Packetshaper 0wn1ng Battlefield 1942

[travisio]

Hey guys. Up at work we have a packet shaper for traffic and bandwidth management. If you are not familiar with these, go here to check them out www.packetshaper.com. Anyways we are trying to host a BF 1942 server and the packet shaper is tr0wn1ng the server as far as latency - One moment you have a 30-50 ping and the next an 800-1000. I can't get the thing to do traffic discovery for the game, thus it is stuck in the default bucket of discovered ports. Once classified here its priority is low and I can't give it a set or burstable rate. Anyways I was wondering if I made a static class for it what I would need to include in the class such as the protocol being IP, and what ports to set, etc. If anyone has used a packetshaper or can give me more info on the network side of the game I would appreciate it. I am no expert in networking but I know the basics.

Trav

---

Trav,

Your post violates a rule for this forum. Please do not request or offer assistance in circumventing bandwidth limits imposed by your workplace, school, etc.

Thank you,

AnandTech Moderator

 

[spidey07]

tr0wn1ng the server as far as latency

If you can tell me what you mean I will be very happy to assist you. clowning? frowning? trowning? wtf?

create a new class with the inound and outbound ports that the game uses and from there you can treat it how ever you like - high priority, guaranteed bandwidth, etc.

when you make your class just specifiy the server location as outbound on one rule and inbound on another.

 

[Tallgeese]

And I sure hope trav's got official clearance to set up and host this server, and modify his company's shaper.

else, trav may soon have a LOT of free time to play Battlefield 1942, but a WHOLE lot less bandwidth, in the near future.

 

[Garion]

You know, most people put in traffic shapers for a reason - To manage their bandwidth. Just because you happen to manage it probably doesn't give you the right to use up your bandwidth for the latest kewl game. Remember.. Those who make the and enforce laws are not above them.

- G

 

[spidey07]

Traviso,

Just a thought, but if you aren't using all your bandwidth now or pegging the circuit your pings should be fine.

Are there any limits placed on the default bucket?

 

[travisio]

Well next time I post a message I will be sure not to have a sense of humor for the sake of pointless posts such as TallGeese and Garion. I am authorized to put up this server....which is none of your business anyways, and just for the sake of more non-helpful posts I am an intern where I work as an asst. network admin, and our other two full time network admins dont have time to help me with this. Spidey I appreciate you actually trying to help me out and when I say tr0wn1ng I meant owning. I picked this word up from a crazy flash animation on this site CoinBird. Anyways our link is a portion of a DS3 (9 megabit full duplex). During peak hours the outbound pipe is about 40% full and inbound about 50-51%, so the bandwidth is there. What I did do was create a static class which entailed all services for the IP protocol family on the static IP of the server. Once I added this class to the inbound and outbound, it recognized traffic throughput of the server. So I had something to work with right. Well I gave it a higher priority than most other classes and this did not help. So instead of giving it priority I gave it a set rate of 1.5 megabit. This didn't help either. I was wondering if it was not throughput but maybe something with ICMP. However, we do have ICMP classified. For other games such as Quake, Half-Life, etc the pings are fine. Note: This is also affecting users that just want to play the game as a client and not host a server. I checked on the default bucket and there are no partitions defined for it (such as set rates, burstable rates, or priorities). I will RTFM (<--humor.......) and find out more info about the default bucket.

 

[spidey07]

Sounds like a plan.

Also, I was biting my tongue - trying very hard not to rant on ya. I mean c'mon, its a place of business not something for playing games on. Your problem might very well be somewhere else and not related at all to bandwidth or the pshaper.

<---guitly of setting up a class called network test that encopasses udp ports 27000-29000. works like a champ.

 

[travisio]

Hehe Spidey thats funny "network test", I am assuming yall use a packetshaper too? Also just a note this is University not a business I am going to try and update the software on the packetshaper. Correct me if Im wrong but the packetshaper software itself comes with predefined services such as Doom, ICMP, Quake-A, Quake III, etc. Maybe if I update it, there will be a service predefined for BF?

 

[Tallgeese]

Originally posted by: travisio
Well next time I post a message I will be sure not to have a sense of humor for the sake of pointless posts such as TallGeese and Garion.

I'd suggest instead that you A.) LSFM, and B.) spend more time explaining the exact situation, and less time trying to flex your "l337"-speak muscles.

We commonly get questions in this forum about how to circumvent security, bypass filters, anonymous proxy, and otherwise violate all kinds of company and network policy.
Nothing in your post suggested you had/have clearance for this kind of setup, and most of us admins here tend to come down harshly on posts that fall into that category.

