Syria timeouts

[Tj1376]

Hey team!

 

I noticed on a server I play on, myself and several other players get quite frequent timeouts to the server. What happens is that all units freeze on the f10 screen (I GCI a lot!), however I can still chat in the chat box, I can see missiles get fired and track towards something (all flying units are frozen), as awacs picks up and loses targets I see enemies appear and disappear, I see players slot into parking spots, I see friendlies get killed (disappear off the F10 map) and I get script spawned messages. A minute or two after all units freeze on the f10 map, I get an in game popup that says "ping timeout" and my multiplayer session is terminated.

 

When the server allowed it, Id run ping plotter to the IP and not have any issues with ANY loss of packets or high latency to the server, so I dont think this is a network problem. This particular server also hosts a Caucasus mission in which I never face timeouts, so again, I dont think this is a network problem or firewall issue (all player movement appears to reside via UDP on port 10308, so if it were firewall/antivirus, Id see issues on the Caucasus mission hosted on the same server.)

 

What I see in a wireshark (network packet analyzer tool) is that the server stops sending my client UDP traffic on port 10308. During the wireshark packet capture, there are zero retransmits, out of order tcp warnings, dup acks, nothing at all to suggest any sort of network issue. Exactly 120 seconds after the last server sent UDP packet on port 10308, I receive a TCP command from the server to close the connection (fin) and my machine behaves (fin acks) - this then terminates the TCP connection to the server with an in game message of 'ping timeout.' In the dcs.log file you'll then see this little message:

2020-09-02 23:43:11.487 INFO NET: disconnected: 5 Server ping timeout

2020-09-02 23:43:11.490 INFO NET: disconnected from server

 

I seem to be able to reproduce this quite easily, by just moving the F10 map around while sitting in a GCI slot on this particular server.

 

Is there anything we can do to figure out whats happening in this scenario? Is it a problem with our mission? Is it a problem with Syria? Just looking for a little guidance from someone who knows way more about DCS networking than I do.

 

Appreciate any help

 

TJ

[Smoked]

I am having this same issue... I have actually had this issue for some time now. My system is a beast and I am on 60 MB down ISP service... Did a service call with them and they could not find any "bottle neck" on their end.

 

I am having this on NTTR, Syria, and Caucus. I connect to servers that have a ping of less than 80.. My squadron server is a few 100 miles from me and I usually get around 30 on my ping... This is beyond frustrating..

[Woody01]

Yes trying to get too the bottom of this for the Speed & Angles server. I dont think its the mission, the exact same mission runs fine on The Flying Kiwis server but the mission in question is on Syria. Hardware configuration? Server setting? So far Ive seen a few threads like this but no answers, very annoying for sure.

[Tj1376]

We ended up removing sa2 and sa3 missile batteries and it resolved the issue.

 

TJ

 

Sent from my SM-N970U using Tapatalk

[Smoked]

So my issue is on my end... I was constantly getting "server ping time out"... or something like that.. this was after being in for usually 3-5 minutes.

 

Come to find out I had a double NAT issue... Contacted my ISP and had them setup a static IP address. Told tech that this was for gaming and that I wanted 1 ISP number running through my setup. Got the numbers today and updated my router with all the new Ip's and I have yet to have a disconnect..

 

Something for others to consider..

[docWilly]

This whole stuff is a total show stopper in DCS. I never found ANY particular reason for that, ALL advices found in the forums did not cure the disease. On some days it works on others it´s a total mess with those "connection timeouts". It got worse over the time and is not related to any changes on my side. I have a high end internet connection, no matter of clean and repair, no matter of mods or not, no matter of deleting stuff like fxo/metashaders/logs. It seems to be the same issue like Tj1376 posted.

 

 

[Flappie]

Hi. Could you please test your internet connection and attach the result as a screenshot? Here's mine (and I don't get disconnected from DCS servers). Ping is important, but you also need to check your PDV (packet delay variation).

 

[docWilly]

Flappie,

 

your internet connection is far above average. I played DCS within the last years with a lot slower connection (up and down) than presently without any "timeout" issues.

[Flappie]

I'm talking about Packet Delay Variation, or latency variation if your prefer. Your image shows your latency is constant (see the grey bars) and your jitter is just fine. In my opinion, you have a clean conection to the internet.

 

Now, what about the server you're playing on? On which servers do you experience such issues?

[docWilly]

I'm talking about Packet Delay Variation, or latency variation if your prefer. Your image shows your latency is constant (see the grey bars) and your jitter is just fine. In my opinion, you have a clean conection to the internet.

 

Now, what about the server you're playing on? On which servers do you experience such issues?

 

 

Through the Inferno, Havoc, 104th, VSAAF.... whatever you want. There´s no specific server that is constantly giving me timeouts. It may work well for a week and then again no chance to get into any server longer than 10 min. Usually it quits with timeout within 3-5 min (what other players see as well).

Flappie I really appreciate your effort to help but timeouts are a topic even ED is not talking about anymore....because they know no cure.

