Game Development Community

Odd things with IPX

by Bruce Wallace · in Torque Game Engine · 08/07/2002 (5:55 am) · 6 replies

Hello,

The problem I am having is with detecting servers on IPX from my network.
Torque always seems to just bypass it and find the server from the master server list.



Snip from client Log:


Binding server port to default IP
UDP initialized on port 0
IPX initialized on port 0
Engine initialized...
LAN server ping: IP:Broadcast:28000...
LAN server ping: IPX:FFFFFFFF:FFFFFFFFFFFF:28000...
No master servers found in this region, trying IP:216.116.33.156:28002.
Requesting the server list from master server IP:216.116.33.156:28002 (2 tries left)...
Received server list packet 1 of 1 from the master server (1 servers).
Pinging Server IP:192.168.0.167:28000 (3)...
Pinging Server IP:24.159.129.152:28000 (3)...
Pinging Server IP:24.159.129.152:28000 (2)...
Pinging Server IP:24.159.129.152:28000 (1)...
Pinging Server IP:24.159.129.152:28000 (0)...
Ping to server IP:24.159.129.152:28000 timed out.
Querying Server IP:192.168.0.167:28000 (3)...
Server query canceled.


Snips from server Log:

Binding server port to default IP
UDP initialized on port 0
IPX initialized on port 0
Engine initialized...
Exporting server prefs...
Starting multiplayer mode
Binding server port to default IP
UDP initialized on port 28000
IPX initialized on port 28000

... some more script loading

*** LOADING MISSION: racing/data/missions/track1.mis
*** Stage 1 load
*** Stage 2 load
Executing racing/data/missions/track1.mis.
*** Mission loaded
Connect request from: IPX:CECECECE:CECECECECECE:52942
Connection established 1369
CADD: 1370 local
*** Sending mission load to client: racing/data/missions/track1.mis

This test is done on the same machine, but happens with every PC on the network and
seem to go through my ISP to play the game that is served on a machine 10 feet away.
I remembered having this problem with tribes 2, but remembered tribes 1 had no problem
finding IPX servers. So I did the same exact test with Tribes 1 again and my IPX server
showed up no problems. Quite odd, Anyone have any ideas on what Is causing this?
Or have any Idea how to resolve it, because It seems odd that Tribes 1 can do it with
no hitchs and Torque just ignores it.

Thanks for your time.
NextNext Thread
PrevPrevious Thread
More from Torque Game Engine


Torque Owner David Chait
#1
08/09/2002 (7:54 pm)
Sorry if this is a silly question, but what do you gain running under IPX instead of TCPIP? I would be shocked if much effort had gone into any of the IPX code of late, while enhancements to TCP wouldn't surprise me in the slightest.

Just wondering.

d

Torque Owner Nathan Martin
TRON 2001 Network
#2
08/09/2002 (10:00 pm)
Because TCP/IP is never used except when querying game servers themselfs for information, but when it comes to receiving a server list via a IPX broadcast packet, UDP connection to the master server, and actually connected to a game server for multi-player(via UDP too), TCP/IP is useless.

By the way I think TCP/IP should have been used to query the master server instead of using UDP since that would have been a smarter move. Leave UDP connections for actual game play. :P

Torque Owner Tim Gift
#3
08/10/2002 (10:55 am)
The game performs two different queries, the query to the master server, and broadcasts on the local IP and IPX area network. When you see the results being display from the master server query, you'll always only see IP addresses, since the master doesn't support IPX. If you're server is registered with the master, and responding to local IPX lan queries, you should see two servers listed on your client's server dialog box. They'll both actually point to the same server, but one entry will have the IP address, the other the IPX address. What protocol is used to connect to the server will depend on which entry you select :) There should be some script code in there to filter out duplicates and always "prefer" the local address.

Torque 3D Owner Bruce Wallace
#4
08/11/2002 (12:23 pm)
Ok some clarifications, my reasons for posting:

1. I cannot see servers hosted on my LAN unless they connect to the master server. (If the host is offline, it wont be found by the join server GUI, I've tried modifying the gui some but no success yet.)

2. If torque is not connected to the internet it takes a considerably longer time to start up.(why?)

3. I will get a 100 or more ping to computers 10 feet away because it chooses to go through the internet to play instead of the local network.(again why?)

I keep trying to figure it out, but I am confused and looking for help.

Thank you,
Bruce Wallace

Torque Owner Tim Gift
#5
08/12/2002 (9:43 am)
1. Is your server on the same IPX sub-net? It sounds like it isn't, or it would be also respoding the local IP broadcast. Local servers must be on the same IP or IPX subnet for the broadcast to work.

2. Not sure why it takes longer to start up... all the networking is asynchronous. Sounds like something to look into.

3. If the client get's an IP from the master server, it will connected using the IP address, which means out to your ISP.

Torque 3D Owner Bruce Wallace
#6
08/27/2002 (7:27 am)
Sorry I took so long to respond, I am still looking into this. As Tribes 1 and other games can find IPX server on my network, I figure Torque should be able to do it as well.

This is how my network is set up, and I'm sure many people have similar.

ISP->Router->Switching Hub->All the computers.

The router acts as a DHCP server for the computers. Giving them all 192.168.0.xxx IPs

I am not very versed on network communication but this problem is helping me learn.
I can see why TCP/IP locally may be a bit screwed up because of the router, but IPX should still work(As stated Tribes 1 does).

Basically I want to set up a server and have the local clients connect locally through IPX and still allow for outside connections. But what I get is all of them connecting through the ISP because its the only server they can see.

Any information on why this should or should not work would be appriciated. And if anyone else has a similar set up and it is working fine I'd like to hear about it.

Until then I'll keep poking around and see if I can figure anything else out.

Thanks for all the responses,

Bruce