That said, I'm outta this thread.

 

[spidey07]

Aww, c'mon Geese. You know use pros totally ozney in roxers leet rule soxors.

Yes I run have installed and run many packetshapers, awesome product. University huh? Ask the folks that actually know how to use the device, maybe they can help you run a game server on property payed for by tax payers.

-end rant-

doesn't sound like a priority or bandwidth issue. Post a good layout of how the network is setup, where the server is, where the clients are, what routers/switches/networks/bandwidth are between them and maybe I can help.

That and conceal your activities under things like "test-593-del-me". That way security won't harp your sheeeezzzat on da izzzzaat.

 

[randal]

LOL, spidey, you're a riot

randal

 

[travisio]

Well Spidey once again I appreciate your helpful posts. Apparently I am too immature to post on such a sophisticated forum. I will end this thread on the note that once again all posts to this thread were unhelpful but yours. I will try and find another forum, one in which I can post a question and it will try and be answered. I really don't see the need to post my clearance or reasons why I choose what I want to do. You are right, at first I didn't offer yall enough info to help solve my problem, but my updated post was better. I have posted on this forum before and gotten no replies. This said, I usually don't throw out, in detail my entire problem at first, until I receive some replies and see someone taking interest in the thread. I was hoping my next post would get me more info. The BF server is by no means important, it was just a service I was wishing to offer to the gaming community since I had the resources for it. Maybe the other members that posted to this thread should focus on helping and not parenting or policing. Lets not forget the purpose of forums. I am not out to do damage to the technology community or cause a stir in it (especially not in this renowned forum). I am not being sarcastic when I say this either. I just simply wanted some help. Apparently I will not receive that here. Well sleep is calling my name. Hehe unfortunately school and work require that

 

[Tallgeese]

Know I said I was out, but too much here that needs addressing.

Originally posted by: travisio
Apparently I am too immature...

Goes without saying.

I really don't see the need to post my clearance or reasons why I choose what I want to do.

Obviously. And few of us see the need to offer any info or assistance to someone who clearly has no respect for their employer or the public resources at his disposal.

I have posted on this forum before and gotten no replies.

Hmmmm..I wonder why.

I usually don't throw out, in detail my entire problem at first, until I receive some replies and see someone taking interest in the thread.

I don't understand this logic at all, since there's few things more frustrating than initally t-shooting a problem/post, and later getting info that would have shortened the t-shooting significantly.

The BF server is by no means important, it was just a service I was wishing to offer to the gaming community since I had the resources for it.

If you wanna offer something to the gaming community, then by all means, go ahead. But don't for one minute think that you yourself are supplying the resources you mentioned. TAXPAYERS are supplying those resources. I've worked in higher-ed IT before, and the amount of WASTE is STAGGERING. Get off your high horse, because what you are doing is theft of time and money that should be used for its intended purpose, not some damn gaming server.

Maybe the other members that posted to this thread should focus on helping and not parenting or policing.

Maybe you need to spend some time growing up. I think this forum's record on helping people with LEGITIMATE requests speaks for itself. As for policing, that is the daily job of every admin on this board, in one way or another. Immature snotrags like you are the type of IT "professional" that give everybody else a bad name. As for parenting, obviously you didn't have enough of it.

Lets not forget the purpose of forums.

Since when is it the purpose of a forum to assist in the squandering and waste of public resources?

I am not out to do damage to the technology community

Already addressed this.

 

[Nutz]

Ouch! Damn TG, after reading that one even my ass is hurting

 

[Thor86]

Couldn't have said it better TG!

I only wish these 'peusdo-admins' would know what it really costs for bandwidth and realize that nothing is for free, unless you still live off your parents.

 

[travisio]

TallGeese this is just a technical forum I posted a simple question and you have blown it out of proportion. You are sitting here yelling at me calling me a thief and a snotrag? You don't even know me. I am astounded at this post. I have never seen someone get so angry about a simple question like this. Why are you even posting if you don't want to help me? Im not going sit here and call you names or rag on you, I don't know you. I just want some technical help. Im sorry if you have something against me I have nothing against you. BTW for all others that care, I read up on creating classes and I made a few mistakes between creating classes on inbound and outbound. I know have it classified properly, just as every other game is classified. We classify games for the sole purpose of allowing students in the dorms to be able to play multiplayer games. My BF server(which was my machine) was just going to be a one weekend temp. server, but i decided I would rather have the machine at home I also apologize for wasting time and space on this forum. If I would have just read up on it to begin with I wouldn't have needed to make this post.

