ET Server problem: Shutting down for unknown reason

JBRAA · 2006-04-12 05:09:24 UTC

I have a problem with the server shutting down, for no apparent reason what I can see.

1 I join my server that is run on my server PC.
2 Everything seems to be all fine, I play alone for a few minutes, and then exit ET on my game PC.
3 usually at next map, the ET server on the serverPC, close down the etded program, for some reason. Here is a short log from that.

What you see here, is that I joined my server that at the time ran caen2, and I repaired the tank as axis, and then quit ET on my gamePC. And then when the map time runs out, and new map shall load the ET server stops respond, when observing ping from All Seeing Eye.

And then when checking with VNC if the program is still running on the server machine, I see that it is not.

04:20.11 InitGame: \mod_version\3.2.5\g_heavyWeaponRestriction\20\mod_url\http://etpro.anime.net/\P\------2\g_maxlivesRespawnPenalty\0\voteFlags\47611\g_balancedteams\1\g_maxGameClients\0\g_covertopsChargeTime\30000\g_soldierChargeTime\20000\g_LTChargeTime\40000\g_engineerChargeTime\30000\g_medicChargeTime\45000\g_bluelimbotime\20000\g_redlimbotime\30000\gamename\etpro\g_gametype\4\g_antilag\1\g_voteFlags\0\g_alliedmaxlives\0\g_axismaxlives\0\g_minGameClients\8\g_needpass\0\g_maxlives\0\g_friendlyFire\1\sv_allowAnonymous\0\sv_floodProtect\0\sv_maxPing\900\sv_minPing\0\sv_maxRate\25000\sv_minguidage\0\sv_maxclients\46\sv_hostname\^4[JBRAA] ^3Mayhem\sv_privateClients\6\mapname\goldrush\protocol\84	imelimit\25\version\ET 2.60 win-x86 Mar 10 2005\sv_punkbuster\1
04:20.11 etpro: configname ^4[JBRAA] ^3Mayhem ^7Public cfg
04:20.11 etpro: init command pb_sv_enable
04:20.11 etpro: init command pb_sv_kicklen 0
04:20.11 etpro: init command pb_sv_cvarempty
04:20.11 etpro: init command sv_cvarempty
04:20.11 etpro: map default set g_userTimeLimit 25
04:20.11 ClientConnect: 6
04:20.11 Userinfo: \cg_etVersion\ET Pro, ET 2.60\cg_uinfo\44 0 100 1\g_password
one\cl_guid\1F87DA9EAE0DB4F76936F62C32000D48\cl_wwwDownload\1
ame\^9grey\rate\25000\snaps\20\cl_anonymous\0\cl_punkbuster\1\ip\213.100.241.44:54285
04:20.11 ClientUserinfoChanged: 6 n\^9grey	\2\c\2\r\1\m\0000000\s\0100000\dn\\dr\0\w\24\lw\24\sw\7\mu\0\ref\0\p\0\ss\1\sc\0	v\0\lc\2
04:20.11 ClientBegin: 6
04:20.38 etpro announce: "The Tank has been repaired!"
04:20.41 etpro announce: "Allied team has stolen the Tank!"
04:21.04 WeaponStats: 6 1 657408 0 2 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 31 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 47
04:21.04 ClientDisconnect: 6
04:45.10 Exit: Timelimit hit.
04:45.10 red:0  blue:10
04:45.40 ExitLevel: executed
04:45.40 ShutdownGame:
04:45.40 ------------------------------------------------------------
04:45.40 ------------------------------------------------------------
04:45.40 InitGame: \mod_version\3.2.5\g_heavyWeaponRestriction\20\mod_url\http://etpro.anime.net/\g_maxlivesRespawnPenalty\0\voteFlags\47611\g_balancedteams\1\g_maxGameClients\0\g_covertopsChargeTime\30000\g_soldierChargeTime\20000\g_LTChargeTime\40000\g_engineerChargeTime\30000\g_medicChargeTime\45000\g_bluelimbotime\20000\g_redlimbotime\30000\gamename\etpro\g_gametype\4\g_antilag\1\g_voteFlags\0\g_alliedmaxlives\0\g_axismaxlives\0\g_minGameClients\8\g_needpass\0\g_maxlives\0\g_friendlyFire\1\sv_allowAnonymous\0\sv_floodProtect\0\sv_maxPing\900\sv_minPing\0\sv_maxRate\25000\sv_minguidage\0\sv_maxclients\46\sv_hostname\^4[JBRAA] ^3Mayhem\sv_privateClients\6\mapname\caen2\protocol\84	imelimit\25\version\ET 2.60 win-x86 Mar 10 2005\sv_punkbuster\1
04:45.40 etpro: configname ^4[JBRAA] ^3Mayhem ^7Public cfg
04:45.40 etpro: init command pb_sv_enable
04:45.40 etpro: init command pb_sv_kicklen 0
04:45.40 etpro: init command pb_sv_cvarempty
04:45.40 etpro: init command sv_cvarempty
04:45.40 etpro: map default set g_userTimeLimit 25
04:46.10 ShutdownGame:
04:46.10 ------------------------------------------------------------

