FG stopped correctly detecting external IP

[bigdruid]

Hi all,

Very long-time user here and had a new and bizarre issue crop up today. I often struggle with the complexities of items, effects, spells and such related to automating the combat but with the actual connection of the players to me, it's been effortless for years.

Apparently, my external IP address changed at some point recently, and today when I went to launch the server for our game, the connection test kept failing. After doing a bunch of digging, I noticed that my external IP address had a different octet than the one FG was reporting in the campaign launch screen. When I provided this address to my players, they were able to connect and we did actually get our session in.

What can I do to get this detected properly? I don't have a new network setup. The last change to my network configuration is at least 6 months old. That was removing my 'dumb' cable modem (single cat5 out port which went to configured router) to one that also had wireless/routing capabilities. When I first got the new modem, I enabled 1802 to forward to the previously mentioned router and it continued to work for months. Until today. Def didn't do much for my mood for my poor players today!

Thanks in advance!

Gary

[Andraax]

Your ISP may have made changes to their network.

[bigdruid]

Your ISP may have made changes to their network.Totally true. That would explain the changed IP address. Not sure how that relates to FG not detecting the current address tho?

[Moon Wizard]

The external IP address is actually returned by the FG servers when you click on the field as the IP address that connected to the server. I'm not sure why this would be different than the IP address for hosting. Maybe one of the users with more network expertise may have some ideas.

JPG

[bigdruid]

The external IP address is actually returned by the FG servers when you click on the field as the IP address that connected to the server. I'm not sure why this would be different than the IP address for hosting. Maybe one of the users with more network expertise may have some ideas.

JPGAllow me to clarify. I am aware of that button to get the external IP address. What I am saying is that the address that is showing in the screen after clicking on it is not correct. If I go to my modem, and get the WAN address directly from it, it is different than what FG has. The first octet isn't even the same. When I gave my players the WAN address my modem had, they could connect just fine. So the only issue I can see here is that FG is not correctly getting that address anymore, and is thus unable to allow players to connect via alias.

Did that make more sense?

[LordEntrails]

I have found similar issues after installing Hamachi and/or VMWare. Have you added any software like those or any other virtual network adapters?

I suspect FG looks for the first external and internal network adapters and returns those IPs. Which is necessarily the IPs that are actually used. I would investigate along those lines until someone else steps in more better info.

[bigdruid]

I have found similar issues after installing Hamachi and/or VMWare. Have you added any software like those or any other virtual network adapters?

I suspect FG looks for the first external and internal network adapters and returns those IPs. Which is necessarily the IPs that are actually used. I would investigate along those lines until someone else steps in more better info.If that was the case, I would be getting internal, non routeable class A or B addresses but I'm not. I'm getting a legit external address. Just the one I used to have, not the one I currently have.

[LordEntrails]

If that was the case, I would be getting internal, non routeable class A or B addresses but I'm not. I'm getting a legit external address. Just the one I used to have, not the one I currently have.
Sounds like you know more than me already :)

[Trenloe]

It may be how your ISP is reporting your WAN IP address to external sites. Go to canyouseeme.org and see if that reports the same as FG or the same as your modem.

[bigdruid]

It may be how your ISP is reporting your WAN IP address to external sites. Go to canyouseeme.org and see if that reports the same as FG or the same as your modem.Interesting suggestion. You wouldn't think that could be a substantial issue but after doing so, the IP is in the same class A as what FG though (I can't launch FG right this second), which was different from what the cable modem reported (and what actually allowed the people to connect).

I'll have to check the modem's address again and see how close they are. I would really rather not call the ISP (cable company). Can you imagine trying to describe this to a level 1 tech? Ain't enough alcohol.....

[LordEntrails]

...
I'll have to check the modem's address again and see how close they are. I would really rather not call the ISP (cable company). Can you imagine trying to describe this to a level 1 tech? Ain't enough alcohol.....
*lol* Too true. Though i have found with my ISP once I've had a tier 2 ticket it's pretty easy to get the tier 1 guys to acknowledge that they just need to give me a tier 2 again if the issue is at all related.

[bigdruid]

*lol* Too true. Though i have found with my ISP once I've had a tier 2 ticket it's pretty easy to get the tier 1 guys to acknowledge that they just need to give me a tier 2 again if the issue is at all related.Agreed. It's getting to tier 2 that's the problem.

[Nylanfs]

Agreed. It's getting to tier 2 that's the problem.

https://xkcd.com/806/

[bigdruid]

https://xkcd.com/806/Ha! part of my job is designing / programming some of my companies toll-free support menus.

[ddavison]

Funny story... I spent a few hours this weekend helping someone with their port forward, router and firewall settings that suddenly stopped working. After exhausting nearly everything I could think to check and even chasing down a red herring where the router was assigning the ethernet connection to a network called "ASUS Guest1", I had to throw in the towel and suggest they run it by their cable company. Their tech checked their modem and after a power outage and reset it went into unbridged mode and flipped on its internal firewall as well. If I hadn't had such bad experiences with tech support in the past, I would have been more comfortable suggesting that from the beginning.

[bigdruid]

Hi all

Just thought I would mention that without any action or explanation, FG is now correctly detecting and reporting the external IP. Best guess is that Comcast corrected and/or propagated the correct information in the interim.

Running the connection test from the campaign load screen now has that wonderful green word of SUCCESS.

Thanks to everyone for their thoughts.

Gary