the router has been reset for another member of my family, it is not a common thing or a problem to do with Blockland.

When my internet connection goes out, while I'm hosting, the expected arrises.
I can still play normally, but all other players freeze in spot, and soon after disconnect.
I'll realise that my connection has dropped out, wait for it to pick back up again, and restart my server immediately, in the hopes that I can get as many people back onto the server as possible.

However, for these past few months, each time my internet has dropped out while hosting, I have done the above, yet not a single person is capable of connecting to my server.
My friends who I can talk to via Skype will attempt to join and alert me to the fact that they recieve "---" ping from my server, and that whenever they attempt to connect, they are met only by the "Sending Punch Packets" message, and no further "sending connection request"'s.

Each time this has happened I have been quite annoyed, but put up with it.
Luckily my friends are willing to host for me, and I send them a save, or they have a copy. They download the Add-Ons needed, I join, everyone else who joined my server will join my friend's, and we carry on.

I will then try re-hosting either a few days or a week later.
Everything goes perfectly, people join, I host each day for a week or two, and for whatever reason, my internet drops out again. I have the same problem with people attempting to get to my server. "---" ping and PunchPackets.
Luckily, I have a good friend who is always willing to host for me and does so, so it's not a big problem.

Of course though, I want to host for myself. Maybe my friend isn't here, or I like a quick connection, or he has annoying times at which he can host, or I dislike having to wait an age when loading bricks.
So, I retry and this pattern repeats.

About a month ago, my internet dropped out.
My friend hosted for me for a couple of days.
I retried hosting. Everyone recieves "---" ping and just sends PunchPackets.
My friend continues to host for me for a week.
I retried hosting again. Everyone recieves "---" ping and just sends PunchPackets again.
My friend has now been hosting for me for near to a month.
I don't have a problem with this and am very grateful for him having done so, but I want to host for myself on occasion, so, I retry.

It has been a month since my internet died out on me while I was hosting.
My server has been incapable of recieving a single player for this entire time.
Everyone who attempts to join will always find themselves with "---" ping and PunchPackets.

It has gotten very annoying for me.
I would like some help.
Normally I host with my Network settings set to Broadband, and as far as I'm aware, my computer is using Upnp to host.
I am sure of this, as before hand, when port forwarding a router was a must in order to host, whenever my router attempted to host, after claiming to be successfully port forwarded, I would not find my server even appearing on the Master Server's server list.


I would just like some feedback on any possible problems with my computer.
I will try most anything to get it back to normal again.
I am not aware if it is a problem that I have caused with Blockland itself, or if my router has messed something up, or if my computer has decided it no longer likes the company I keep online.

I would be forever grateful to anyone who can supply any ideas or help for me.
Sorry for the long read above.
Thank you.

[Ad Bot]

[BobSevenSevens]

1: Do you have a static IP?

2: Are you sure that some sort of antivirus isn't screwing with Blockland?

3: Who's your ISP?

[sir dooble]

1: Do you have a static IP?

2: Are you sure that some sort of antivirus isn't screwing with Blockland?

3: Who's your ISP?

1: I am afraid I do not know (I am not very good with computers, other than making the most out of them).
I would tell you if I do, if I knew how to tell.

2: I am pretty sure that my antivirus isn't messing with Blockland. I use Norton 360, and I have had it prior to this problem and it has never given me any reason to believe that Blockland is being blocked or that it sees it as a threat. (Please no comments about Norton. It does it's job just fine for me, and I have had no problems with it whatsoever.)

3: My ISP is AOL Uk, which is run by The Carphone Warehouse.
I am not sure if my ISP has something to do with this, but I would doubt it, as I have had AOL as my service provider for about 5 years, and have had no similar problems of anykind during this time.
My family does plan to change our ISP over to Sky, sometime this year, however, but that's not set in stone with a date, and if my problem is my ISP, I wouldn't be too impressed, as I'd have to wait quite a while in order to host again.

[Headcrab Zombie]

1: I am afraid I do not know (I am not very good with computers, other than making the most out of them).
I would tell you if I do, if I knew how to tell.

(This is for windows 7. slightly different if you have a different version. If you have a mac, then idk) Go into Control panel > Network and sharing center. Click the name of the connection name (probably Local Area Connection), and click properties. Select Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) and click properties.
If it says 'Use the following IP address' then it's static.

[sir dooble]

I have Windows 7, and followed your instructions.

"Use the following IP address" is not selected, instead "Obtain an IP address automatically" is selected.

Thank you for the instructions.

[Block_cop]

I have Windows 7, and followed your instructions.

"Use the following IP address" is not selected, instead "Obtain an IP address automatically" is selected.

Thank you for the instructions.

Your using a Dynamic Ip then.
Also You have failed to mention what router your using in order to host,
Since it wasn't like this. My guess is your firmware is out of date, It has been
known to cause problems such as this. Btw Norton Overall Is junk I had it for 3 years
Never going back. It tended to delete my blockland saves and configs and whatever crap
it could find. It also blocked a bunch of ports for hosting. I switched to AVG [Free Version]
And I can pretty much host a server and keep it up. Also I would try opening Port 28000-28099 UDP And TCP, But thats just me.