I’ve tried to research this problem as much as possible, and cant find any problem with my ET server settings, or the way the campaign is loaded.

The only remote reason why the server dies, is this reason I found:
http://66.249.93.104/search?q=cache:ez6Rqj5Wc1kJ:www.modtheater.com/forum/showthread.php%3Ft%3D18093+"enemy+territory"+"server+time+out"&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&client=firefox-a

Which I read as some kind of “time out problem” occuring when nobody playing on the server.

As the guy in that forum I linked to, I also run my serverPC behind a router. D-Link gamer router DGL-4100. Info on my router here: http://games.dlink.com/products/?pid=371&#DGL-4100
And the router is connected with DHCP to my ISP. I have 10/10mbit connection.

I tried lowering the mapdefault timelimit to 2 minutes to rule out a “time out” issue that would occur. And it might be random, but the server was online for 4 hours after I joined and then exited.

So I am guessing this problem is not a ET settings problem, but instead a boring network or ISP problem.

Am I a noob, or am I on to the right track to the problem?

As what to do about it I dont know. And that is the reason why I post this topic.

I have tried connecting changing connection method.
I have tested putting away the router and instead use 2 networkcards in my serverPC to share internet. The serverPC is then directly connected the LAN port in the wall in my appartment, internet is shared to my gamePC with the servers second networkcard, but the problem is also there then.

I would be glad if it is my ISP that sucks, because then it is not my fault, and I have done what I can. But until I dont know what the cause of the problem is I want to try to fix it. Also I can just change ISP in the future if my current one have strange settings.

Thanks for any tries to solve my problem.

I start my server this way

D:\ET\ETDED.exe +set dedicated 2 +set com_hunkmegs 128 +set com_soundmegs 0 +set com_zonemegs 32 +set sv_punkbuster 1 +set fs_game etpro +exec jb_server2.cfg

And in jb_server2.cfg is says in the bottom

// MAP ROTATION
// in this case, a seperate file
// but can just paste it here.
//exec maprotate.cfg

set b_campaignFile "scripts/jbraa_35.campaign"
set d1 "campaign cmpgn_jb35 ; set nextcampaign vstr d2"
set d2 "campaign cmpgn_jb35 ; set nextcampaign vstr d1"

set d_initial "set g_gametype 4 ; map oasis ; set nextcampaign vstr d2"
vstr d_initial

// ETPRO PLUGGED CFG
wait 150
config public
wait 150
reset_match

And the public.config is located in “etpro/configs”

And there is no gametype or campaign related commands in the public.config file.

The serverPC OS

Has been running WinXP SP2 before, and runs now with Win2003 Server SP1 R2. This strange “Shuttting down for unknown reason” problem has occured on both.

