0.6.0 always looses connection to server

[Reichsbahn]

Hello,

when playing 0.6.0 beta1 or 2 on a multiplayer server, every few minutes the game seems to "stop" (vehicles not moving, unable to build something etc.)
When I leave the server and come back again, the game has indeed proceeded with no pause.

It worked fine with 0.5.3 and before.

It is the same problem with all servers and with different computers I am using. (Athlon64 3200+ or Duron1300)
I have WinXP and a DSL2000 connection via a router.
The CPU usage on the bigger machine is ca. 7-10% when the game is running.
Turning all other programs off including Virus Scan and Windows Firewall does not help.

Thx in advance for any help!

[mrMann]

I reckon this is more internet-related than OpenTTD's fault. However, if it worked before, try rolling back and see if that fixes the problem. If it does, then its something to do with ottd, if not, check connections on your router.

[Reichsbahn]

If rolling back means: installing 0.5.3 - there it works.
I have 0.5.3 and 0.6.0 installed parallel on my computer.
It works wiht 0.5.3, and it does not work with 0.6.0.

[mrMann]

Is the firewall blocking OpenTTD 0.60? Just because 0.53 is unblocked, doesn't mean 0.6 is as well

[Reichsbahn]

There is no Firewall and no other internet-related program running.

[mrMann]

Well, i'm slightly worried at no firewall... Windows Firewall should at least be running.

[Reichsbahn]

Since the problem seems to be rather complicated, I will try to describe it as detailed as possible:

1. the Symptoms are:
- on many servers the game is jerking heavily.
- After a few minutes the game seems to stop completely. It is a "still picture" then on my screen, but the real game on the server is running ahead.
- Going off the server and on again helps until the next stop. These stops occur every two or three minutes on some severs, on others every 15 minutes.
- Sometimes I get kicked off the server with a "connection lost to server" message.

2.
this is only with 0.6.0 beta 1and 2 versions.
version 0.5.3 and before do not have the problem.
This is tested on two different computers. It is also tested with both versions installed in different folders.

3.
I have no Firewall, no Virus Scan or other bandwidth-using software running when OTTD is on. (except windowsXP;-)

4.
All my other applications using the internet (online games included) have no problems at all.

5.
I have a DSL 2000 connection and a D-Link router. The ports 3978 or 3979 forwarding with UDP or TCP does not have an effect onto the problem.

6.
I have two PCs connected to this router.
One is a Duron 1300 with 1 GB RAM and 64MB Graphics Card and WinXP SP2 installed.
The other is an Athlon 3200+ wiht 2 GB RAM and 256 MB Graphics Card and WinXP SP2.
The have both the Problem.

7.
The CPU usage on the bigger machine is 7-10% when the game is running; It does not change when the fault occurs.



I am a great fan of OTTD and play it online only, because the AI is no challenge. But this "off" feature is so annoying, that playing is no fun at all. If 0.6.0 will become a release in that state, the OTTD community will loose a member. If the problem is too complicated to solve it here in the forum, I would like to contact a developer.

Greetings

[Rubidium]

It's a strange issue, *but* it seems that you are the only one experiencing this. If it would really be an issues of OpenTTD then all other clients should have the same trouble.

The game completely 'freezing' happens in multiplayer when the client does not receive the 'go to next frame' packet of the server. This basically means that the packet does not get delivered to OpenTTD. Why 0.5.3 works and the betas not is a mystery to me as there has been no fundamental changes to the code that would result in this behaviour.

[athanasios]

Can you check your DSL connection Download/Upload speeds?
Can you carry one of the PCs to a friend's house and check from his DSL?
Do you have the problem with all servers/map sizes?

[planetmaker]

Can you check your DSL connection Download/Upload speeds?
Can you carry one of the PCs to a friend's house and check from his DSL?
Do you have the problem with all servers/map sizes?

Or setup with those two PCs a server yourself and use the 2nd PC as a client to this in you LAN. If it works smoothly there, it'll be a network issue rather than OTTD.

[Reichsbahn]

Here I tested my connection:
Download: 2.789 kbit/s (349 kByte/s)
Upload: 340 kbit/s (43 kByte/s)

I also made a pingtest several times.
Sometimes it says 46 ms.
Sometimes it says "can not be measured because of firewall". But there is surely no firewall running.

I used the site http://www.wieistmeineip.de for the tests.

Are these values sufficent enough to play OTTD online?
What could this randomly occurring firewall thing mean?

[Rubidium]

Sometimes it says "can not be measured because of firewall". But there is surely no firewall running.
...
Are these values sufficent enough to play OTTD online?
What could this randomly occurring firewall thing mean?

It means that sometimes the ping packets cannot go from the 'server' pinging you and back; it does not necessarily mean that your firewall is interfering, it can also be some other hardware along the line. When looking at the troubles you have this seems to happen also with non-ping packets; with OpenTTDs packets thing would mean the slowdown/total stop of the game.

What causes it and how it can be fixed is something that I cannot answer. I guess you have to poke your ISP into looking at your network trouble.

[Reichsbahn]

hello,

I set up a server myself and the results were different.
- the other PC in my LAN always had a good connection.
- some of the remote players also had a good connection, even those from far away.
- some others left with a "lost connection" message.
- and some left with a "client did not respond for 4 game days." message.

What conclusions can I make of that?

[Rubidium]

- the other PC in my LAN always had a good connection.

OpenTTD is working okay.

- some of the remote players also had a good connection, even those from far away.

OpenTTD is working okay.

- some others left with a "lost connection" message.

Some ISP/user has network trouble.

- and some left with a "client did not respond for 4 game days." message.

The client has a too slow computer.

[Reichsbahn]

Hello, here I am reviving the old thread because I have new evidence.

I had a program running called "xpy", and after that all that throwing out of the game went better!
But now the Internet has Problems, becoming extremely lame.

I think that xpy switches off some "services" of the Windows XP System.

Does anybody know about services that make Problems with OTTD?