VROC & the disappearing modem

I haven't tried VROC before due to my lousy internet connection, but I finally caved and figured I'd have a look. No dice. I read all the how-to's, made the suggested changes, installed Netscape 4.08 & the VROC software, and did the VROC setup. When I get on VROC and click to join a race, GPL starts fine and lists the correct address of the race to join, but under "connect via" it only lists Com1, when my internal 56K USR Sportster(not win) is on Com2. Clicking the green button only tries to connect through Com1, which is of course a no-go. I can connect and race locally, modem to modem, in GPL without any big problems; GPL sees(& lists) my modem just fine then. But once my internet connection's open, whether I let VROC start GPL or start it myself, the game doesn't seem to see the modem anymore...... Maybe it's just another of those pesky brain clouds. Anyone have a thought on this? TIA, Steve B. remove "edy" from address for email

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> I haven't tried VROC before due to my lousy internet connection, but I finally > caved and figured I'd have a look. No dice. I read all the how-to's, made the > suggested changes, installed Netscape 4.08 & the VROC software, and did the > VROC setup. When I get on VROC and click to join a race, GPL starts fine and > lists the correct address of the race to join, but under "connect via" it only > lists Com1, when my internal 56K USR Sportster(not win) is on Com2. Clicking > the green button only tries to connect through Com1, which is of course a > no-go. I can connect and race locally, modem to modem, in GPL without any big > problems; GPL sees(& lists) my modem just fine then. But once my internet > connection's open, whether I let VROC start GPL or start it myself, the game > doesn't seem to see the modem anymore...... > Maybe it's just another of those pesky brain clouds. Anyone have a thought on > this?

It's AOL. David Cook

you have to select the IP address set by your ISP and not the Modem in the list...... Andr

>>It's AOL.<< May be; but how so? I've seen posts of others with AOL using VROC successfully. And I had been on a local ISP but couldn't stay connected more than 10-20 minutes at a stretch. Their tech support immediately asked where I live and then said everyone here had that problem; REALLY lousy phone lines, it seems. Duhhhh. Don't know what they're doing different on their end, but AOL has been a lot more reliable here. The connection still drops on occasion, but it's acceptable. >>you have to select the IP address set by your ISP and not the Modem in the list......<< I don't think the IP address is the problem. When I choose to join a race, VROC queries the host, starts GPL, the IP address for the race shows up correctly in the address book on my multiplayer screen, and I can select it and get a green button to proceed. But to do so, I need to connect via some channel; the proper one being the modem, which is on Com2. But the only "connect via" option it gives me is Com1. For locally-linked races, my modem is listed on the multiplayer screen and works fine; I can join or host. So; I can believe that it may be an AOL thing. But since I haven't had any luck with a local ISP, anyone know a way around it? Thanks again, Steve B. remove "edy" from address for email

Connect via TCP IP button. Not via your modem. Regards Mark >I haven't tried VROC before due to my lousy internet connection, but I finally >caved and figured I'd have a look. No dice. I read all the how-to's, made the >suggested changes, installed Netscape 4.08 & the VROC software, and did the >VROC setup. When I get on VROC and click to join a race, GPL starts fine and >lists the correct address of the race to join, but under "connect via" it only >lists Com1, when my internal 56K USR Sportster(not win) is on Com2. Clicking >the green button only tries to connect through Com1, which is of course a >no-go. I can connect and race locally, modem to modem, in GPL without any big >problems; GPL sees(& lists) my modem just fine then. But once my internet >connection's open, whether I let VROC start GPL or start it myself, the game >doesn't seem to see the modem anymore...... >Maybe it's just another of those pesky brain clouds. Anyone have a thought on

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>this? >TIA, >Steve B. >remove "edy" from address for email

> I don't think the IP address is the problem. When I choose to join a race, > VROC queries the host, starts GPL, the IP address for the race shows up > correctly in the address book on my multiplayer screen, and I can select it > and get a green button to proceed. But to do so, I need to connect via some > channel; the proper one being the modem, which is on Com2. You need to connect via TCP/IP Node, not a Com Port. From prior experience with a friend on AOL, the TCP/IP Node option wasn't showing up for him. When he connected to a real ISP <g> it showd up... David

I don't get that button, only Com1; so it looks like AOL's a no-go. Back to ISP roulette for me. :-) Hope this time's better. thnx, Steve B. remove "edy" from address for email

I had the same problem last week. GPL won't detect your TCP/IP connection if your IP adress is dynamicly assigned(ie diffrent IP adr. every time you connect to the net). You need to add this line to your core.ini file (if you have one ,else add a file named core.ini to your GPL folder) . [ Communications ] alternate_ip_addr_lookup = 1 /B. Nyhlen Scuderia Ferarri Sweden Extract from the readme file: TCP/IP ISSUES If you connect to the Internet using a modem, and wish to play GPL over the Internet, connect to the Internet before starting GPL. If you do not intend to play GPL over the Internet, there is no need to connect before playing the game. If you have a local area network, and your network card is dynamically assigned an IP address (using DHCP), you must tell GPL to use an alternate method of determining your machine's IP address. Using Notepad, create a file named core.ini in the same folder in which gpl.exe exists containing the following two lines: [Communications] alternate_ip_addr_lookup = 1 Note, however, that if you use this alternate method, and your only TCP/IP connection is via a modem, and you have your Internet properties set to automatically connect to the Internet, and you're not connected to the Internet when you start GPL, Dial-Up Networking will start up when you launch GPL. This may cause GPL to not function properly, and/or your machine may connect to the Internet.

Thank you; that did the trick. I had seen that bit in the readme, but was just predisposed to blaming AOL :-). I signed onto a local ISP to try for a faster connection (and the reported connect-speed IS higher) , but get better pings and download speeds through the dreaded AOL. Go figure. Thanks again, Steve B. remove "edy" from address for email