Dedicated server not showing in list for some users any idea why?

So we have a dedicated server that runs at a data-center in Sydney that's been running rock solid and all fine but we have some weirdness happening, At times some can't see the server in the server list at all and/or get told the server is offline even while others can connect to it at that very same time and the DCS World multiplayer server list on the 'your account' list shows the server up fine.

Having Done a RD to a friend who was having the issue I noticed that he was seeing 1 or 2 'less' servers then I was I had for example 207 and he had 205.

Now as it's a dedicated box it's on a NIC so of course UPNP is not there but the ports for DCS are all open and when this has been happening I can connect to the server fine and i'm not anywhere close to it (completely different state)

I'm wondering if any one has any suggestions on what might be causing the issue

Lua: Lua CPU usage: metric: average game loading: 39.7098 %
2019-01-06 06:20:36.737 INFO    NET: server has started
2019-01-06 06:20:40.747 INFO    NET: No UPNP devices found.
2019-01-06 06:20:40.747 INFO    NET: Successfully set up Dual-Stack socket, using both IPv4 and IPv6
2019-01-06 06:20:40.747 INFO    NET: Listen to IPv6 on port 10308
2019-01-06 06:20:40.753 INFO    Dispatcher: loadMission C:\Users\root\Saved Games\DCS.openbeta\Missions\CASCAP-Withrange-LSO-1-update.miz
2019-01-06 06:20:40.859 INFO    WORLDGENERAL: loading mission from: "C:\Users\root\Saved Games\DCS.openbeta\Missions\CASCAP-Withrange-LSO-1-update.miz"
2019-01-06 06:21:05.936 INFO    NET: Loading mission: "C:\Users\root\Saved Games\DCS.openbeta\Missions\CASCAP-Withrange-LSO-1-update.miz"
2019-01-06 06:21:05.936 INFO    NET: Registering server as 139.99.144.189:10308 (port is assumed to be open)
2019-01-06 06:21:05.936 INFO    LuaNET: Starting Dedicated Server...
2019-01-06 06:21:05.936 INFO    LuaNET: SLMOD INFO: Modifying netview... results: , true

and as I've said for some it's showing up fine for others it's either not in the list at all or intermittent.

Any suggestions etc would be grateful

Can they still get at it via IP?

Our servers go MIA from the list sometimes but IP Address goes right to them.

Not 100% certain Emmy, I've had one person claim it just says the server is offline while another (the person who let me RD) into his machine at first was doing that and then it connected.. fine.

It's one of those weird ones were people are like its not there .. I go look in multiplayer and it shows up fine, connects fine etc.. and i'm like I can see it, I can connect to it etc.

Server in question is TGW Dedicated FYI.

and one guy just posted me this

https://imgur.com/a36D5PR

Only thing besides direct via IP I’ve ever tried is just refreshing the list a few times and that generally works...

Are they all on the same version of DCS?

Can they still get at it via IP?

 

Our servers go MIA from the list sometimes but IP Address goes right to them.

I have the exact same problem i see some servers but not burning skies and some others.

To answer your question: i tried connecting via ip but i get server offline. However it seems most people have no problems.

refreshing ofcourse didn't help either ;)

For all the people that have trouble on some server that does not appear in the list, I suggest to try a VPN services before start the game. Can helps you on address connectivity issue. If your are sure that you're running the same DCS version of the server and all other people are able to join that server, and "only" you don't see the server in the list, for some reason your're not reaching that server. Could be a country ban, IP ban or something related to your connection, like temporary routing problem of your internet provider.

Can confirm DCS was the same version for them and yeah as Doctor Vixen said they can try the Ip and get server offline.. the weird part is too that you can PING the server and get a response from their machines.

it would be really interesting to know what causes a machine to show up in the list and what doesn't though if all the servers are reporting to the central 'authentication' server at Eagle's end.. you'd think that if they are all registering there as online then on client machines etc when they go to multiplayer they should all just show up and if you can't connect either give the time out of the like..

We've one guy who literally can't see the server at all, yet every one else can for example and yes he's on 2.5.4 :P if i host he can see me fine for example..

Can confirm DCS was the same version for them and yeah as Doctor Vixen said they can try the Ip and get server offline.. the weird part is too that you can PING the server and get a response from their machines.

