Can't connect to dedicated server, hangs on INF WinThread started

[MISO1UP]

Hope everyone is doing well! Trying to start a 7DTD dedicated server, ultimately to run a server for friends for Darkness Falls. When open 'startdedicated.bat' in the dedicated server directory, the console hangs at the first line, 2.216 INF WinThread started, nothing else happens. I've left it for hours, no more lines appear. I've read in the forums that sometimes the console just says this and the server runs just fine. The server shows up under the LAN tab in Steam>Servers. When I attempt to connect, it shows my internal IP and not my public IP and port 26902. Then 'could not retrieve server information.'

 

Things I've done:

• fresh install of steamcmd and 7DTD dedicated server ( separate attempts through Steam UI and through steamcmd with 'app_update 294420')
• my internet setup: fiber > ATT router acting as a passthrough (port forwarded) > ASUS RT-AX86U (port forwarded) > connect to PC running dedicated server through WiFi (ports opened on Windows Firewall)
• ports opened (TCP 8080-8081, TCP 26900, UDP 26900-26903) on Windows Firewall
• PC specs should be fine (AMD 5900x, 32gb RAM, GTX1080)
• probably irrelevant but I deleted Mods folder with Darkness Falls inside out of my 7DTD game directory also
   

What am I missing? It seems like despite hanging on INF WinThread started' line, the server boots up just fine since it shows up, but how can I get all the other lines to load, and how can I connect to this server and allow others to connect to this server? Thanks in advance!

 

logs: https://pastebin.com/taUH0MfS

[Beelzybub]

27 minutes ago, MISO1UP said:

What am I missing?

Don't use wifi for a server.

Post your server's output log

Post the ports you have forwarded in your router.

Edited February 18, 2023 by Beelzybub (see edit history)

[SylenThunder]

16 hours ago, Beelzybub said:

Post the ports you have forwarded in your router.

@MISO1UP Also include the protocols. Just had someone a couple of days ago only forwarded TCP. Even though they had the right ports forwarded, since they didn't forward UDP packets, everyone would get disconnected.

[Star69]

You also said you opened the ports on your firewall, you also need to do the same on your router.

[MISO1UP]

On 2/18/2023 at 2:51 PM, Beelzybub said:

Don't use wifi for a server.

Post your server's output log

Post the ports you have forwarded in your router.

1. Working on running lines to the area my server is located, thanks for the tip. Is it overall speed and stability why you're saying to not use wifi, or would using wifi somehow block the server from posting correctly?

2. Server output log: https://pastebin.com/uhuAPmzz

3. I put the ports I've forwarded in the original post to the best of my knowledge, but here it is:

TCP 8080/8081

TCP 26900

UDP 26900-26903, I also did the same on my router

 

Thanks for the help!

 

 

On 2/19/2023 at 7:50 AM, SylenThunder said:

@MISO1UP Also include the protocols. Just had someone a couple of days ago only forwarded TCP. Even though they had the right ports forwarded, since they didn't forward UDP packets, everyone would get disconnected.

Here are the ports I've forwarded with their respective protocols:

TCP 8080/8081

TCP 26900

UDP 26900-26903, I also did the same on my router

 

I appreciate your time. Am I missing anything here?

On 2/19/2023 at 11:37 AM, Star69 said:

You also said you opened the ports on your firewall, you also need to do the same on your router.

Yup, I failed to mention it in the original post, but I've already forwarded the ports on my router. Using the ASUS RT-AX86U. 

Here are the ports I've forwarded with their respective protocols:

TCP 8080/8081

TCP 26900

UDP 26900-26903

[Beelzybub]

2 hours ago, MISO1UP said:

Is it overall speed and stability why you're saying to not use wifi, or would using wifi somehow block the server from posting correctly?

Wifi is half duplex and encrypted, both of which add latency to a connection. Game servers hate latency.  In addition, your router has Trend Micro antivirus which could be interfering.

Your log shows the server starting normally, but shows a network error. Your server has two connection options, (as far as I can tell) which are the Ethernet port and the Wifi connection. I'm guessing, but it looks like the server is confused as to which network adapter it is binding to. If you only have wifi available on the thing, then try disabling and uninstalling the drivers for the ethernet port. Type ipconfig /all in a command prompt to see what IPs each connection is trying to use and make sure you have port forwarded to the correct internal ip. It would be preferable to disable the wifi and use ethernet.

[SylenThunder]

To expand on the Wifi issue, especially from the standpoint of hosting a server...

Most end-user multi-purpose routers don't have a lot of RAM allocated for managing the Wifi data. This will completely tank the connection when the server is trying to do things that require a lot of data overhead. Like syncing player data and pushing the world data. This isn't even counting interference, or the way data is handed out round-robin to all of the network devices connected to Wifi.

And then there is the speed limitation. A 1Gbps internet connection will likely only see at most half that on a good Wifi connection. A quarter or less on an average one.

You're just asking for a headache doing any heavy lifting on 90% of consumer-grade devices.

[MISO1UP]

19 hours ago, Beelzybub said:

Wifi is half duplex and encrypted, both of which add latency to a connection. Game servers hate latency.  In addition, your router has Trend Micro antivirus which could be interfering.

Your log shows the server starting normally, but shows a network error. Your server has two connection options, (as far as I can tell) which are the Ethernet port and the Wifi connection. I'm guessing, but it looks like the server is confused as to which network adapter it is binding to. If you only have wifi available on the thing, then try disabling and uninstalling the drivers for the ethernet port. Type ipconfig /all in a command prompt to see what IPs each connection is trying to use and make sure you have port forwarded to the correct internal ip. It would be preferable to disable the wifi and use ethernet.

 

17 hours ago, SylenThunder said:

To expand on the Wifi issue, especially from the standpoint of hosting a server...

Most end-user multi-purpose routers don't have a lot of RAM allocated for managing the Wifi data. This will completely tank the connection when the server is trying to do things that require a lot of data overhead. Like syncing player data and pushing the world data. This isn't even counting interference, or the way data is handed out round-robin to all of the network devices connected to Wifi.

And then there is the speed limitation. A 1Gbps internet connection will likely only see at most half that on a good Wifi connection. A quarter or less on an average one.

You're just asking for a headache doing any heavy lifting on 90% of consumer-grade devices.

 

Thanks for the insight on the limitations of running a server through wifi. I'll try and connect the PC through ethernet cable and launch the server with the ports forwarded as they are and report back. Much appreciated!