Connecting to server via Server Browser not working - works via remote?

[the_antipop]

Hey guys,

One of my clan members is the head of IT at a big company in one of Australia's major cities. Now, he has a spare box lying around doing nothing so he has put some ArmA servers on it. Now, the servers appear fine in the server browser, however if you try and connect to them through the server browser everyone gets "Connecting failed". However, if you go into 'Remote', add the IP, it will appear and then you can connect. It's very bizarre and we aren't to sure what the problem is. Obviously as it's a big company it has a major custom firewall and router protection. Now, he's opened all the necessary ArmA ports, being 2302-2305. Are there any others that maybe are not as well known? Or ones that are maybe open by default on all routers/windows firewalls that ArmA utilises; which is subsequently switched off at this IT company due to heavier security?

Just a note, once you hit remote, add the ip, and hit okay, it appears in the server browser, obviously by itself; and once it's there no one has issues connecting. It's just a problem when you maybe filter my clan's name, all our servers popup, then we try and join direct from that filter and everyone gets connecting failed.

TL;DR Server appears in browser fine, but can't connect to it, get connecting failed. Only way to connect is to add the IP to remote and go from there.

Has anyone else had this problem before? Any solutions or work arounds without pulling down a firewall?

Edit: Could it be gamespy's ports? Are there gamespy ports that need to be open in order to connect to a server through the browser?

Cheers,
Anti

[Overlord]

In server config you'll find a section pretty similar to this:

//reportingIP = "armedass.master.gamespy.com"; // This is the default setting. If you change this, your server
//reportingIP = "arma2pc.master.gamespy.com"; // In case of ArmA2 might not turn up in the public list. Leave empty for private servers
reportingIP = "arma2oapc.master.gamespy.com"; // For Operation Arrowhead
//reportingIP = "";

Line I've un-commented shows it as an Arrowhead/CO server.

[bluey82d]

In server config you'll find a section pretty similar to this:

Line I've un-commented shows it as an Arrowhead/CO server.

Thanks Overlord. I tried that (i am hosting the server for AAF) but after restart no change.

It is really weird as the server shows up in the Arma 2 (Internet) server browser with no problem.
You can click on the server there to take to you the login request as it as a PW (the fact that it requests PW shows that the server is accessible but I noticed that even if I enter wrong PW, still get same message?).
You enter the correct PW, but after about 10 seconds it responds with connecting failed.
If we click Remote and enter the IP address and Port manually we can see the server in the list, then we click the server here and enter the same PW and the game loads fine for all of us.

I have firewall rules to allow all known ports.
I have disabled the windows and symantec firewall components on the hosting PC.
If we connect to the same IP using the Remote option it works even though it has to pass through the same firewall.
At one stage we tried with no password, but still had the same connecting failed message.

Also, the server shows up in Gametracker as online and the IP address is correct.

Any more advice?

Bluey [AAF]

[_MaSSive]

Well if server shows up in Arma2 server browser but not in OA, that would mean that either you have arma2pc.master.gamespy.com instead of arma2oapc.master.gamespy.com or you might have arma2server installed instead of arma2oaserver. One thing more might happen that there is arma2 server on the same IP with the same port and you got conflict. If firewall rules are applied I cant see what else might be there.

[.kju [PvPscene]]

Post the server.cfg and arma2oa.cfg/basic.cfg please

[bluey82d]

More info.
Gametracker shows the correct IP for the server.
Gamespy does not. Gamespy is showing another WAN IP our firewall uses, I am trying to use a routing rule to force the outbound data to Gamespy to use the correct external WAN IP so that we can log in right, but so far it is not working as the browser view of the server links to the wrong IP address.
So it is somewhat "firewall" related in some way, but I am not entirely sure what port the server broadcasts its presence to Gamespy on. Thought it was 10558 and routed this, but this might not be quite right?
I have confirmed it is running arma2oaserver and the browser master is set to arma2oapc.master.gamespy.com as previously advised.