 

[Shelly21]

Originally posted by: travisio
TallGeese this is just a technical forum I posted a simple question and you have blown it out of proportion. You are sitting here yelling at me calling me a thief and a snotrag? You don't even know me. I am astounded at this post. I have never seen someone get so angry about a simple question like this. Why are you even posting if you don't want to help me? Im not going sit here and call you names or rag on you, I don't know you. I just want some technical help. Im sorry if you have something against me I have nothing against you. BTW for all others that care, I read up on creating classes and I made a few mistakes between creating classes on inbound and outbound. I know have it classified properly, just as every other game is classified. We classify games for the sole purpose of allowing students in the dorms to be able to play multiplayer games. My BF server(which was my machine) was just going to be a one weekend temp. server, but i decided I would rather have the machine at home I also apologize for wasting time and space on this forum. If I would have just read up on it to begin with I wouldn't have needed to make this post.

Your post is too hard to read.... I stopped at thief and snotrag.....

 

[narzy]

give him his answer, and let him get in trouble, it gets him out of the system.

 

[Valhalla1]

Originally posted by: narzy
give him his answer, and let him get in trouble, it gets him out of the system.

Travis will not get in trouble for this, as he stated he is authorized to do this, in fact trav has set up quite a few game servers on the uni. network.

me and trav go back a long way, heck i went to junior high and senior high with this hippie.. and I can assure you, he may come off as defensive but you all ranted on him for no reason, what place do you have to derail someone and accuse someone when you have no idea what the situation is ? travis is a friend of mine and is the smartest mofo' I know, so everyone please get off their high horses and leave him alone.. as your homely mother once told you.. if you dont have anything nice to say...

 

[Valhalla1]

ps - travis check out arstechnica.com -> "openforum"

I rarely post on anandtech anymore, I find Ars is much more laid back, and there are helpful technical pros there whereas A.T. is far too uptight and newbie-filled for my tastes anymore. ars seems to have a much more technical userbase IMO

 

[spidey07]

Point well taken Valhalla, and very true. I visit this forum because there are many professionals with helpful advice.

But at the same time I for one cannot condone helping the very same activities I have spent 15 years of my career combatting. Bandwidth abuse and using a network paid for by a university/business for personal activities. "I want to bypass the toll charges on long distance phone calls", "I need to make a phone call anywhere without network access charges". Sound familiar?

Bandwidth isn't free, nor is it cheap. I helped Traviso because he has access to change the policy. Anytime someone wants to circumvent any security or acceptible use policy I will respond in kind.

I also respectfully responded to your post. After seeing the "yo momma" reference in your thread I'll have to say this...

f' off and welcome to the real world, where pricks like me are in control.

 

[Tallgeese]

...OOT

 

[Valhalla1]

Originally posted by: TallGeese
Whee!
travis has a friend.
I'm all impressed.

and obviously quite mature...

 

[Tallgeese]

Originally posted by: Valhalla1
and obviously quite mature...

...OOT

 

[Garion]

Originally posted by: Valhalla1
ps - travis check out arstechnica.com -> "openforum"

I rarely post on anandtech anymore, I find Ars is much more laid back, and there are helpful technical pros there whereas A.T. is far too uptight and newbie-filled for my tastes anymore. ars seems to have a much more technical userbase IMO

Personally, I take offense at this. I'll bet that if you combine the professional experience of the people posting replies in this thread, you'll find there's EASILY 50+ years of sys/net admin experience. I've been working on systems and networks for about fourteen years and I'm sure that TG and Spidey have been around longer than I have. If you want more experience and can find other network pros willing to spend their personal timehelping others on another board, fine. Go there and leave us alone.

Understand this - We have spent our professional careers trying to provide stable, cost-effective network services to our companies. Our jobs are making sure that our precious network resources are used in the best possible way. Travis's first post describes our stereotypical "renegade power-user," who wants to use the organization's network for his own personal enjoyment - exactly the user we have to try hardest to keep in control. How do you EXPECT us to react? "Sure, here's exactly how to bypass that system that your sysadmin put in place to PREVENT exactly what you're trying to do." I assure you, our sympathies and professional experience puts us on the other side of the fence. Make a system that can meet the organization's needs, not one to be hacked or tweaked so someone can play a LAN game without delays.

If Travis had provide us the full information on his problem and his authority without sounding like a hacker punk, we would have certainly provided all the information we could. I don't know of any network pros that use the word "0wn1ng" in a question on how to modify their organization's infrastrcture, so you can certainly NOT blame us for jumping to conclusions on the intent of the query.

- G