The router

Is portfowarding TCP and UDP ports 27950-27970 from the serverPC’s internal IP to the external visible WAN IP.

Firewall

Im new to Win2003 server SP1 R2, and is noob on its network settings there. The win FW cannot be loaded since the windows internet sharing service (ICS) or what the name is must be loaded then. Yes, Im very much a beginner to Win2003 server SP1 R2.
But my guess is that I dont need the firewall, since the ET server allows people to play on it, and not just my self.
The “Shuttting down for unknown reason” problem occured also on WinXP SP2 when the win FW was set to open all ports from 27950-27970

About router again

http://www.rtcw.jolt.co.uk/content/faq/enemyterritory_faq.html#ports

We also do not advise setting up a Return to Castle Wolfenstein server for internet use on a machine that is not directly connected to the Internet. The problem is that any gateway router that translates an internal sub-net to a real IP - including NAT with ipForwarding or DMZ - requires that the internal server use an internal IP address, and these machines see clients on your LAN as different addresses from the internet and thus you cannot authorize these clients.

This text is directed to my type of connection. But Im not sure I understand the problem they write about. “these machines see clients on your LAN as different addresses from the internet and thus you cannot authorize these clients”. My server cant authorize the clients/players? I dont get it.

But since the problem I have been writing about also occurs when the serverPC IS connected directly to the “wall”, I think it does not matter, or is not a factor in the problem.

So this leads me to
A) I cannot read or understand how to run an ET server, or
B) I just dont understand network details, or
C) My ISP is strange.

I hope the answer is either an easy fix to A), that someone will most kindly write here, or some of the B) or C), which would be an releaf so I can leave this problem and forget about trying to host an ET server, and say “Network is not my thing”, or “My ISP sucked”

// JBRAA
Host of JBRAA Mayhem, IP: jbraa.mine.nu:27960

SCDS_reyalP · 2006-04-12 07:27:22 UTC

I doubt very much the server exiting is caused by your ISP or network setup.

Since it happens at map change, it could be related to your .config

Does it happen if you don’t load the .config ?
Does it happen if you stay connected and let the map time expire ? How about if you use ref to load the next map ?

stebbi67 · 2006-04-12 12:13:47 UTC

Tjenare JBRAA.

Yes you are a noob but a profesional one he he he. No just kidding.

I have a D-Link DGL-4300 router and there is no problem with that one. As you said you have tested to run the ET server on a lan with out the router and still it crashes, so that rules out a ISP problem.

I had a similar problem where my ET server was shutting down when changing maps. But I got a different loging in the ET server log.
http://www.splashdamage.com/index.php?name=pnPHPbb2&file=viewtopic&t=13472&highlight=

To find out if this has to do with our configaration you should install a new ET in a different directory. Then run that ET, as a server, with a default configuration. Does that ET server crash? If no then you have some config problems and you can stop reading. SCDS_reyalP has a good point. If yes then this could be a hardware problem.

How old is your PC?
You should run a memory test on it, just google for a free mem test software.

Check the capacitors on your motherboard. If the top of them are not tottaly flat then you have a problem with your motherboard. If you see a smal brown stain on top of them then they have started to leak. You can compare the capacitors on your server PC and your game PC.

Hope that this helps and keep us informed.

JBRAA · 2006-04-12 12:47:07 UTC

Yes. The server can shut down, when I dont use an etpro ‘public.config’, and instead only use ‘server.cfg’.

Nope. Not as a rule. It has happended once or twice that the server has shut down when the server had players on it. But then it wasnt at mapchange, but instead in middle of map.

Nope. I test my campaigns by going ref and use /ref timelimit 0.1 so next map is loaded. It has never shut down when I have done that.

