Mplayer issues with direct ip. Can anyone help?

[jonpfl]

All,

I am having a very hard time getting this to work direct connect.

I have the following set up (all machines on roadrunner) :
Computer 1 is a pitboss server running at my house. Port 2056 is forwarded on my router
Computer 2 is at my girlfriends house and the machine I play on. It has a router with port 2056 forwarded. She also has vonage (not sure if that matters). Windows firewall is turned off. She does have Norton anti-virus running but no other firewall that I can see.
Computer 3 is another guy in another town. He told me all he has is a cable modem with Windows firewall (which he turned off)
Computer 4 is another guy in another town. He said all he has is a cable and Norton firewall

When we all try to log onto pitboss (computer 2, 3 and 4) we can't play. It says something about trying to connect to peer. If I kick myself from the game, 3 and 4 can play fine and played for almost 2 hrs last night.

Can anyone give suggestions or ideas why I can't play with these guys? Even when we all 3 log in, we can do a turn or two but then the timer stops moving and it says "Waiting to hear from player X" and when I log out everything seems to go back to normal.

Thx
jonpfl

 

[sometemple]

Everytime I've ever had a firewall problem (or some port or IP filtering software running), I haven't been able to log onto a game at all. You shouldn't even be able to connect to the lobby in internet games. Are you playing on a network that is using a lot of bandwidth? If I'm downloading and talking on a VOIP phone and trying to play a game, it does similar stuff.

You've definitely been in the game though, if only for a couple of turns?

 

[jonpfl]

Yes, I have been able to log in for a few turns and then everything goes bad.

There isnt much network traffic since there is only one computer on the network and the phone is not in use.

Like I said, it is over my gfriends house and her vonage adaptor is outside the firewall. Could that be causing problems?

Thx
jonpfl

 

[sometemple]

Vonage is definitely not your issue. I've got a similar service here and have never had trouble like that. The phone traffic is completely independent from the game traffic as far as that's concerned. Can you connect to regular internet games from this computer?

Further troubleshooting:

1.) minimize the game once you connect and see if there is some software conflict (firewall, peer guardian, etc.) certain software might be triggered once you're actually in the game.

2.) try reinstalling the game

 

[jonpfl]

I didn't realize it but the Vonage box is outside the firewall/router.

It goes like this :
Cable Modem -> Vonage -> Router -> computer

I went into the setup screen for Vonage and port forwarded 2056 to the router and I played for 1+ hours last night. I think that must have been the problem.

Thx
jonpfl

 

[sometemple]

so all of your traffic gets pushed through the vonage box first? Why don't you run it to the router and then to both your comp and the vonage box from there? I'm glad you figured it out.

 

[jonpfl]

Yeah, everything gets pushed through the Vonage box first.

I tried to put everything through the router first but then Vonage didnt work. I read the instructions and it said you could do it either way but if you put it behind the router, you might need to open ports. Since I got it to work, I figured I would leave it alone.

I talked to a guy at work who has Vonage and he got a different box with Vonage but he just got it a month ago.

My gfriend has had it for a couple of years so maybe things have changed. Her ex installed it so I wasnt aware of it initially.

Thx
jonpfl