Failed to connect to: <PLAYER NAME> - CnCNet Peer to Peer NAT Traversal Guide

[FunkyFr3sh]

This tutorial is also available in russian: Показать обучение на русском!

 

 

CnCNet NAT Traversal allows you to play fast Peer to Peer games without the need to forward any ports, however, NAT Traversal does not always work and some players have to use the slower tunnel connection instead.

 

 

Why I cannot use the fast Peer to Peer Connections?

Unfortunately it is not possible to have a 100% success rate, the following connections are known to have problems due to a so called Symmetric NAT:

3G | 4G (LTE) | Public Wifi Spots | Schools | VPN's | And any other kinds of shared/public connections

A Symmetric NAT is mostly used on large scale networks.

Sometimes it is possible to guess the port and connect (Predictable Symmetric NAT), but that fully depends on how many users are sharing the same IP and/or the type of the Symmetric NAT used by your internet provider.

Cable/DSL/Fiber users usually have their own private IP, but some internet providers also use a Symmetric NAT on these connections.

In rare cases the problem can also be caused by your router at home.

Keep in mind, this has nothing to do with your download speed! You can have the fastest connection in the world but still fail to connect cause your connection is shared.

 

 

What can I do to solve the connection problems?

1. Make sure CnCNet is allowed in your Firewall and Anti-virus.

2. Do not use multiple connections at the same time (e.g. Wifi + Cable)

3. Do not use multiple routers at home.

4. Do not use any third party port testing tools, these tools can block the port and CnCNet won't be able to use the port anymore. Use the "/PortTest" command in the CnCNet client instead.

5. Do not use proxy servers or VPN's

6. Log in to your router and try to forward the port to ensure the problem is not on your end. You can find the port via the [settings] button in the CnCNet client [settings] -> [Game Settings] -> [Game Port], by default it is set to 8054 UDP, but CnCNet changes your port if there are any problems or you are playing with multiple users on the same connection.

 

A port forwarding tutorial can be found here: http://portforward.com/english/applications/port_forwarding/CnCNet/

To find out your router ip use the "/gips" command. It will show a clickable link in the main window.

To find out your local ip for the forwarding rule type "/ips". If there are multiple IPs then use the one that is almost identical to your router ip (except the last number). E.g. if the router IP is 192.168.1.1 then the Local IP should be 192.168.1.*

If your port is forwarded and you still fail to join/connect to peer to peer games then contact your internet provider and ask them to give you a private non shared IP or you can also ask them to forward the needed port.

Still no success? You can always join tunnel games (Games without the Lightning bolt icon) or create your own tunnel games.

 

 

What is the meaning of the +/- icons in Peer to Peer games?

 

Lightning Bolt

Restricted Cone/Port Restricted Cone NAT.

The most popular types of NAT, most home routers have it.

Users with this kind of NAT are able to connect to almost anyone, connection problems are rare.

 

Lightning Bolt +

No NAT (e.g. no router) or port forwarded.

Users who can host games with a + icon will always be able to connect to anyone, even to those who normally cannot use Peer to Peer games at all (Unpredictable Symmetric NAT)

 

Lightning Bolt -

Predictable Symmetric NAT.

Shared connection as mentioned above.

Users with a - icon cannot connect to other users who are behind a Symmetric NAT too.

 

 

Still some questions unanswered?

Please post in here or send me a message in the CnCNet client! If you like to have some information about your own connection then please type "/natx" in the CnCNet client, it will output testing results in the main window, include the results in your post.

Traversal_Guide_Russian.txt

[Humble]

When the failed to connect message pops up, many of us get our internet d/c for a minute.

[FunkyFr3sh]

When the failed to connect message pops up, many of us get our internet d/c for a minute.

 

This could be related to the port guessing for those with shared connections, it will send a lot of packets to different ports trying to hit the right one and connect.

 

You can turn the port guessing off in 2 different ways:

1. Forward your port, check the first post for all details.

 

2. Go to [settings]->[Game Settings]->[Game Port] and change the port to 1161. Only do that if you have such a broken router DO NOT change your port to 1161 if you have a working router cause this port change will lower your chance to connect to others a lot. Better choose solution 1, port forwarding.

 

 

[Andrey]

Hello!

Excellent project, my childhood games

 

May be anybody know, why i cannot join the game (red alert)?

 

I:

1. Download and install Red Alert from Cncnet

2. Firewall off, Anti-virus absent

3. Have only one router in the home

4. Dont use any third party port testing tools (e.g. "Port Forward Network Utilities")

5. Dont use proxy or VPN (use router asus rt-n12vp + NAT)

6. Forward the port on my router (/porttest  ->  "Your ports are open! You can host and join fast P2P games and also create your own fast self-hosted games!"  +  same test of "Port Forward Network Utilities")

7. Try to Connect only to the games with lighting bolt without plus or minus

 

But game failed ("Failed to connect... Please check your connection, Anti-Virus and Firewall settings!)"

