A little help please

[mrmajika]

I have been using the same Voyager 2091 router for 8 months with all the correct ports open to enable hosting and joining, without any trouble.

But from yesterday morning I am unable to host either here or through Direct-Connection. Initially I thought it was an update to my browser settings which was the problem. But I had a look around and everything seems fine.

Then I wondered was it a problem with my 2 8800gtx's, because ever since I installed them last week, I have been getting strange problems. Firstly I was getting things like my dvd rw not recognizing its drivers, the same with my soundcard too.

So after un-installing alot of prog's and applications I am still certain that it is something to do with the cards, but I am not sure.

I have checked my pc for crap that might hinder its performance somehow, but nothing to be found.

Any help would be appreciated, in case I have over-looked something.
The joys of owning a pc.
Thanks. mrmajika.

[Freefaller]

I won't pretend to know anything about port forwarding or your 8800's. However did you add LSPN.net to your trusted sites on your updated browser (i'm assuming ie7)?

[mrmajika]

Thanks Freefaller for the reply. Yes I added that when I first joined. I'm gonna do something very drastic here as a last resort.

I am going to re-format then strip the pc down and rebuild. Followed by the usual re-installing one thing at a time carry on, just to see if I can highlight what the problem is.

mrmajika.

[Freefaller]

That is drastic, best of luck

[mrmajika]

I'm gonna leave it untill the morning, too late to start now. I'll report back when it's finished.

mrmajika.

[Tresclub]

Did you try restoring your system back to a previous "Restore System Point?

[mrmajika]

I just did a full re-format on Friday morning Tresclub. Roughly about 3 hours before I started experiencing the hosting problems using Direct-Connection. I am usually very meticulous when it comes to the way I install progs and applications after I format. And I never did anything any different to what I usually do.

I am really at a loss here, I cannot for the life of me think what it could be. It has to be a router problem. But I am tired uninstalling drivers and reinstalling, only to be faced with the same problem.

But i'm sure i'll get it sorted. It is just a hassle having to wait to join games, when all was working well before.

I swear fiddling around with pcs will be the end of me. Oh well, at least I need something to keep me away from the missus

mrmajika.

[cobbs]

I also am Unable to Host a game or connect throught Links Match Maker. It hasn't worked for the last couple of days. But I have been hosting and playing through Direct Connection. I have my friend look for games that I host using my IP address and it has worked the last 2 nights. When he host I look for games using his IP address. I am playing in about 1/2 hour and I'll see if it still works.

[mrmajika]

Well I stripped down the pc earlier this morning and rebuilt it again. Followed by the installing of various drivers, progs' and applications. ( All one at a time, and testing as I went along. )

The results have left me puzzled.

Firstly I installed my old 7800's just for the sake of ruling out my 8800's. Gave my father my IP, then hosted a game on Direct-Connection. My father connected to me first time. We washed and repeated this for a further 20 minutes, with him connecting to me everytime. ( Very strange )

Next I then proceeded to install the first of my 8800gtx's and tried again. Working, with no problems. Even triple checked my ports on the router. ( Everything fine for enabled to host and join )

Feeling confident I added the second 8800 and proceeded to play on Direct-Connection, testing for a further 20 mins. Everything working the way it was meant.

Thinking I had the problem solved, I proceeded to launch FSX, then around 30 mins into a flight from Eglington to Heathrow, I got a message from my father to test again.

So I gave him my IP again and off we went. Connection failed?

I have checked and double checked everything from the videocard.txt, to having a look around the inside of the drivers to opening the registry and having a good old fashioned poke-about, and nothing seems out of place. Well at least from the Cards and Links side anyway.

I have even tried a second Voyager 2091 router that BT generously sent me and still get the same results. Everything works well after a complete overhaul, but then mysteriously fails shortly after. It is not the twin cards either as they are both working well.

I need help here without a doubt. If it is not my cards, motherboard, ram, psu, hard-drives etc, what the hell could it be. And I find it highly unlikely it is my router now, after having installed the exact same one as I have and still get the same results.

I am holding up a white-flag on a stick here, and proceeding to wave it about like a manical woman with PMT. Any help on this matter would be marvelous. I swear to god if I cannot find out where the problem lies, I am going to take a claw hammer to this Akasa see-through case.

Only joking. Helpppppppppppppppppp meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee please.

mrmajika.

[Rehit]

have you tried putting your PC in the DMZ?

[mrmajika]

Thank you Rehit for your reply. Yes I have tried putting it into the DMZ with exactly the same results.

To be honest this is starting to get on my nerves. Ever since I installed the dual-cores with twin 8800gtx's I have had nothing but trouble. From driver failures to other applications mysteriously shutting sown also.

The joys of upgrading to Vista and Dx10 have completely sunk me. I think this will be my last computer build and upgrade, as I have neither the patience or the willpower to keep puzzle solving whenever new hardware is released and causes conflictions.

Thanks anyway for the replys.

mrmajika.

This must be what [censored]-addicts are like, I'm going to try again. I'll start with a complete check of my Bios first just in case then format and rebuild. I must be crazy, but it is Sunday afterall, nothing better to do.

[mrmajika]

My IP is: 217.42.102.111

I will keep this on for one hour, so if anyone wants to see if they can connect-directly please feel free.

mrmajika.

[mrmajika]

This is my last attempt, if anyone would like to try to connect to the above ip address, I will have it on for the next 30 mins, too see if I finally have it fixed.

Thanks.

mrmajika.

[mrmajika]

More information on the continuing saga of me versus my machine.

Did another total rebuild of my pc and all the bits and bobs associated with it. Finally decided to just run my pc on the DMZ with the twin 7800's instead of the twin 8800's. And low and behold I can now finally host. So just as a test I tried the two 8800gtx's and proceeded to run on the DMZ using them.

Everything worked fine for roughly 15 mins or so, was able to host for that length of time on and off then the same thing happened. Not able to host.

I find this rather disturbing for several reasons:

1: The price I paid for the two cards and
2: The fact I can host other games online, like CS:S and Doom 3 etc with no problems whatsoever. ( By the way, both of the cards are working just as they should: like rockets ) Which makes this all the more odd.

The only problem now is that until I find out exactly where the problem lies, everytime I want to play a different game like FSX for example, I will have to keep swapping cards. Not a huge problem admittedly but annoying never-the-less.

Thanks anyway.

mrmajika.

[Westview]

I'm sorry...what's your problem again?

Just kidding...very strange that the apparent r o o t of the problem is the twin 8800's, when the twin 7800's work fine. I would have thought the r o o t problem would have been a network setting(router/port/TC/IP)) etc....

How can the difference in video card prevent people from connecting to you??

One obvious solution is to find someone with a working system that can host, and purchase it from them. Use this system only when playing Links of course.

Edit...why is the word r o o t censored here??? Is there some unknown meaning of the word I'm not aware of?