rec.autos.simulators

Internet traffic -- races are Sunday at 10 pm EDT, same as they were
before we started having problems.  Pings are generally good.  (I
disco'd last week with a max tracert ping of 72.)

Modem users -- the guys having problems are a mix of modem, dsl, and
cable.

Server -- we've used several, with no difference.  Guys that have raced
these servers in other leagues with no problem can't stay hooked to the
same server in our league race.

All of which brings us to some questions about the clients' core.ini
files.  (Some are very small, most are the original core.ini.sample file
modified only for alternate_ip_addr_lookup, allow_force_feedback, and
ReplayMemoryOverride.)

1)  Can settings in one or more clients' core.ini have an effect on the
server, that could then affect other clients' connections?

2)  What would be the effect of the presence (or absence) of
[ Communications ]
net_use_mdm_bandwidth_for_tcp_ip = 1

3)  What would be the effect of the presence (or absence) of
[  Task  ]
synch_method = 1

4)  Are the 35 settings in the [ Communications ] section of
core.ini.sample all defaults, such that the client would act the same
way whether the original settings were included or not?

5)  Are there any issues related to the presence of [ GEM ] or
[ Engines ] sections put in place by the engine-swapper utility?

6)  Would there be any issues from the fact that some guys have
installed the "gpldiscofix" patch and some haven't?

We really appreciate any knowledge you can share, when you go through a
year with one or two disco's and then have four in a row, it gets really
old really fast ;-)

This has been in IIRC since GPL1.1 or GPL1.2(.0.1). It uses a quite
different synch method from that in GPL1.0 supposedly. You might try
0.

Other things you asked I know nothing about, sorry.

Ruud van Gaal, GPL Rank +53.25
Pencil art    : http://www.marketgraph.nl/gallery/
Free car sim  : http://www.marketgraph.nl/gallery/racer/

Generally speaking not. The worst that can happen is that a client sends
more messages to the server than normal if net_xxx_send_every is at 1. If
you start via winvroc using Typical Bandwidth winvroc forces the right
settings for all clients.

When this is 1, the net_mdm_xxx parameters are used. When it is 0 the net_
lan_xxx parameters are used. The default value is one. mdm stands for modem
(or rather dialup).

Both synch methods can be used by different clients in a race.

Think so yes

I don't know, but my guess is they will be ignored, or only used by the
swapper code.

Not issues, but I would recommend that everyone apply it.

Look for other causes in your pc: a timeout on the dialup connection in the
internet setiings (GPL traffic is not recognised as activity), another
program popping up automatically. Also collect as much info as you can: are
you still in GPL after the disco, or in windows. Did GPL show any error
codes in the chat line. Do you still have connection to your isp. Etc.

Bart

Some follow-up questions...

Is that a setting that each user has in his winvroc config, or does
server control?  (We all connect via vroc.)

Only a couple guys having a regular problem are on dialup, rest
(including me) are on cable or dsl.

I'm not sure about everyone else, but I use End-it-All and only have
Thrustmapper auto-launch running.

One is getting booted out of GPL sometimes, but almost all are just back
to the "Reconnect?" screen in GPL.

I don't have access to the chat line after the disco, or is there a way
I can still see it?  The only indicator is that most of us see the
Q-meter rising til it gets to the top and bursts.  I believe we just
stop getting packets.

Yes, in fact when I answer no to the "Reconnect" message, I'm
immediately back in vroc commiserating with my unlucky compadres.  Last
week I ran a tracert to the server immediately after getting booted and
got a high ping of 72.  AFAIK, no one is losing ISP connection.

Any further light you can shed is most appreciated.

A sample from my last race:
------ BEGIN DUMP -------

-ko"10:communications:disableDirectConnect:1"
-ko"0:communications:alternate_ip_addr_lookup:1"
-ko"0:client:to_ip:***.***.***.***"
-ko"0:client:via_ip:192.168.1.3"
-ko"0:communications:disable_network:0"
-ko"0:communications:disable_modem:1"
-ko"0:communications:disable_ipx:1"
-ko"0:communications:disable_tcp_ip:0"
-ko"0:communications:ignore_net_read_errors:1"
-ko"0:communications:ignore_net_send_errors:1"
-ko"0:communications:show_meters:0"
-ko"0:communications:net_mdm_client_send_every:3"
-ko"0:communications:net_mdm_client_send_size:84"
-ko"0:communications:net_mdm_server_send_every:3"
-ko"0:communications:net_mdm_server_send_size:84"
-ko"0:communications:net_use_mdm_bandwidth_for_tcp_ip:1"
-ko"0:rasterizer:fullscreen:1"
-ko"0:server:launch:0"
-ko"0:server:password:NONE"
-ko"10:player:lastPlayer:Kruuse__Jens"
-ko"20:network parameters:userMode:0"
-ko"20:personal information:driverRating:3"
-ko"20:personal information:team:3"

[***** VROC LEAVERACE *****]
command=LEAVERACE
clientNick=Kruuse
clientFName=Jens
clientLName=Kruuse

[***** VROC JOINRACE *****]
command=JOINRACE
clientNick=Kruuse
clientFName=Jens
clientLName=Kruuse
driverClass=3
driverTeam=3
vrocClient=VROC.WIN.2.1.0.0

------ END DUMP ------

For further information about the communication and packets, check out this
excellent page:
http://www.xs4all.nl/~westrab/gplol.htm

I'm surpriced Bart didn't know about that one. :-)

/Jens