This is the contents on my campaign file “jbraa_35.campaign” in scripts/ in “jbraa_campaign_35.pk3”

{
        name                    "Big Maps 1"
        shortname               "cmpgn_jb35"
        description             "Welcome to ^4[JBRAA] ^3Mayhem**Rules:*No rules, except ^1no artillery/airstrikes in spawn!**Maprotation:**1. oasis*2. goldrush*3. caen2*4. airassfp1*5. mp_assault_rc1*6. et_ice*7. tc_base*8. supplydepot2*9. et_beach"
        maps                    "oasis;goldrush;caen2;airassfp1;mp_assault_rc1;et_ice;tc_base;supplydepot2;et_beach"
        mapTC                   374 374
        type                    "wolfmp"
}

JBRAA · 2006-04-12 15:10:04 UTC

I close the current running server from D:\ET

1 I install WolfET.exe to D:\ET2
2 I install ET_Patch_2_60.exe to D:\ET2
3 I update PB with pbsetup.exe to the install at D:\ET2
4 I extract etpro-3_2_5.zip to D:\ET2 which will make an etpro folder.
5 I make a shortcut of D:\ET2\ETDED.exe and edit the commandline to: D:\ET2\ETDED.exe +set dedicated 2 +set com_hunkmegs 128 +set com_soundmegs 0 +set com_zonemegs 32 +set sv_punkbuster 1 +set fs_game etpro +exec server.cfg
6 I open server.cfg in etmain and edit the following:
set sv_maxclients “46”
set sv_privateclients “6”
set sv_maxRate “25000”
set sv_hostname “^4[JBRAA] ^3Mayhem ^1Test server”
7 I execute the shortcut I just made, and the server starts.
8 I join the server from my gamePC. Play for a few minutes and then exit.
9 The server hasnt shut down yet. I will edit this step when it Does shut down.

The server specs are:
CPU: AMD Athlon Barton XP 3200+/400, 2.2GHz SocketA
RAM: Kingston 1x1GB 400MHz
Mainboard: Abit VA-20 mATX, LAN, VGA
Chassi: Aspire X-QPACK Black/Silver 420W mATX
Harddrive: Maxtor 200 GB

CPU temp is 36 degrees celcius, and harddrive is about 52 degrees celcius.

I have had blue screen of death, when installing Win2003 SP1, R2, making it impossible to finalize installation of the OS.
But after I changed partitions on the drive, to have partitions under 137GB, the bluescreen went away, and Win2003 SP1 R2 installation was error-free.

I have tried the ‘ultimatebootcd’ that has harddrive surfase test, and run it completely without any errors.

I have also run from the same cd, a memmorytest mem x86 or something, for several hours, without any errors.

I havent seen any mainboard capacitors that are leaking.
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.auroracomputer.ca/images/bad_cap1.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.auroracomputer.ca/main.asp&h=150&w=150&sz=36&tbnid=MiTJdfX5-c_0ZM:&tbnh=90&tbnw=90&hl=en&start=1&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dmainboard%2Bcapacitors%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26hs%3Daoz%26lr%3D%26safe%3Doff%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:sv-SE:official%26sa%3DN

If the server would work fine and not shut down with the standard server.cfg and standard campaignrotation, then it must be something wrong with either my campaign, or the actual maps?

(Now I will talk about the D:\ET server again with CUSTOM campaign, to not confuse with the server 2 at D:\ET2:)

More close look at log

It seems from analysing my server log, more closely, that the server shuts down precisely at the moment when the map is starting from a warmup countdown.

