Log In Issues When Server Up for a While

[Ramtrap]

When I have my server up (whether it's overnight or an hour before gametime), I connect just fine. Port forwarding is fine, my computer's not timing out or anything, it's not going to sleep..everything seems fine on my end. However, my players can't connect.

However, if I end that session, and go back in and immediately start the server up again--poof--all problems have gone away.

Has anyone else experienced this, where if you leave the server up, it's just fine for you, but no one else can connect, causing you to have to completely shut down the server to bring it up again? It sucks because I will have everything ready, maps up, all pieces placed where I want only to have to do it *all* over again because no one can connect.

Help!

Thanks!

[Zacchaeus]

Nope, I haven't seen this and I regularly have FG up for hours at a time and I've never had to shut things down so someone can connect. I can't think of anything specific that might cause the issue. Maybe if you use a password that times out if no one uses it for a while, but that's a real shot in the dark.

[Ramtrap]

Yeah, there's nothing abnormal at all (i.e. no passwords or anything; it's strictly connecting via the server alias). It's the weirdest thing. If I start it up and people join immediately, there's no problems. But for whatever reason, I have issues if it's been up for a while with no one else in it. I might see if I can just get a local host to stay in the server and see if that has any impact. Drawing blanks.

[Andraax]

Your ISP might be switching IP addresses on you.

[damned]

Are you doing Port Forwarding or UPnP?

[LordEntrails]

Can they connect if they don't use the alias? It's possible someone else with the same alias is starting their session up after your and redirecting the alias to their server from your and then when you restart you are re-claiming it.

[damned]

Can they connect if they don't use the alias? It's possible someone else with the same alias is starting their session up after your and redirecting the alias to their server from your and then when you restart you are re-claiming it.

^^^ this...

[Ramtrap]

I've generated new alias names multiple times in an effort to correct this. I even went so far as to rebuild--completely--the entire Storm King's Thunder campaign we were using because I thought that maybe something had gotten corrupted. No dice.

I just *finally* figured out how to get a static IP address (I was having issues with the DNS server being the same as default gateway and took me a time to find OpenDNS), so we'll see if this does any better.

Otherwise, are you suggesting they connect directly to my IP vice the server alias?

Thanks for your help with this!

[damned]

Best way to test is to test with connecting via IP address - if that works it may be the Alias issue.

[Ramtrap]

Best way to test is to test with connecting via IP address - if that works it may be the Alias issue.

I'm still having no luck with my players connecting unless they connect as soon as I load up. If there server's been up (could be 20 min, could be an hour, could be longer), they can't connect at all.

I have a static IP and my DNS should be fine running through Open DNS, but I'm still having these issues. Any idea where I could turn to help? Maybe StackOverflow? Anyone have an idea where to turn?

[damned]

Did you use manual Port Forwarding to set up your Router or did it "just work"?
If it just worked - your UPnP settings may be expiring to quickly - setting manual port forwards would probably be the easiest next step.

[Trenloe]

Have you tried with the external IP address, not the alias?

If the external IP address doesn't work, and you've confirmed that's correct (I know you mention you have a static IP address, but still best to double check), then there's something in your setup stopping the port forwarding through process.

Do you have a manual port forwarding rule setup, or are you relying on UPnP?
Do you see anything in the GM chat saying a player has connected?
Do you have another computer on your own network you could test using the internal IP address of the GM (not the alias)? This would help to identify if the issue is on your computer or the network.

[Trenloe]

And one thing to try when this happens again. Start another instance of FG on the GM's computer, go to the Load Campaign screen (but don't load a campaign), click the "Run Test" button - don't worry whether it passes or fails. Then exit this second instance of FG. Then see if the players can connect.

[Ramtrap]

Have you tried with the external IP address, not the alias?

If the external IP address doesn't work, and you've confirmed that's correct (I know you mention you have a static IP address, but still best to double check), then there's something in your setup stopping the port forwarding through process.

Do you have a manual port forwarding rule setup, or are you relying on UPnP?
Do you see anything in the GM chat saying a player has connected?
Do you have another computer on your own network you could test using the internal IP address of the GM (not the alias)? This would help to identify if the issue is on your computer or the network.

I have manual port forwarding to 1802 --> TCP.
I always see players connect, yes--but it's really only if they connect within several minutes (maybe up to 20?) of me starting up the server. But let's say we end our session and some players stay on to level up while others aren't able. I leave the server on for them so that they may level up the next day, however, they can't connect that next day. It just won't link up. The people that stayed in the server from the day prior are still connected, but it won't take anyone else unless I close it down and restart it. It's the same issue as if I start the server up at like 6 pm and someone tries to log in at 7:30--they get access denied.
I *can* connect using the external IP address (public IP, right?) from another computer (e.g. not "localhost") and everything seems to come up.

I went back on my Fios router and took off the Port Forwarding and did it again. Hopefully that fixes the issue, but I'm at a loss for identifying any other fix, as this is about as network-technical as I can get.

I really do appreciate your feedback and help @damned and @Trenloe. Will update if it works if I leave the server up a while and someone else tries to connect. Thank you!

[Trenloe]

I *can* connect using the external IP address (public IP, right?) from another computer (e.g. not "localhost") and everything seems to come up.
Give your external IP to your players.

[Ramtrap]

I really wish I had an idea as to why I'm having the issues I am. I just tried Trenloe's suggestion to start a second instance and only click the "Run Test" button, which just hangs (which I'd expect, since my first instance has the server up and loaded). It's the weirdest damned thing though because even though I have a static IP, people only seem to be able to connect the instant I throw the server up. They stay on just fine, but if it's up over 20 minutes, I have to close the entire server down in order to get everyone connected. I wonder if it might be worth uninstalling FG entirely and putting in a fresh copy? Or maybe trying to install FG on another Windows 10 profile and loading up the server from the current drive (or maybe just copying over the files).

At a loss.

[Andraax]

Doesn't sound like a FG issue, so I predict reinstalling it will do nothing. Probably the DDoS protection in your router.

[Ramtrap]

Doesn't sound like a FG issue, so I predict reinstalling it will do nothing. Probably the DDoS protection in your router.

Any idea how to fix that manually, or would I need to have Verizon do that, themselves? I have FIOS, if that's at all helpful, and computer is linked in via Ethernet.

[Andraax]

Any idea how to fix that manually, or would I need to have Verizon do that, themselves? I have FIOS, if that's at all helpful, and computer is linked in via Ethernet.

Depends on your router.

[Ramtrap]

Depends on your router.

I have the Fios modem and that's linked into a Nighthawk router.
Thinking though, and I don't know why I didn't mention this before, but wondering if this may be a cause: I have the ethernet going from the wall into a TP-Link 5-port gigabit ethernet switch and that's routing out the connection to my computer. I'm going to try and connect directly from the wall into the computer and see if there's any difference, as I can't find any setting anywhere on the router that's blocking connections to my server.

[damned]

Ramtrap I cant recall did you have another computer within the house that you can use to do a test to the LAN IP when the connections arent being accepted?

[Xemit]

Unless it is a high end managed switch, it won't make any difference like the problem you are encountering.

Some of the cheaper auto switches can get a bit 'confused' if the local LAN is reconfigured a lot. A simple power cycle of the switch will fix that. When this issue is happening, basically nothing goes through, and that isn't the problem you describe.

Most likely is some form of DDOS/flood protection, or the lease times on DHCP IP is set to about 20 minutes instead of a more typical three days or more. With static IPs, the DHCP lease won't be an issue.

The flood protection can be upstream from you, hence the requests for testing locally, which eliminates the upstream hardware.