 

I know, that i "can always join tunnel games" ©, but no such games in the lobby.

[FunkyFr3sh]

Hello!

Excellent project, my childhood games

 

May be anybody know, why i cannot join the game (red alert)?

 

I:

1. Download and install Red Alert from Cncnet

2. Firewall off, Anti-virus absent

3. Have only one router in the home

4. Dont use any third party port testing tools (e.g. "Port Forward Network Utilities")

5. Dont use proxy or VPN (use router asus rt-n12vp + NAT)

6. Forward the port on my router (/porttest  ->  "Your ports are open! You can host and join fast P2P games and also create your own fast self-hosted games!"  +  same test of "Port Forward Network Utilities")

7. Try to Connect only to the games with lighting bolt without plus or minus

 

But game failed ("Failed to connect... Please check your connection, Anti-Virus and Firewall settings!)"

 

I know, that i "can always join tunnel games" ©, but no such games in the lobby.

 

Oh, so you can actually connect in the CnCNet client but the game itself fails to connect. That is weird, I guess there must be something blocking the game (ra95-spawn.exe). Not sure what it could be tbh...

 

Can you try to host a tunnel game on your own and see if that at least connects?

[MrFrodo]

Just read this, interesting thread, I just posted this earlier on board 105.0

Okay, so I have not been playing because I have ADSL broadband, gives good speed but very shite ping like min 250ms+ and not consistent at all.

 

Anyways, today I played after a long time in Xme and Humble's tourney on my LTE hotspot, speed is around 5-30mbps on LTE  but ping is always consistent around 120ms, sometimes even 30-40ms so games are good.

 

PROBLEM: is the lighting fast games etc, how can I play those? or any other type of games on TS for that matter? Also while I was sitting in one of the game rooms, the server auto-kicked me for some conn thing(can't remember what the error was)

 

any solutions for me?

[fir3w0rx]

Where can I see which type of lightning bolt my connection is?

[FunkyFr3sh]

Just read this, interesting thread, I just posted this earlier on board 105.0

Okay, so I have not been playing because I have ADSL broadband, gives good speed but very shite ping like min 250ms+ and not consistent at all.

 

Anyways, today I played after a long time in Xme and Humble's tourney on my LTE hotspot, speed is around 5-30mbps on LTE  but ping is always consistent around 120ms, sometimes even 30-40ms so games are good.

 

PROBLEM: is the lighting fast games etc, how can I play those? or any other type of games on TS for that matter? Also while I was sitting in one of the game rooms, the server auto-kicked me for some conn thing(can't remember what the error was)

 

any solutions for me?

 

There is probably nothing you can do

 

Where can I see which type of lightning bolt my connection is?

 

You can't see it on your own atm, you would need to host a game and ask someone to tell you which icon you have

[therapist]

Hello!

Excellent project, my childhood games

 

May be anybody know, why i cannot join the game (red alert)?

 

I:

1. Download and install Red Alert from Cncnet

2. Firewall off, Anti-virus absent

3. Have only one router in the home

4. Dont use any third party port testing tools (e.g. "Port Forward Network Utilities")

5. Dont use proxy or VPN (use router asus rt-n12vp + NAT)

6. Forward the port on my router (/porttest  ->  "Your ports are open! You can host and join fast P2P games and also create your own fast self-hosted games!"  +  same test of "Port Forward Network Utilities")

7. Try to Connect only to the games with lighting bolt without plus or minus

 

But game failed ("Failed to connect... Please check your connection, Anti-Virus and Firewall settings!)"

 

I know, that i "can always join tunnel games" ©, but no such games in the lobby.

 

I got it to work for me

I'm running Windows 10, through a KW5262 router, and portforwarded UDP 50000, 1161, 9054, 8054, used /gips and /ips so I can DMZ my local 192.168.1.x IP via gateway router page, tried un/checking upnp in the client(typing /upnp doesn't work for me as it keeps failing to open ports) and I still get dropped ingame after 30 seconds. /porttest in the cncnet channel chat tells me all my ports are open after all that work, but in the game lobby, it tells me they're all closed.

 

I found out that I could only play the first game I join after freshly opening cncnet, but drop on all other subsequent games. The RA client also takes forever to open for subsequent game sessions as well. Already "allowed" upon firewall prompt, and Windows firewall automatically adjusts to port changes through the router, and finally tried disabling it so it doesn't have to do with the firewall.

The only solution that worked for me was to sign out of Windows and sign back in each time I wanted to join/host a new game lol

Also, using /porttest in the game lobby causes me to drop for that game session.

