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Timeouts in CM:AK TCP/IP - Any bright ideas?


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I've just started to encounter these every turn in a huge TCP/IP game I'm playing. Turn processing on my machine is taking between 10 and 15 minutes per turn on the TCP/IP game I'm playing. So my opponent connects to the game, we plot our moves, then the processing begins on my PC.

It finishes and turn upload begins. However, I usually get a 'disconnection' message during the video part of the turn. We then have to resume from the autosave and reprocess the turn.

Apart from 'play smaller scenarios', does anyone have any clever ideas? Any way to stop the game 'timing out'?

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Get a faster computer... :D

Actually I'm not sure what may change this state of affairs. I believe that the 'calculating' computer goes immediately to viewing the video while it is simultaneously uploading the turn data to the opponent. It's while uploading or attempting to start the upload that you get the 'disconnect' error message I presume. Are you ever able to actually play and watch a full turn before getting the 'disconnect' ? Does opening and playing the Autosave allow your opponent to view the turn themselves (for the first time)? What does your opponent see on their side when you get the disconnect - are they seeing any progress bars or do they immediately get the error message themselves too ?

What type of internet connection do you and your opponent have ? Are there any internet-based apps running in the background (browser, instant-messaging client, etc.) ? Can either of you "ping" the other person's computer directly ?

I don't know if there are any 'timeout' limitations within the OpenPlay API that may be causing this. Unfortunately I don't know of any way to keep TCP Port 7023 "alive", if it is the lack of activity on that port that is causing the disconnect. Do either of you have a router and/or firewall (hardware or software) that you're connecting through ? Do either of you have a non-routable IP address for your computer (i.e. - 192.168.x.x or 10.x.x.x) ?

What is the Plotting Timer set to in the game ? Though I doubt that this could affect the disconnect, it seems to be the only connection-related setting you can adjust in CM. Possibly trying a much larger time might help.

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Originally posted by Schrullenhaft:

Get a faster computer... :D

.

I forgot to post my system specs.

Athlon 64 3500+ (Socket 939)

NForce chipset

2GB OCZ RAM

2 x 250GB SATA drives

GeForce IV Ti4200

Actually I'm not sure what may change this state of affairs. I believe that the 'calculating' computer goes immediately to viewing the video while it is simultaneously uploading the turn data to the opponent. It's while uploading or attempting to start the upload that you get the 'disconnect' error message I presume. Are you ever able to actually play and watch a full turn before getting the 'disconnect' ?

Out of 4 attempts, I managed to watch 1 full turn.

Does opening and playing the Autosave allow your opponent to view the turn themselves (for the first time)?
No. They get put back to the beginning of the turn and I have to reprocess.

What does your opponent see on their side when you get the disconnect - are they seeing any progress bars or do they immediately get the error message themselves too ?

What type of internet connection do you and your opponent have ? Are there any internet-based apps running in the background (browser, instant-messaging client, etc.) ? Can either of you "ping" the other person's computer directly ?

We're both on 1MBit ADSL connections, both on Draytek Vigor 2600G routers. The routers have been configured to allow traffic through port 7023. Both PCs are behind hardware firewalls, not connected directly to the interweb.

I don't know if there are any 'timeout' limitations within the OpenPlay API that may be causing this. Unfortunately I don't know of any way to keep TCP Port 7023 "alive", if it is the lack of activity on that port that is causing the disconnect. Do either of you have a router and/or firewall (hardware or software) that you're connecting through ? Do either of you have a non-routable IP address for your computer (i.e. - 192.168.x.x or 10.x.x.x) ?

What is the Plotting Timer set to in the game ? Though I doubt that this could affect the disconnect, it seems to be the only connection-related setting you can adjust in CM. Possibly trying a much larger time might help.

The plotting timer is set to unlimited.

Bit of a puzzler.

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Are either of you using the wireless capabilities of this router for the CM game ? If so, what settings are being used (WPA encryption, etc.) ? It looks like v. 2.5.6 UK is the latest firmware, though I don't know if this would change anything in regards to this problem or not.

Have either of you experiment with the 'DMZ Host' option ? Although it opens up the computer to everything on the internet, it may be worth trying out to see if the firewall is somehow closing down the traffic after some sort of timeout. Both of you may need to experiment with this at one point (one at a time, etc.). Are either of you using a software firewall in addition to the hardware one (i.e. - Windows XP built-in Firewall, ZoneAlarm, etc.) ?

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