Cheaters forcing admins to new levels...

[darkpeace]

Double Post, so not extra stat:

PS: I am not kidding about the VPNs either. Make your server double as a VPN server, host a webpage, make sure locals know about it, etc

Sure beats having cheaters and strangers if you host on a private 'WAN' as such, as every single player is known by the admin, with their own username & password.

To work around the invisible server issue, just host a 0 player server outside of the VPN, with just the web address of how to register as a player of that server.

(Sure its more work for admins, it is only optional, and does add some lag, but it stops ALL CHEATERS, and any assholes get banned by ID, and also have no way to authenticate to the server)

This may sound really complex, but in fact it is only a 90 minute job, and well worth it, even with the additional lag / overheads of a VPN.

It can (to a degree) also ensure the player is not uploading or downloading anything (to cheat or otherwise) thus affecting their ping, and everyone elses 'perception' of that player, since once they join the VPN, unless they know how to edit their routing tables, they will lose internet access, and gain VPN only access.

Its also good, as 'My Network Places' shows the shares on the server when they authenticate, and you can bandwidth control their usage (or host an FTP as normal, so they can use the Internet while downloading addons)

Also to the above, we also need a Server Addon manager tool, that helps players remove old addons, setup (multiple) addon folders per server, etc, etc

I am sure these 2 last posts will spawn HEAPS of FANTASTIC ideas

[sicilian]

3 things related vpns:

Network performance decreases -> pings will get higher!

Everyone has to install vpn client and be sure not every server admin will/can use the same software. So everyone has to install multiple vpn clients where you cant be sure all will work properly!

If you've been connected to the vpn you are in a "local" network with the other players. Your pc will be attackable more than through inet if any player got bad ideas! Remember that! It begins with your shares... and could and with a complete system death.
I would never join to a vpn where I don't personally know the others!

Expansion:
Plz forget CRC32! This algorithm is to old for nowadays!
It could be used to make sure files are uploaded/downloaded correctly but in security it is not a standard at all!

If you want to do something use md5 or sha or anything else...

[RN Malboeuf]

what i am confused about is what the problem is

The RN server has been running for three years, more then any of yours, we see our share of cheaters, we probly cry about them more then others, but why do we have only 4 players banned on our server and not hundreds like the others


the ablitly to anoy cheaters and making them not come back

we do this by doing both, IP range banning (it bans 256 ppl not the whole country) and ID banning

we remove the IDs later because we know they are done and gone

and we try to avoid the little kiddie fights you all seem to get into every single day

[RN Malboeuf]

also any work on vpn or secure client conections is way to pointless this late into the game

the OFP Community is at its lowest, wait till OFP2 comes out, there are all ready guys working on this that know allot more then you guys do

[sicilian]

it bans 256 ppl not the whole country

Nice reading this! Very nice, banning 252 ppl because one of them was propably cheating! If you think your're right, go on with it.

PS: For your info: Only 254 are possible.

And be sure. It's our task to do anything now!

[RN Malboeuf]

actualyy depending on the network set up its 255-256

and the chance of there being more then 1 person on that block is very slim and you need a reality check if think a whole country will get banned


when you get a clue get back to us

[sicilian]

actualyy depending on the network set up its 255-256

Dunno who told to you but its wrong at all!

Highest practical number of any of the IP parts is 255!
Minus networkadress 0, broadcast 255 and the gateway IP at the last IP part.
At the end there are 253 available adresses in a class c network...

But before we don't find a end I'm actually working on a automation to ban faked IDs. Any player connecting with a faked ID will automatically set onto the ban.txt. Every time he change his ID it will be added. Further intentions are to setup the ban.txt before we know the ID so players with faked IDs could never connect. This will hopefully take out the intention blocking IP adress ranges in your firewalls...

[RN Malboeuf]

lol


re-read what i posted

and since your so on top of things i wont mention the fact that this program all ready exists

[darkpeace]

I only meant use VPN as a temporary workaround.

Forcing players to authenticate, with a username & password (per server) as well as a legit player-id (per copy of the game) would cut down cheating alot (but do this at the 'connecting to server' level, not force everyone to use VPN, it was just a comparison & a temp fix thats all.

Also, where is the program that blocks faked ids ?
-How does it know the id is fake, and not real ?
-I am aware of some super long player IDs that are prob fakes

Cheers,
Tabris.DarkPeace

[sicilian]

and since your so on top of things i wont mention the fact that this program all ready exists

If it exists right now why are so many ID fakers out there? Strange ain't it!

@darkpeace
currently under development. beta in testing phase