Configs from the server as below. Thanks for helping.

arma cfg
language="English";
adapter=-1;
3D_Performance=1;
Resolution_Bpp=32;
Windowed=0;
MinBandwidth=8388608;
MaxBandwidth=67108864;
MaxMsgSend=2048;
MaxSizeGuaranteed=512;
MaxSizeNonguaranteed=64;
MinErrorToSend=0.0080000004;
MaxCustomFileSize=112640;

srver cfg
//
// server.cfg
//
// comments are written with "//" in front of them.



// GLOBAL SETTINGS
hostname = "AAF I44 Operations - AustralianArmedForces.Org"; // The name of the server that shall be displayed in the public server list
password = "xxxxxxxx"; // Password for joining, eg connecting to the server
passwordAdmin = "xxxxxxx"; // Password to become server admin. When you're in Arma MP and connected to the server, type '#login xyz'
//reportingIP = "armedass.master.gamespy.com"; // This is the default setting. If you change this, your server
//reportingIP = "arma2pc.master.gamespy.com"; // In case of ArmA2 might not turn up in the public list. Leave empty for private servers
reportingIP = "arma2oapc.master.gamespy.com"; // For Operation Arrowhead
logFile = "server_console.log"; // Tells ArmA-server where the logfile should go and what it should be called



// WELCOME MESSAGE ("message of the day")
// It can be several lines, separated by comma
// Empty messages "" will not be displayed at all but are only for increasing the interval
motd[] =
{
"Welcome to the AAF i44 Operationns Server",
"We are looking for mature new recruits - Join us Now !",
"http://australianarmedforces.org/",
"TS3 Server for recruits: ts.ausarma.org:9987"
};
motdInterval = 5; // Time interval (in seconds) between each message



// JOINING RULES
//checkfiles[] = {}; // Outdated.
maxPlayers = 20; // Maximum amount of players. Civilians and watchers, beholder, bystanders and so on also count as player.
kickDuplicate = 0; // Each ArmA version has its own ID. If kickDuplicate is set to 1, a player will be kicked when he joins a server where another player with the same ID is playing.
verifySignatures = 0; // Verifies the players files by checking them with the .bisign signatures. Works properly from 1.08 on
equalModRequired = 0; // Outdated. If set to 1, player has to use exactly the same -mod= startup parameter as the server.



// VOTING
voteMissionPlayers = 1; // Tells the server how many people must connect so that it displays the mission selection screen.
voteThreshold = 1.1; // 33% or more players need to vote for something, for example an admin or a new map, to become effective



// INGAME SETTINGS
disableVoN = 0; // If set to 1, Voice over Net will not be available
vonCodecQuality = 7; // Quality from 1 to 10
persistent = 0; // If 1, missions still run on even after the last player disconnected.



// SCRIPTING ISSUES
onUserConnected = ""; // self-explaining
onUserDisconnected = "";
doubleIdDetected = "";
regularCheck = "";

// some ArmA specific stuff - signature verification
onUnsignedData = "kick (_this select 0)"; // unsigned data detected
onHackedData = "ban (_this select 0)"; // tampering of the signature detected
onDifferentData = ""; // data with a valid signature, but different version than the one present on server detected
BattlEye = 0; //Server to use BattlEye system

[.kju [PvPscene]]

a) do you run multiple servers from the instance/machine/ip?
b) are you made sure this server.cfg is actually active?

[_MaSSive]

More info.
Gametracker shows the correct IP for the server.
Gamespy does not. Gamespy is showing another WAN IP our firewall uses, I am trying to use a routing rule to force the outbound data to Gamespy to use the correct external WAN IP so that we can log in right, but so far it is not working as the browser view of the server links to the wrong IP address.
So it is somewhat "firewall" related in some way, but I am not entirely sure what port the server broadcasts its presence to Gamespy on. Thought it was 10558 and routed this, but this might not be quite right? ....

Use -ip=<nnn.nnn.nnn.nnn> switch in your arma2oaserver script. Add it in OTHERPARAMS like this

OTHERPARAMS='-switch=1 -switch=2 -ip=nnn.nnn.nn.nn'

As for the cfg some things you want to be configured better there.

Example

//
// server.cfg
//
// comments are written with "//" in front of them.


