Reccuring "Can't connect to master" problem

Ok, basically every now and then I get this error when trying to log-in to multiplayer.

I read numerous posts but non really explained problem I experience. In short, most of the time, multiplayer works and I can play. However, sometimes and from my perspective too often, this error strikes :confused: :huh: :wallbash: :crash: And now is one of those times that it does not work.

Now, it has nothing to do with my:

- antivirus

- firewall

- updated version of the game

- integrity of files

- reinstallation does nothing for the problem

- it's not my ISP provider blocking the traffic

I tested above numerous times and any of actions doesn't resolve the problem.

Problem as it appears, goes away by itself. Completely random. All that is very annoying. :mad: Especially if you're about to join online event with your team only to find out that you will be taking a forced break and simply there's nothing you can do about it. :badmood:

If anything it would be great to see on DCS website that they are having issues with servers :protest:, so I go away can stop trying to fix it or stop trying to connect. :surrender:

If anyone cares, logs attached.

Logs.zip

What country you in?

Unfortunately, in Croatia...

There are many people from Croatia in the community with very good and stable connections in multiplayer.

I suggest you get in touch with NOB squadron members, some of them are from Croatia. I am sure they can help.

S!

Thanx ViFF!

I got really swift response also from ED support team. They say it must be my ISP or router. Router is already configured. It's kinda strange that I was able to join multiplayer some day ago and today it's dead.

However, in Croatia, nothing should surprise me anymore. Maybe I should have a talk with ISP support first when such things occur.

ya its ISP issue, somewhere along the route to get to ED's server there is a bad hop. It could be related to traffic loads or just a lemon of a hop.

the only thing you can really do is report to ISP and tell them its an issue (they may not even be aware or on the other side of the coin, not give a damn.) rather then talk to ISP about it blindly, download winmtr and actually record the packet loss and bad hop yourself so that you have proof there is something wrong, then you gotta jump through all their hoops (is the PC powered on? did you power cycle router? etc etc) before they will understand that you have zero'd in on the problem already.

even good connections like mine (on fibre) can still suffer from a bad hop like this, difference is I know what to look for AND I report any packet loss issues ASAP (because even 1 pct packet loss is unacceptable)

http://winmtr.net/

http://www.pingtest.net/

you can set winmtr to continue traceroute all day, then take a look at the data...... if its intermittent the packet loss will correspond with when you cant connect.

It could be related to your dns cache, try flushing it by using this command before you start DCS

ipconfig /flushdns

If that works you could then create a bat file to flush dns then run dcs

advice from DCS support was:

"for logging to Module Manager should be opened an access to http://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com with port 443

for logging to Multiplayer game (master.digitalcombatsimulator.com) should be opened port 5222

both connection uses SSL/TLS."

I assigned those ports to my router (games and applications) and I used port forward network utility to check ports. All but 443 on TCP protocol are open. (Have in mind, I tried all this also with firewall completely off.) It's odd that 443 is not opened, but it's for Modul Manager which I think don't need since I use steam version, not standalone. From what I understand, 5222 is for server which I can't access.

Pingtest - turned out ok. No losses.

Ipconfig /flushdns - tried, but no change.

Switched internal IP to static, to remove that from the list of possible problems. No change.

Now, WinMTR shows some interesting results but I'm not sure I understand them correctly. (attached screenshot). Line 17 - says 63% loss, and it starts recording losses only when I try to connect to multiplayer. So that could be a problem.

I guess ISP is doing some blocking? :huh:

Attempts to connect to multiplayer almost instantaneously shoot to "can't connect to master"

Log:

00021.136 ERROR NET: Can't connect to Master: SSL connect error

00021.136 ERROR NET: Master login : 503

00023.782 INFO NET: client has stopped

I guess I'll have to call ISP, but in meantime I will see what DCS support has to say.

Also, I'll reinstall the game completely over night and see if that helps. Since I did integrity test, that would be the dumbest solution for the problem, but I'm willing to try it.

Lo and behold... problem again fixes itself.

To conclude. Not even reinstalling helped.

I called ISP. It was not ISP blocking anything.

Only thing that changed in meanwhile was installing new windows updates, but I highly doubt that has anything to do with problem being fixed.

Still waiting for official answer from ED support. I flooded them with information about ports and my router settings which proved that problem was not on my end.

Sooo... I guess happy times can start, until problem resurrects again