 

RA is a pretty old game, so it's a miracle it even loads on win10. I guess it has to do with your client being out of sync, lagging with the previous game session, the game process tree not being completely killed, or just some serious compatibility issue. I don't get this problem at my university which runs Win7, never drops and is always smooth using fresh install and default settings.

[FunkyFr3sh]

Hello!

Excellent project, my childhood games

 

May be anybody know, why i cannot join the game (red alert)?

 

I:

1. Download and install Red Alert from Cncnet

2. Firewall off, Anti-virus absent

3. Have only one router in the home

4. Dont use any third party port testing tools (e.g. "Port Forward Network Utilities")

5. Dont use proxy or VPN (use router asus rt-n12vp + NAT)

6. Forward the port on my router (/porttest  ->  "Your ports are open! You can host and join fast P2P games and also create your own fast self-hosted games!"  +  same test of "Port Forward Network Utilities")

7. Try to Connect only to the games with lighting bolt without plus or minus

 

But game failed ("Failed to connect... Please check your connection, Anti-Virus and Firewall settings!)"

 

I know, that i "can always join tunnel games" ©, but no such games in the lobby.

 

I got it to work for me

I'm running Windows 10, through a KW5262 router, and portforwarded UDP 50000, 1161, 9054, 8054, used /gips and /ips so I can DMZ my local 192.168.1.x IP via gateway router page, tried un/checking upnp in the client(typing /upnp doesn't work for me as it keeps failing to open ports) and I still get dropped ingame after 30 seconds. /porttest in the cncnet channel chat tells me all my ports are open after all that work, but in the game lobby, it tells me they're all closed.

 

I found out that I could only play the first game I join after freshly opening cncnet, but drop on all other subsequent games. The RA client also takes forever to open for subsequent game sessions as well. Already "allowed" upon firewall prompt, and Windows firewall automatically adjusts to port changes through the router, and finally tried disabling it so it doesn't have to do with the firewall.

The only solution that worked for me was to sign out of Windows and sign back in each time I wanted to join/host a new game lol

Also, using /porttest in the game lobby causes me to drop for that game session.

 

RA is a pretty old game, so it's a miracle it even loads on win10. I guess it has to do with your client being out of sync, lagging with the previous game session, the game process tree not being completely killed, or just some serious compatibility issue. I don't get this problem at my university which runs Win7, never drops and is always smooth using fresh install and default settings.

 

So if I understood this correctly, the game actually starts and you connect, you can deploy your mcv and play for 30 seconds and then you lose the connection to the other players?

 

If only the first game works then yes, I guess the game might still be running in the background. Did you try to close cncnet and afterwards check the task manager for "cncnet5.exe" or "ra95-spawn.exe" ?

 

BTW, everything was compiled and tested on windows 10, I've been playing a lot games too.

Windows 10 is not the problem, it must be something else that triggers it.

 

 

About the /porttest, you should never use that inside of a game room, it's normal that it doesn't work cause the port is already in use for the connections to the other players. Will fix that on the next update and disable the command in game

[therapist]

naw, it's exactly as Andrey described

The game does start, but it already hangs once the music starts playing, and the game is in full screen mode

all units and MCV are there, but can't select them

then the 30-second countdown drop screen appears

at the end of 30 seconds, the "failed to connect" error appears

and yeah, only the first game is perfectly playable, then hosting or joining another game is impossible unless I log out and log back into windows

[FunkyFr3sh]

3 hours ago, therapist said:

naw, it's exactly as Andrey described

The game does start, but it already hangs once the music starts playing, and the game is in full screen mode

all units and MCV are there, but can't select them

then the 30-second countdown drop screen appears

at the end of 30 seconds, the "failed to connect" error appears

and yeah, only the first game is perfectly playable, then hosting or joining another game is impossible unless I log out and log back into windows

Does it still happen with the latest version? I did a few changes after you posted here the last time (Could only guess cause you are the only one with that problem)

CnCNet will now double check if the game is still running and close it once you join another room. The game will close the connection now early to free the port in case it doesn't close properly and CnCNet fails to shut it down.

 

There are also 2 new commands you can try:

The following command will force the game to send all data to CnCNet rather than directly to the players and CnCNet will forward the packets:

/bridge

 

If the first command doesn't help then try this one (It will disable all p2p connections)

/nop2p

[hgjcool]

how to port forward ？ look pic under。

[hgjcool]

2 minutes ago, hgjcool said:

how to port forward ？ look pic under。

 

To funky： how to port forward？    Translate the following text……and tell me how to setting…………thank you！

映射模式:

模式1     模式2

 

规则编辑

状态:	开启    关闭
描述:
协议:	TCP    UDP    TCP和UDP
源地址限制:
外部端口:	- (不能为空,端口范围:1-65535)
内部端口:	- (当外部端口只填一个时,为空表示,内部端口与外部端口相同)
内部主机地址:
广域网接口:	(为空:表示全部广域网)