Need help with L4D2 server

[2thAche]

Hi all.

System is running fine: Athlon 64 X2 2.0GHz/2GB/WinXP Pro on T1 line, fixed IP. I tested it with a local server and it supported 8 player VS no problem with good pings.

I set up a dedicated server using online info, but I've been unsuccessful on many points.

1: Maxplayers is always 18, no matter where I put the line to change it.
2: Is there a way to start the server in VS mode? can't find info anywhere. It always starts in 4 player campaign.
3: PROBLEM! I was able to connect to the server yesterday, it was empty. As soon as I joined, 3 more players connected and a campaign ran fine. I left to test rcon connect, and when I did, the server was gone, no reponse from it's IP. When I came in to check the machine, the console was still running, it had kicked the other 3 players ("server shutting down"), then had "cannot parse [server IP]" messages, which was the same message I got when trying to rcon connect. If I typed "users" in the console, the return message was "server is not running".

There was only 2 logs, connection and service. Nothing good in the conn log, the service log has a bunch of "01/19/10 18:36:06 : Failed to load Steam Service (3)
01/19/10 18:36:06 : ServiceStart: failed to start (1060)
"

I'm starting it with a shortcut, command line: -console -game left4dead2 -hostip 74.7.1.54 +hostport 27015 -ip 10.0.2.109 -secure maxplayers 8 +map c5m1_waterfront.bsp

Config:
hostname "RAGE CAGE"
// Rcon Cvars
rcon_password *******
//Set’s remote control password
// Server Cvars
maxplayers 8
hostip 74.7.1.54
+hostip 74.1.7.54
sv_maxplayers 8
default_maxplayers 8
mp_disable_autokick 1 //Prevents a userid from being auto-kicked
sv_allow_wait_command 0 //Allow or disallow the wait command on clients connected to this server.
sv_alltalk 0 //Players can hear all other players, no team restrictions
sv_alternateticks 0 //If set, server only simulates entities on even numbered ticks.
sv_clearhinthistory 0 //Clear memory of server side hints displayed to the player.
sv_consistency 1 //Whether the server enforces file consistency for critical files
sv_contact “” //Contact email for server sysop
sv_downloadurl “” //Location from which clients can download missing files
// Lan or internet play, Server region cvars
//sv_lan 0 //If set to 1,Server is a lan server ( no heartbeat, no authentication, no non-class C addresses )
sv_region 0 // Region Codes: 0 – US East coast, 1 – US West coast, 2 – South America, 3 – Europe, 4 – Asia, 5 – Australia, 6 – Middle East, 7 – Africa, 255 – world
// Server Logging
sv_log_onefile 0 //Log server information to only one file.
sv_logbans 1 //Log server bans in the server logs.
sv_logecho 0 //Echo log information to the console.
sv_logfile 1 //Log server information in the log file.
//sv_logflush 0 //Flush the log file to disk on each write (slow).
sv_logsdir “logs” //Folder in the game directory where server logs will be stored.
//Server Rates
sv_minrate 0
sv_maxrate 25000


I appreciate any help. There is alot of info on intalling a server, but surprisingly little on the details of running it.

[lol554]

Maxplayers cant be changed, because its needed for bots (special infected). You can start it directly in versusmode by putting this in your server.cfg:

Code:

sv_gamemodes "versus" // allows the server to be versus only

Is the server on the same network as your pc?

[2thAche]

Is the server on the same network as your pc?
[/quote]

The server is at my office. What happened yesterday was connecting to it from home. I have gaming machines at home/office so I can test from both locations. Yesterday was the first time I had the firewall open for it.

[lol554]

Okay, have you forwarded the port TCP 27015?

[2thAche]

Port is forwarded and open. Today it's been populated, and running fine. It must be OK with lobby connections since there is an 8-man VS game running on it right now.

Next problem, and again I've googled and not found a solution:

I'll need to connect remotely with rcon privaleges WITHOUT being on the server (NOT in-game). From what I remember from running counterstrike servers, the command was "rcon connect <IP>" or "rcon address <IP>" (with the rcon password already loaded). Then I was able to run rcon commands remotely without actually playing in the game. With either of those commands I get:

Unable to connect to remote server (0.0.0.0:0)

Am I using the wrong syntax or is there something messed up?

---

PS: Am I correct in using the -ip, -hostip and -hostport entries in the command line?

---

[2thAche]

I was able to use RCON in-game.

Now when i use "rcon connect <IP>" it says:

connect: can't parse '<IP>'

AND:

On the server console, it says:
drop [playername] from server <server shutting down>

for each player, then the line:

connect: can't parse '<IP>'

Then the console runs but the server is not running and can't be connected to.

So basically when I try to rcon connect it not only doesn't work, but it makes the server drop every player and shut down.

Makes absolutely no sense to me.

[Nitsuj]

(01-21-2010, 09:27 AM)2thAche Wrote:  Port is forwarded and open. Today it's been populated, and running fine. It must be OK with lobby connections since there is an 8-man VS game running on it right now.

Next problem, and again I've googled and not found a solution:

I'll need to connect remotely with rcon privaleges WITHOUT being on the server (NOT in-game). From what I remember from running counterstrike servers, the command was "rcon connect <IP>" or "rcon address <IP>" (with the rcon password already loaded). Then I was able to run rcon commands remotely without actually playing in the game. With either of those commands I get:

Unable to connect to remote server (0.0.0.0:0)

Am I using the wrong syntax or is there something messed up?

---

PS: Am I correct in using the -ip, -hostip and -hostport entries in the command line?

---

The command i've seen in rcon_address <server ip>

[lol554]

Yes the correct command for this is rcon_address

For example, i were watching a sourcetv-match yesterday, but i also wanted to be able to be executing rcon commands on another server. i used this:

rcon_address xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx:27015
rcon_password xxx
then rcon commands

[jimmmarks]

I had similar problems and was helped by reading this thread. Thanks guys

[2thAche]

rcon_address gets "unknown command "rcon_address"

rcon address gets

Unable to connect to remote server (0.0.0.0:0)

I tried this from work using the local address as well, and it fails also.

People populate the server and my friends can connect to it fine. Lobbies can connect to it fine. IN-GAME rcon works fine. However, in order to empty the server when we have a lobby, we need remote RCON access. I'm starting to get frustrated.

Some other notes:

The only port I have forwarded is 27015, TCP and UDP. Should I open the whole range 27005 to 27020 and forward it to the server IP or will that screw up the gaming machine I play from (27005)?

[2thAche]

Downloaded HLSW, and it does everything I need and more. Never got the RCON non-game from the console to work properly.

[lol554]

Sorry my fault, i forgot that L4D2 doesn't support rcon_address my bad