// GLOBAL SETTINGS
hostname = "AAF I44 Operations - AustralianArmedForces.Org";                 // The name of the server that shall be displayed in the public server list
password = "**********";                                          // Password for joining, eg connecting to the server
passwordAdmin = "********";                                    // Password to become server admin. When you're in Arma MP and connected to the server, type '#login xyz'
//reportingIP = "armedass.master.gamespy.com";          // For ArmA1 publicly list your server on GameSpy. Leave empty for private servers
//reportingIP = "arma2pc.master.gamespy.com";           // For ArmA2 publicly list your server on GameSpy. Leave empty for private servers
reportingIP = "arma2oapc.master.gamespy.com";           // For Arma2: Operation Arrowhead
logFile = "server_console.log";                         // Tells ArmA-server where the logfile should go and what it should be called


// WELCOME MESSAGE ("message of the day")
// It can be several lines, separated by comma
// Empty messages "" will not be displayed at all but are only for increasing the interval
motd[] = {
        "","",
        "Welcome to the AAF i44 Operationns Server",
	"We are looking for mature new recruits - Join us Now !",
	"http://australianarmedforces.org/",
	"TS3 Server for recruits: ts.ausarma.org:9987"
};
motdInterval = 5;                                      // Time interval (in seconds) between each message


// JOINING RULES
//checkfiles[] = {};                                    // Outdated.
maxPlayers = 20;                                        // Maximum amount of players. Civilians and watchers, beholder, bystanders and so on also count as player.
kickDuplicate = 1;                                      // Each ArmA version has its own ID. If kickDuplicate is set to 1, a player will be kicked when he joins a server where $
verifySignatures = 2;                                   // Verifies .pbos against .bisign files. Valid values 0 (disabled), 1 (prefer v2 sigs but accept v1 too) and 2 (only v2 $
equalModRequired = 0;                                   // Outdated. If set to 1, player has to use exactly the same -mod= startup parameter as the server.
//requiredBuild = 90242;                                        // Require clients joining to have at least build 12345 of game, preventing obsolete clients to connect


// VOTING
voteMissionPlayers = 0;                                 // Tells the server how many people must connect so that it displays the mission selection screen.
voteThreshold = 1.5;                                    // 33% or more players need to vote for something, for example an admin or a new map, to become effective


// INGAME SETTINGS
disableVoN = 0;                                         // If set to 1, Voice over Net will not be available
vonCodecQuality = 7;                                    // Quality from 1 to 10
persistent = 1;                                         // If 1, missions still run on even after the last player disconnected.
timeStampFormat = "full";                               // Set the timestamp format used on each report line in server-side RPT file. Possible values are "none" (default),"shor$
BattlEye = 1;                                           // Server to use BattlEye system


// SCRIPTING ISSUES
onUserConnected = "";                                   //
onUserDisconnected = "";                                //
doubleIdDetected = "";                                  //
regularCheck = "{}";                                  //  Server checks files from time to time by hashing them and comparing the hash to the hash values of the clients. Causes$


// SIGNATURE VERIFICATION
onUnsignedData = "kick (_this select 0)";            // unsigned data detected
onHackedData = "kick (_this select 0)";                      // tampering of the signature detected
onDifferentData = "";                                   // data with a valid signature, but different version than the one present on server detected

class Missions {
};

As for arma2oa.cfg

language="English";
adapter=-1;
3D_Performance=1;
Resolution_W=800;
Resolution_H=600;
Resolution_Bpp=32;
Windowed=0;
viewDistance=3000;
terrainGrid=50;
MaxMsgSend=32;
MaxSizeGuaranteed=1024;
MaxSizeNonguaranteed=256;
MaxBandwidth=2147483647;
MinErrorToSend=0.001;
MinErrorToSendNear=0.0099999998;
MaxCustomFileSize=0;

Note that this is for 100Mbit quad core 16GB ram server.

[bluey82d]

Thanks Massive, I will update with your suggestions and let you know how I go.

[bluey82d]

I tried the -IP=nnn.nnn.nnn.nnn and entered the WAN IP address I want to use Massive, but using this switch result in cannot start server on port 230x error.
Note also that this is windows based server.

I put the -ip in both startline and arma2oa.par, but as long as that switch was present the server would not start.