04:45.40 InitGame: \mod_version\3.2.5\g_heavyWeaponRestriction\20\mod_url\http://etpro.anime.net/\g_maxlivesRespawnPenalty\0\voteFlags\47611\g_balancedteams\1\g_maxGameClients\0\g_covertopsChargeTime\30000\g_soldierChargeTime\20000\g_LTChargeTime\40000\g_engineerChargeTime\30000\g_medicChargeTime\45000\g_bluelimbotime\20000\g_redlimbotime\30000\gamename\etpro\g_gametype\4\g_antilag\1\g_voteFlags\0\g_alliedmaxlives\0\g_axismaxlives\0\g_minGameClients\8\g_needpass\0\g_maxlives\0\g_friendlyFire\1\sv_allowAnonymous\0\sv_floodProtect\0\sv_maxPing\900\sv_minPing\0\sv_maxRate\25000\sv_minguidage\0\sv_maxclients\46\sv_hostname\^4[JBRAA] ^3Mayhem\sv_privateClients\6\mapname\caen2\protocol\84	imelimit\25\version\ET 2.60 win-x86 Mar 10 2005\sv_punkbuster\1
04:45.40 etpro: configname ^4[JBRAA] ^3Mayhem ^7Public cfg
04:45.40 etpro: init command pb_sv_enable
04:45.40 etpro: init command pb_sv_kicklen 0
04:45.40 etpro: init command pb_sv_cvarempty
04:45.40 etpro: init command sv_cvarempty
04:45.40 etpro: map default set g_userTimeLimit 25
04:46.10 ShutdownGame:
04:46.10 ------------------------------------------------------------

I read this as
1 The server is running campaign mode
2 The map caen2 is running since 04:45.40
3 30 seconds warmup countdown is started at 04:45.40
4 30 seconds warmup countdown is ended at 04:46.10
5 The eteded.exe on the serverPC shuts down at 04:46.10

Do I read this “correctly”?

Again, if my CUSTOM campaign is the source of the problem, could it be:

1 The jbraa_35.campaign file inside the scripts folder, inside the .pk3 file, has perhaps spelling errors, or other type of error?

{
        name                    "Big Maps 1"
        shortname               "cmpgn_jb35"
        description             "Welcome to ^4[JBRAA] ^3Mayhem**Rules:*No rules, except ^1no artillery/airstrikes in spawn!**Maprotation:**1. oasis*2. goldrush*3. caen2*4. airassfp1*5. mp_assault_rc1*6. et_ice*7. tc_base*8. supplydepot2*9. et_beach"
        maps                    "oasis;goldrush;caen2;airassfp1;mp_assault_rc1;et_ice;tc_base;supplydepot2;et_beach"
        mapTC                   374 374
        type                    "wolfmp"
}

2 The jbraa_35.campaign file inside the .pk3 file, is somehow loaded into et, in a wrong way?
Code from D:\ET\etpro\jb_server2.cfg:

set b_campaignFile "scripts/jbraa_35.campaign"
set d1 "campaign cmpgn_jb35 ; set nextcampaign vstr d2"
set d2 "campaign cmpgn_jb35 ; set nextcampaign vstr d1"

set d_initial "set g_gametype 4 ; map oasis ; set nextcampaign vstr d2"
vstr d_initial

3 Some of the acual maps is not working well with other maps in my campaign? My guess would then be airassfp1 (airassfp1 is the bsp/map name, airassault_fp1.pk3 is the file name) or mp_assault_rc1 that is causing the problem somehow even on other maps like goldrush.

My D:\ET2 server with standard campaign has not shut down yet, after a few hours of running time.

So my guess would be after hearing your opinions, that is is likely a campaign, map problem, or even a problem how I load the campaign.

Any help, or time given to me on this is very much appreciated.

stebbi67 · 2006-04-12 16:22:05 UTC

Hmmm tricky one. And you need the server up and running on Friday, right?

I have had mp_assault_rc1 on my server with out any problems. If I understand you right then it crashes randomly when changing a map. Is that correct? If so then this can hardly be a problem with just one map in the campaign.

You can try to run the default campaign and see if you still have the same problem. If so then this is a config problem I guess, then you could perhaps show us your whole config. If not try to add one map at a time and see if the server still runs stable.

How is your match server? Is that one working?

P.s You have 6 private clients. If I remember correctly then you can only have 4, I could be wrong. But that is not the problem.

JBRAA · 2006-04-12 20:46:49 UTC

I got a blue screen of death on the server, some hours ago, “IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL” was one of the messages.