 

it would be really interesting to know what causes a machine to show up in the list and what doesn't though if all the servers are reporting to the central 'authentication' server at Eagle's end.. you'd think that if they are all registering there as online then on client machines etc when they go to multiplayer they should all just show up and if you can't connect either give the time out of the like..

 

We've one guy who literally can't see the server at all, yet every one else can for example and yes he's on 2.5.4 :P if i host he can see me fine for example..

It's not just a list downloaded from "central" ED server that populate your multiplayer list, a server appears only if your computer are also able to communicate to the final server on appropriate DCS Port. For example on our server we're usual to use a firewall to avoid people join the server while the server is loading mission, until the firewall starts allow connection, nobody are able to see our server in the list or join by the IP.

So, if the server is online, and you can't see the server or joining by the direct IP....you computer haves trouble to communicate with the server.

That's why I suggest to try a VPN, just to "refresh" the list and see what happens. If the server appears, it's mean you have some connectivity issue. If also with a VPN, you're not able to see the server, could also be a your Antivirus/firewall that it's doing some crazy behavior.

There's many people in the bugs and problems subforum with this issue...since many months ago,. In my case, the solution is to reset my router, then voila, all servers appear again.

It's not just a list downloaded from "central" ED server that populate your multiplayer list, a server appears only if your computer are also able to communicate to the final server on appropriate DCS Port. For example on our server we're usual to use a firewall to avoid people join the server while the server is loading mission, until the firewall starts allow connection, nobody are able to see our server in the list or join by the IP.

 

So, if the server is online, and you can't see the server or joining by the direct IP....you computer haves trouble to communicate with the server.

 

That's why I suggest to try a VPN, just to "refresh" the list and see what happens. If the server appears, it's mean you have some connectivity issue. If also with a VPN, you're not able to see the server, could also be a your Antivirus/firewall that it's doing some crazy behavior.

The issue is that I'm the admin of the server not the one with the issue, i can't make them try anything i can only deal with them complaining at me over it.

If you read the first post I see the server fine.. and i'm in a different state to the one were the server is.. I've a feeling that the person in question has something blocking it yes, especially given he only appears able to hand me an IP6 address when I asked so i could see if a trace worked..

However I've also had it happen on a machine I -could- remote desktop to (as the friend on that machine let me) and when that happened I could get a 20ms ping reply from the server on his machine, but not a connection to it , despite on my machine again different town over 400km away.. having no issue and then 15 minutes later it just suddenly 'work'.. no rhyme or reason to it.

Now yes I get your point 'somethings blocking' but again when nothing changes in that 15 minutes and you have a machine that can ping the server but get told the server isn't online even when the ports open and others are on it and their ports are open.. it makes you wonder what is going on.

May have found the cause for this at least on my rack box.. OVH (whom i host through) apparently automatically turn on certain things including on 'Game' boxes the 'GAME' Firewall.. which going and looking surprise, surprise blocks traffic on UDP ports that aren't defined.

Needless to say I've.. removed that, leaving only the DDOS mitigation protection and I would hope that DCS isn't pinging enough during a server listing to go 'Hey I'm DDOS'n ya server ' hehe.

will see over the next few days i guess.

May have found the cause for this at least on my rack box.. OVH (whom i host through) apparently automatically turn on certain things including on 'Game' boxes the 'GAME' Firewall.. which going and looking surprise, surprise blocks traffic on UDP ports that aren't defined.

 

Needless to say I've.. removed that, leaving only the DDOS mitigation protection and I would hope that DCS isn't pinging enough during a server listing to go 'Hey I'm DDOS'n ya server ' hehe.

 

will see over the next few days i guess.

I can confirm that if you have now put manually the DCS Port on UDP Game Firewall you're ok. We're using from months a game server hosted by OVH and no problem at all with Anti DDOS Game on UDP port.

BTW......The OVH game firewall protection on UPD works on "new connection", so if you establish a connection prior to join the server on any other TCP port ( like RDP access to the server or anyting else like a webpage hosted on the same server ) then you're able to connect to the server, even without put the UDP port in the allowed list.

hem, i have the same problem, can you explain it in simple words for a noob like me? thanks man !