Strange problem playing online FPS games thru a USG2000

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Comments

  • Zyxel_Charlie
    Zyxel_Charlie Posts: 1,034  Zyxel Employee
    First Anniversary Friend Collector First Answer First Comment

    Hello hansjalbertsson,

    The double NAT scenario may lead to unexpected result especially in gaming since it may require specific ports to communicate with each other. If users can try connect to the USG directly, at least we can clearly know if the double NAT is the main root cause or not. 

    Charlie

  • hansjalbertsson
    hansjalbertsson Posts: 34  Freshman Member
    Friend Collector First Comment
    I'm still surprised that the problem of "silent short term disconnect" only occurs at intervals of 1/2 to several hours, the reconnect happens automatically and there is no indication of the game server being aware of the event.
    The only thing that I'm reminded of is when someone accidentally enabled IP/MAC binding w/o setting up the required static binding DB first.The ZyWall then started dropping packets coming in thru switches with disallowed management IP addresses, and dropped them all silently. ZyWall couldn't even be coaxed into logging the drop events.

    So, one idea is that something happens that makes our ZyWall or some other device, further out in the internet of overly complex devices  (IOOCD), silently drop the UDP session data packets.
    How can one log something like that?
  • hansjalbertsson
    hansjalbertsson Posts: 34  Freshman Member
    Friend Collector First Comment

    Hello hansjalbertsson,

    The double NAT scenario may lead to unexpected result especially in gaming since it may require specific ports to communicate with each other. If users can try connect to the USG directly, at least we can clearly know if the double NAT is the main root cause or not. 

    Charlie

    It seems that the problem reduces somewhat if connected as single nat, but the second (and third) gamer to connect to the same game often can't play at all.
    We did no port management or UPnP.

    What if we set up the level 1 router, the USG2000, to use multiple public IPs? Especially if the pool of IPs were of the same order as the expected max number of gamers or greater it might reduce the chance of losing a session. In pfsense I would set it up, as Sticky Round Robin (I think), so the assignment would remain static for as long as the local end user had any connection going.
    Then, I'm a newbie, so what do I know??

  • Zyxel_Charlie
    Zyxel_Charlie Posts: 1,034  Zyxel Employee
    First Anniversary Friend Collector First Answer First Comment
    I'm still surprised that the problem of "silent short term disconnect" only occurs at intervals of 1/2 to several hours, the reconnect happens automatically and there is no indication of the game server being aware of the event.
    The only thing that I'm reminded of is when someone accidentally enabled IP/MAC binding w/o setting up the required static binding DB first.The ZyWall then started dropping packets coming in thru switches with disallowed management IP addresses, and dropped them all silently. ZyWall couldn't even be coaxed into logging the drop events.

    So, one idea is that something happens that makes our ZyWall or some other device, further out in the internet of overly complex devices  (IOOCD), silently drop the UDP session data packets.
    How can one log something like that?

    Hello hansjalbertsson,
    The device can record "ongoing" UDP and TCP session on session monitor page.

    Moreover, device's log message also can display the UDP session disconnect, if packet hit the policy rule.
    However, if the UDP session disconnect because of client's behavior or server disconnect, the device will not record or log it.
    Charlie

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