[Tj1376]

 

 

Through the Inferno, Havoc, 104th, VSAAF.... whatever you want. There´s no specific server that is constantly giving me timeouts. It may work well for a week and then again no chance to get into any server longer than 10 min. Usually it quits with timeout within 3-5 min (what other players see as well).

Flappie I really appreciate your effort to help but timeouts are a topic even ED is not talking about anymore....because they know no cure.

Just curious, do you only have the problem on Syria?

 

My issue is only reproducible on Syria maps with heavy unit counts that use sa2 and sa3 missile batteries.

 

The server I play on hosts two dcs instances (2 different dcs.exes running on the same hardware) and the Caucuse mission is not impacted. I can sit on it for 5 hours and never face the disconnect. Sit in GCI for 5 mins on the Syria instance and I can face the disconnect.

 

And again, we got rid of all sa2 and sa3 missile batteries and that solved nearly all of our problems on Syria maps.

 

Good luck

 

TJ

 

Sent from my SM-N970U using Tapatalk

 

 

[docWilly]

It happens on Caucasus as well. Yesterday evening no disconnects but I am not sure if that server had active SA2/3 assets or not (did not check as I operated offshore and had no indication of on the RWR)

[Flappie]

Hi guys. We've just solved an important issue Yaga was having (stutters + disconnections every 2 hours). This was a very specific issue, and he solved it by activating his router QoS.

I suggest you try the same thing.

[docWilly]

Hi guys. We've just solved an important issue Yaga was having (stutters + disconnections every 2 hours). This was a very specific issue, and he solved it by activating his router QoS.

I suggest you try the same thing.

 

 

Flappie,

 

first...there´s no QoS on my router (and many other router as well). So this option is not available for me.

Second... I wonder what will happen to Yaga within a few days... my wild guess is he´ll get back his disconnects/timeouts (not that I wish it would happen).

 

I will give it a try and start up DCS now to see if my timeout probem is present today or not (no changes made).

 

Wish my luck :-)

 

 

[docWilly]

Well,

 

seems that a sunny sunday does not automatically provide luck. FIred up TTI server (Syria) , everything fine to go aaaaand ....same shit as every day.

 

Log attached...

dcs.log

[Flappie]

If you read Yaga's whole thread, you'll find this was a very specific issue. I was hoping one of you here had the same router model (Netgear Nighthawk R7000) because this was an easy fix for him.

 

Can you check your Windows Event Viewer for network events at the time of your disconnection? Check the System, Application and Network logs. Mind the DCS logs use UTC time.

[docWilly]

I will do next time it disconnects. I played for several hour thereafter with no disconnect and butter-smooth wihtout any changes to setup or computer.

[USA_Recon]

I've been having this same issue since the hotfix. I do not get this on other maps hosted by our server.

 

Again, ONLY happens on Syria map.

[Tj1376]

I've been having this same issue since the hotfix. I do not get this on other maps hosted by our server. Again, ONLY happens on Syria map.

Follow the instructions from Flappie about setting up QoS on the two ports your server uses. Trust me on this. Something is up and it floods thr router with UDP traffic and your router stops processing it correctly. This in turn causes the server to stop talking to you which leads to the timeouts. Make sure QoS is on and that the two DCS ports are at the highest priority setting.

TJ

Sent from my SM-N970U using Tapatalk

[=DROOPY=]

What about SP? I encountered this same issue last night... I would choose a quick mission, and no matter what aircraft I chose (that were available to fly on that map)...it ended up freezing during the final stages of the loading process. And this only happened on the Syria map...no other's. I ran repairs and updates and even uninstalled my user files and mods to no avail. I ended up uninstalling and reinstalling DCS just within the last hour because of this... 

[Flappie]

Hi @FighterJetGeek, this thread deals with MP timeouts. Please open a brand new thread and attach your dcs.log file into it ( C:\Users\username\Saved Games\DCS...\Logs\dcs.log ).

[=DROOPY=]

@Flappie: Hi @FighterJetGeek, this thread deals with MP timeouts. Please open a brand new thread and attach your dcs.log file into it ( C:\Users\username\Saved Games\DCS...\Logs\dcs.log ).

 

 

Understood.. Please excuse me.

Edited December 1, 2020 by FighterJetGeek

[docWilly]

@ Flappie  

I reported continuous MP timeouts to you Dec last year and could not nail it down to the very reason. Well.... I finally replaced  the "high end (German) Telekom router" with an AVM router   (7590 as far as I remember because I am at work right now). Guess what: since then no timeouts anymore. So it was some yet unknown stuff (probably internal router anti-virus that could not be turned off and blocking data with the result of these odd timeouts).

I keep my fingers crossed that it´s solved for me at least.

 

Thanks

Willy

[Flappie]

Awesome!

Thank you very much for your feedback, doc.

[Flappie]

@Tj1376@USA_Recon Guys, do you still regularly get disconnected from MP servers? So far, these are the solutions that worked for some users:

• Ask ISP for a static IP address.
• Activate a specific QoS mode in router.
• Change router.