I googled it up, and read about some problem people had, and what could be the cause of them. IDE unit/cable problem, or CPU heat was 2 of the possible reasons. And so I disconnected the CD-ROM on the server, and things -seem- to go fine now.
No server shut down so far, after a few hours. This doesnt mean anything really. This is all that has happended so far.

Salteh · 2006-04-12 23:54:04 UTC

That BSOD could mean anything, dodgy drivers for me usually :]

JBRAA · 2006-04-13 00:59:14 UTC

I got another nice blue screen of death. PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONEPAGED_AREA. I have tried replace the CD-burner for the DVD-burner from the game PC, but getting the PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONEPAGED_AREA error message then too.
After a bit of google-ing, it -seems- it could be fried RAM or corrupt harddrive.
Or in other words, I believe now that the ET server shutting down was not caused by dodgy settings, but instead it looks to be hardware problems.

NOOB! hehe, thats me!

stebbi67 · 2006-04-13 09:38:19 UTC

Tjabba.

You have probably figured this out, but here it goes.

Do you have two harddrives or just one with different partitions?

If you have two harddrives use the other one where you had ET2 upp and running. I think it is save just to rename the etmain and etpro, where you have ET2 then copy etmain and etpro from ET1 to ET2.

I suspect that this is your harddrive, this could also be the kaple. If you have another kaple try to switch the old one with the new one.

Sorry that I can not give you more help that just general trouble shooting.

JBRAA · 2006-04-13 11:38:03 UTC

Hello again.

I have on my server PC changed RAM, and changed harddrive, and removed all PCI-cards, and with still blue screen of death, or wierd system freeze during any winxp/2003-installation.

You might be right stebbi67, about the mainboard. After a closer look, I do have 1 bulging capacitor! It is though, not bulging like it is going to “burst”. It is just slightly bulgy. Like this one on this image that says “Bulging top capacitor”:

(This is not a photo of my mainboard)

More info here: http://www.auroracomputer.ca/bad_capacitors.htm

All capacitor are flat, except 1 that is a bit bulgy. I see no leaking or other failures on any other capasitors.

I guess I need to check if I still have waranty on my mainboard.

As I can guess, the system-instability was caused by this?

Thanks for all the info everyone!

If anyone has anything to add, or comment on this discussion please do.

My server PC specs:
Mainboard: Abit VA-20 mATX, LAN, VGA
CPU: AMD Athlon Barton XP 3200+/400, 2.2GHz SocketA
RAM: Kingston 1x1GB 400MHz
Chassi: Aspire X-QPACK Black/Silver 420W mATX
Harddrive: Maxtor 200 GB

Edit: Just talked to the retailer I bought the mainboard from.

They had still a socket A mATX mainboard, with LAN and VGA on it, which they would send me.

However they didnt have any with FSB 400MHz which my RAM and CPU runs at. The new mainboard runs FSB 333/266/200, DDR 333/266.

So if I run this server with FSB 333 instead of 400, how decrease of performance will it be?

stebbi67 · 2006-04-13 18:08:27 UTC

There will be a decrease but nothing you will notice. Perhaps 1 or 2 %. Nothing that you have to worry about.

Read this, bit old but is shows you what to expect :

Is the server on for Friday?

JBRAA · 2006-04-14 00:32:26 UTC

Yep, the server is up. And is temporary run from the game PC.
Tomorrow, on the game night, I’ll be at my gf place, so I wont use my game PC at home.

Thanks alot for the link to that comparison chart! I was thinking around 5-10%, but 1-2% sounds MUCH better happy
Thanks alot!

stebbi67 · 2006-04-14 01:33:51 UTC

Well, just for the record.

I have a

AMD 1700+
512 DDR 400
Asus Rock motherboard which supports DDR 400 ( but the cpu only supports 333 DDR )

I run the server on Linux ( ET do not use as mutch memory as on Win )

When I have 18 players on the server the CPU resorce is about 40%, so if you are thinking about the performance of ET you will not see ANY difference.

See you tomorrow :drink:

P.s I’m a noob. If there is a vote ot kick me out, please vote no he he.