Steam Support Says this about Norton

Norton/Symantic

If you have Norton Internet Security installed, try temporarily disabling this service (don't kill the task, use the normal Norton Services exit) to see if that clears the problem up.

[Headcrab Zombie]

I have Windows 7, and followed your instructions.

"Use the following IP address" is not selected, instead "Obtain an IP address automatically" is selected.

Thank you for the instructions.

Ok, follow this
http://portforward.com/networking/static-win7.htm

I'm not sure whether this will actually make a difference, but it wouldn't hurt to try.

[Block_cop]

Ok, follow this
http://portforward.com/networking/static-win7.htm

I'm not sure whether this will actually make a difference, but it wouldn't hurt to try.

Let us hope this works :)

[sir dooble]

Your using a Dynamic Ip then.
Also You have failed to mention what router your using in order to host,
Since it wasn't like this. My guess is your firmware is out of date, It has been
known to cause problems such as this.

My router is a Thomson Speedtouch: ST585v6sl.

And what exactly do that mean, that it is out of date?
The actual router is out of date?
And if this were true, would it not cause more problems than just this?

Btw Norton Overall Is junk I had it for 3 years
Never going back. It tended to delete my blockland saves and configs and whatever crap
it could find. It also blocked a bunch of ports for hosting. I switched to AVG [Free Version]
And I can pretty much host a server and keep it up. Also I would try opening Port 28000-28099 UDP And TCP, But thats just me.

I shall have a test of opening those ports, but as has happened everytime I've ever tried to open a port for anygame, including Blockland, Minecraft and a few others, I've never had any success.
The router itself in it's settings will tell me that the ports I want are opened. However, whenever I have tested these ports by accessing them with a game, as in, letting people try to join my Blockland server, they have never been able to connect or usually even find my server.
Apparantly the ports are still closed even though the router insists that they have been opened.

I have only ever had limited success with hosting games, and that was with Blockland due it's use of Upnp, and then I momentarily hosted a Minecraft server with Hamachi, once, before I did something the server files (collected them all up into one neat folder, instead of having them randomly sprawled through My Documents) and it decided to stop working again.

Ok, follow this
http://portforward.com/networking/static-win7.htm

I'm not sure whether this will actually make a difference, but it wouldn't hurt to try.

I have just followed all the steps in that link.
I have, I hope that's all I need to do. But I suppose if it isn't, I can simply change it back.

Should I give my server a test now?

[Block_cop]

My router is a Thomson Speedtouch: ST585v6sl.

And what exactly do that mean, that it is out of date?
The actual router is out of date?

Go to your Internet Service Provider support site and ask if you can get an update on your firmware. I wouldn't say the router is out of date it-self but some features are out of date for sure.

And if this were true, would it not cause more problems than just this?
I shall have a test of opening those ports, but as has happened everytime I've ever tried to open a port for anygame, including Blockland, Minecraft and a few others, I've never had any success.
The router itself in it's settings will tell me that the ports I want are opened. However, whenever I have tested these ports by accessing them with a game, as in, letting people try to join my Blockland server, they have never been able to connect or usually even find my server.
Apparantly the ports are still closed even though the router insists that they have been opened.

Try disabling norton entirely and see if that does anything at all.

Should I give my server a test now?

Go for it.

[sir dooble]

Go for it.

Okay.
I am currently hosting my server, and I would appreciate if someone could have a check to see if they can join.

The server title is "Sir Dooble's Stornway" and the map is "Slate Fields 4".

Try disabling norton entirely and see if that does anything at all.

If it doesn't work, then I shall try this.

Go to your Internet Service Provider support site and ask if you can get an update on your firmware. I wouldn't say the router is out of date it-self but some features are out of date for sure.

And finally, if that fails too, I shall give this a try.

Thank you for all the help so far, Block_cop, Headcrab and Bob.

[Block_cop]

Thank you for all the help so far, Block_cop, Headcrab and Bob.

Not a Problem, Were all here to give a helping hand to those in need of it.

[zenloth]

If using UPnP, having a dynamic IP shouldn't effect it as the UPnP rules aren't generally assigned to a single IP.

[sir dooble]

Thank you very much, everyone who helped.

My server is finally running again, after a long hiatus.
Hopefully it won't glitch out again.
And I'll hopefully see you in-game. Thank you all very, very much.

I shall leave this topic unlocked incase anyone else has any similar problems.

[Block_cop]

Thank you very much, everyone who helped.

My server is finally running again, after a long hiatus.
Hopefully it won't glitch out again.
And I'll hopefully see you in-game. Thank you all very, very much.

I shall leave this topic unlocked incase anyone else has any similar problems.

Not a problem, Me and Headcrab Zombie will be sure to help you all.